Christian Analysis of "The Republic of Plato"

2. Book II

BOOK II

 Books II contemplates the true meaning of justice when Book I fails to define it perfectly. Socrates reasons through philosophical inquiry and develops arguments that are known as “logos” in Book II as the unsatisfied listeners in Book I press him for a different conclusion for the definition of justice which was reached in Thrasymachus’ disappointing discussion. Aristocrat Glaucon, companion to Socrates in the journey to the city, encourages Socrates to continue the arguments for the meaning of justice with disregard to Thrasymachus frustrating failure by offering his defenses, for argument’s sake, to the logos developed by Socrates.

Glaucon begins by challenging Socrates to prove that justice belongs to the highest good that is beneficial to its own sake and the product that derives from it. First, Glaucon divides the presence of good into three specific areas to set the boundaries for Socrates’ argument. The first is those things that are desired for the consequences such as medical treatment and gymnastic training; these bring favorable outcomes by the making of money (357b). The next category of good is based upon those things desired for their own sake, like joy and pleasure (357c). The highest good belongs to those that are both desired for their own sake and the outcomes that human beings receive from them, like “thinking and seeing and being healthy”[1] (357c).

Glaucon presents his challenge to Socrates by stringently defending the case that most men choose the unjust response rather than the just, and give Socrates ample opportunities to respond with blame to injustice and praise to justice (358d). The central point of contention contrasts the impact of “doing injustice without paying the penalty” or the worst case, “suffering injustice without being able to avenge oneself”[2] (359a). He invokes the “Ring of Gyges” legend that in his mind proves the point that the most just men will behave unjustly if they can muster invisibility with no fear of accusation, reprisal, or condemnation (359d). His point is that most men will choose unjustness because it is much more profitable than being just. Glaucon’s point that the tendency of most people is to view justice as a necessary evil that is applied out of fear of the evil that could derive from society; this idea is supported by the legend that shows unjustness the choice of the invisible.

A powerful logos concerning whether it is better to be secretly unjust, but falsely known to others as being just, or to be fully just, but falsely accused of unjustness by others is developed that leads the listeners to ponder the deeper problem of a just city or a just soul. This example probes listeners to reach the conclusion those appearances of justness or unjustness cannot define the reality and that justness must be examined with other criteria than appearances alone (361 b, c, d). But, listeners agree that the happiness of a person cannot be judged according to the just/unjust consideration, since unjust things seem to please humans greatly and bring them joy, while justice offers a hard life full of drudgery (364a).

Glaucon and his brother Adeimantus encourage Socrates to argue the point of justice being the greatest good with restrictions that required him to ignore the reputation of men to avoid the complicated confusion of appearances. Rather, Socrates is asked to speak of the advantages of justness for its own sake without regard to external benefits (367 d).

The Logos of the 1^st City of Necessity

Socrates defines two different kinds of political justice as those in the city and the individual.  He decides that since a city is bigger than a man, it is easier to create logos upon its foundation, and then when justice is fully analyzed from that aspect, the individual should be examined to see if it translates in the same manner (369a). Thus, Socrates begins the arguments for the first two cities to discover justice in the bigger so the smaller individual justice can be fully understood.

Producers: The First Class of a Just City

Socrates introduces the 1^st City of Necessity (369d) and defines the role of each human in that city as specializing in just one task each, “one man one art”[3] (370b). The principle of specialization purposes that human beings should do the work they are best at; thus, the greatest products and efforts come from those humans doing one task that they are particularly able to do. This principle advances the logos further, as the city of utmost necessity consists of craftsman, farmers, and doctors that each do their own tasks well and do not do what others can do. This class of people is distinguished as the “producing class” because they make products for use by others in the quantity that is needed in the first city of utmost necessity (371a).

As the logos of the 1^st City of Necessity develops, it adds tradesmen, merchants, slaves, wage-earners creating a balance of different classes that cater to the needs of each citizen. It is the noetic city that is healthy (in the pattern of Sparta), and meets the three fundamental needs of food, housing and clothing (369d). It provides for all necessities and caters to the needs of the body.  The ideal city of this type has 5,040 souls (adult voting males).[4] This city is favored by Socrates for its healthiness; but, Glaucon does not like this city and cannot find justice through its logos.

The Logos of the 2^nd City of Luxury

Socrates begins advancing the logos to the development of the 2^nd City of Luxury. This appetitive (439d) city is feverish (372e) and swollen (in the pattern of Athens).  There are never enough goods in the city and greed demands more and more.  Because this city brings more people into citizenship, it must take land from the neighbors to provide to maintain the space and luxuries of the unjust city (373d). There is swine in this city and a need for government.  It requires a standing army to preserve that tyrannical government. 

Guardians: The Second Class of a Just City

The greatest importance for the distribution of goods becomes the army and its need for a massive amount of provisions.  Thus a purging of the 2^nd City of Luxury must begin by establishing rules and education (gymnastics for the body, music for the soul) of the Guardians (376e). Soldiers must be trained to be noble dogs (376a) that love their master and hate everyone else, whether the master is evil or good (375a) and balances spiritedness with gentleness and cruelty as needed (374 b, c).  Focus upon the gods, whether demonic or divine would be subdued in the culture, and those attempts to say things about the gods will be met with harshness and without a chorus; they will not be spoken about in the educational process by law (383 a,b,c).

Christian Application

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