Republic Summaries

Book 1 – Republic Summary

Plato is speaking through Socrates to answer the question of “what is justice?” Cephalus – elder gentleman who is respected and the host Argues that justice is living up to your legal debts and to be honest Spokesman of Greek tradition Socrates defeats the argument by using the example of returning a sword to madman – you’re being good legally but are endangering other lives   

Polemarchus – son of Cephalus Justice is that you owe your friends good and your friends harm Shares with Cephalus the idea that rendering to each what is due Represents the attitude of a young ambitious politician Socrates argues that our judgment of friends/enemies is poor so it’s a bad idea    

Thrasymachus – the Sophist Justice is advantage of the stronger o Not really a definition but an attempt to argue that justice is wrong His argument is that it doesn’t pay to be justice o Being just only helps others Justice must be defined and NOW be proven to be worthwhile Socrates responds with the following: o The view being advanced is promiting injustice as a virtue  In this vein life is seen as a continual competition Eventually proves that injustice can’t be a virtue b/c it’s contrarty to o wisdom which is a virtue o A wise man never seeks to beat out those who possess the same art 

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Socrates says that justice allows a group to act in common One must be moderately just in the sense s ense of adhering to the rules that allow someone to reach the goals that Thrasymachus discusses (wealth, powever) Justice is a virtue of the soul which is health of the soul

Book 2 – Republic Summary 

Glaucon describes that all goods can be described into three classes o Things we only desire for their consequences (medical treatment or physical training) o Things we only desire for their sake (such as joy) Things we desire for both their own sake and for what we get from o them (knowledge, sigh, and health) o Glaucon wants Socrates to prove that justice is not only desirable but is also in the third class of goods

Most people view justice as a necessary evil to prevent a greater evil from falling  Justice stems from human weakness and vulnerability o Ring of Gyges – allows a person to be invisible  If armed with the ring, even the most just man would perform unjust actions because they would be uncatchable o Ends argument that people prefer unjust to just  Unjust man is honored and rewarded with wealth  Other hand, the other is scorned and wretched Adeimantus joins Glaucon – no one praises justice for its sake only for its rewards that it allows you to reap o

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Book 3 – Republic Summary     

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Socrates begins with the description of heroes who are never presented as fearing death. Likes gods they are always presented as honest Glaucon objects – what about normal mortal men? Socrates postpones the issue and discusses stories and other arts where he forbids artists to represent characters that are vicious and bad Argues that a pure love between boy and man is important and vital part of a boy’s education He argues for the physical training of the guardians Training for war rather than athletic training o o Important to balance music/poetry with training Doctors should be trained to treat the healthy who suffer from a single curable ailment They shouldn’t be allowed to deal with the chronically ill o  Should be put to death

Book 4 – Republic Summary 

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Adeimantus argues that the ruler’s position sounds tough and likely to be harsh Rulers are unable to hold wealth, keep a mistress, or do regular things o that often make folks happy Socrates refutes that by arguing the goal is to make the city the most o happy.  Providing guardians with happiness would make them something else other than guardians  Uses the example of a purple eye for a statue – beautiful but not practical because no one has purple eyes  Must do the appropriately best thing for each part in the city for whole to be the best Socrates argues that in the ideal city there will be no money so there will be no poverty (or wealth for that matter) o Adeimantus argues that this will make the city state weak in the eyes of invaders  City will have the best warriors  Neighboring city would help b/c they’d receive all the spoils Socrates mandates that the state must be kept to a certain size so that it can be governed well Guardians must protect their education They shall share wives and children A just city has no use for laws – if emergency arises they’ll have the experience to handle it Looks into current city to identify virtues that the just city will have o Wisdom  Guardians possess this b/c they can run the city so their wisdom is transferred to the city as well Courage o  Lies with the people becaue they must raise arms for the city if need be o Moderation  Spread out over the whole city Justice o  That all do what is best suited for each other

Book 5 – Republic Summary

Socrates wants to discuss other aspects between the relationship of the city and soul. Polemachus and Adeimantus want him to explain the comment about sharing wives and children. This prompts a discussion on the characteristics of the city and how the guardians shall live. First major argument revolves around women They will be brought up alongside men and receive the same education. He does believe that women are different BUT Women can also be: o  Rational like men  Naturally spirited like men  Naturally appetitive like men Ideal city would make use of women  

