Justice in the
State
State
According to Plato, what term describes the principle of each individual fulfilling their appropriate role in society?
What is "justice"?
"For Plato justice is ... the result of harmonious co-operation among virtuous individuals participating in the affairs of the State. Justice prevails only when each person assumes his responsible part in the State and contributes to it according to his virtuous talents." - "Ideas of the Great Philosophers" (Sahakian and Sahakian, 1966)
Plato's concept of the soul in "The Republic" is divided into three distinct parts, each with its own function. What are these divisions of the soul?
What is reason-loving, honor-loving, and desiring, or what is rational, spirited, desiring?
According to Plato, which segment of the Divided Line corresponds to the world of appearances and sensory experiences?
What is the "visible realm"?
In Plato's Cave Allegory, what does the cave represent?
What is the "world of appearances" or "the realm of sensory perception"?
This controversial claim is one reason why it seems that Plato is not really talking about establishing an actual city-state, but establishing the ideal state in the soul.
What is "the things of friends shall be in common"?
Plato argues that for the state to be one instead of many that it will be necessary to separate people from their own children so that neither will know each other, to breed them like hunting dogs (practice eugenics), to abolish private property and payment, to have rigid social divisions, to do away with innovation in art, music and poetry, and to take young children out to observe battles. Any of these ideas might make one think that he is more focused on establishing the ideal state in the soul.
In Plato's "The Republic," what is the metaphorical structure used to illustrate the ideal state and its just arrangement?
What is the "city-soul analogy"?
In Plato's philosophy, which part of the soul is responsible for the pursuit of truth, knowledge, and wisdom?
What is the "rational" or "intellectual" or "wisdom-loving" part of the soul?
According to Plato, what concept represents the highest form of reality, beyond the physical world, the source of true understanding and wisdom, in the Divided Line analogy?
What is the "Form of the Good"?
According to Plato, what are the prisoners in the Cave Allegory unable to see?
What are the "Forms" or "the true reality outside the cave"?
According to Plato, why is it necessary for philosophers to become kings, or kings to study philosophy if the ideal state is to achieve justice and harmony?
What is because only philosopher-kings possess the wisdom to recognize and uphold the true principles of justice?
Plato suggests that the ideal state is one in which rulers prioritize wisdom and reason. What term does he use to describe this form of government?
What is a "philosopher-king"? What is "aristocracy"?
According to Plato, justice means that each part of the soul demonstrates harmony by doing this.
What is "tending its own business"?
What does Plato suggest is necessary to ascend from the realm of opinion to the realm of knowledge, according to the Divided Line?
What is "philosophical reasoning" or "dialectic"?
According to Plato, what challenges does the freed prisoner face when returning to the cave to enlighten the other prisoners?
What is "the difficulty of conveying the truth to those who are still trapped in ignorance"?
Plato suggests that philosopher-kings are motivated by a desire for truth and knowledge rather than personal ambition. What term does he use to describe this characteristic?
What is "love of wisdom" or "philosophical passion"?
Plato argues that justice in the state is achieved when each class—rulers, auxiliaries, and producers—performs its function harmoniously, mirroring the tripartite structure of the soul. What term does he use to describe this concept?
What is "justice as harmony"?
According to Plato, these two things, if they are preserved, "will produce good natures" suited for ruling the ideal state.
What are "good education and upbringing"?
"[As] is _______ to intelligence and intelligible things in the intelligible realm, so is _______ to sight and visible things in the visible realm."
What is the good:the sun?
According to Plato, what is the ultimate goal of education as depicted in the Cave Allegory?
What is "to lead individuals out of darkness into the light of truth"?
In Plato's Republic, what role does education play in preparing philosopher-kings for their leadership roles?
What is education helps philosopher-kings develop the intellectual and moral virtues necessary for ruling justly?
According to Plato, what is the ultimate purpose of the state's pursuit of justice, as depicted in "The Republic"?
What is the "creation of a just society that promotes the well-being of all its citizens"?
Plato suggests that the just individual experiences a sense of inner tranquility and fulfillment, characterized by a harmony between reason, spirit, and desire. What term does he use to describe this state?
What is "eudaimonia" or "the good life"?
According to Plato's analogy of the Divided Line, what is the relationship between belief (the visible realm) and knowledge (the intelligible realm)?
What is "belief is inferior to knowledge"?
Belief has to do with the world of becoming, which is constantly changing. Knowledge of what is can only be possible if it is connected to things which always remain the same. Those things are the Forms which are part of the intelligible realm.
In Plato's Cave Allegory, what do the chains binding the prisoners symbolize?
What is "the constraints of ignorance" or "the limitations of sensory perception"?
According to Plato, why do philosopher-kings possess the necessary expertise to govern the ideal state effectively?
What is because they understand the true nature of justice, virtue, and the good?