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Second major argument is based on the concept of the sharing women and children Guardians will mate during certain festivals designated for sexual intercourse o Possible for multiple pairings for one person  Gifted people Children from these festivals will be raised together with no idea who their parents Sex is not permitted except for at this festival o If a child does come about it will be killed To prevent inter-breeding, guardians will have to keep in mind that their children include all children born 7-10 months after the festival o This group consists of siblings and sex is prohibited 

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Socrates’ goal is to make a unified goal. People usually are divided because they consider their family to be first. This way everyone is a member of the family. Socrates still has to respond to whether this is actually possible – can anyone live without family ties, wealth, or sex? However he discusses some more aspects of how the guardians will live: Children will be taken to war, on horseback to experience it Any cowardly actions by a guardian will be met with penalty If Greek enemies are defeated – don’t esnalve or destroy lands If enemies are not- Greek – wreak havoc    

Book 6 – Republic Summary

Philosophers seek the truth so they are the best suited to rule because they contain all the knowledge Thirst for truth makes them the most virtuous This means that the rational part of his soul must rule which also means that the soul is just (?)  

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Adeimantus is unconvinced – most of the philosophers he knows are useless or vicious o Socrates agrees but counters that these philosophers have not been properly raised o They are used for their talents by their family to get money (enter politics) so they are led away from the life of a philosopher o TO fill the gap of philosophers, randoms fill the gap and become philosophers when they have no right to be o The rest of philosophers appear useless because the people have become against following proper ideals  Follows metaphor of a ship- if a ship owner is hard of hearing/vision and lacks sea skills then he will want to have a captain  Sailors will use tricks/force to prove to the owner that they should be the captain  The person selected will be the navigator/captain/one who knows the ship. Everyone else is useless even if the sailor knows a lot about seafaring he will still be useless.  Athens is the same – no one knows about the true knowledge so everyone tries to be clever and win at life. The good philosophers are left behind

Book 7 – Republic Summary     

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Allegory of the cave – effects of education on the osul Education brings the philosopher from divided line to the Form of the Good People live in a cave never seeing light – they can only look straight ahead They watch these shadows being manipulated by people This is all they can see so they think the shadows are real – this is imagination The people are freed and they look at the statuses themselves o People realize they are seeing a different dimension of reality that is better than the shadows o The people accept the statues as the most real thing even though statues are just imitations o This is belief – he has contact with real things but he isn’t aware of a greater reality

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Finally the people leave the cave and experience the real objects – trees/flowers/etc… Cognitive stage of thought o o First glimpse of the most real things, the Forms Eventually he will look up and realized that the sun is the creator of everything -- > understanding Goal of education is to pull people out of the cave Education should not aim at putting knowledge but at turning the soul o into the right desires Overarching goal of city is to put the guardians to focus on the Form of the Good Sometimes the rulers must return to the cave and rule o o Plus to help other people escape

Book 9 – Republic Summary

Timocracy – honor-driven man who resembles and rules it Oligarcy – man driven by necessary appetites Democracy – ruled by a man of unnecessary appetites Tyranny – ruled by a man driven by unlawful appetities Tyranny is the worst. Inevitable stages of degeneration because humans are not perfect Rulers will make mistakes over time about the succession of rulers These people will work on rulers having private property and wealth To satisfy the bad faction, the rulers will distribute the land and houses in the city as private property among themselves and enslave producers as serfs. These people will focus on war and such the warring classes won’t farm, etc…They will avoid wise rulers but instead choose spirited simple people. Love of victory and honor will be predominant. The corresponding man is produced by being the son of the aristocratic man who encourages the rational part of his son’s soul. The son is influenced by a bad mother who pull him toward the love of money. He ends up in the middle. 

Oligarchy – as money/wealth grows, ruling will eventually be entirely based on wealth o Five faults:  People aren’t fit for rule  It’s two cities – one of rich popel and one of poor

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Can’t fight a war because an armed populace would be dangerous to the rulers  No principle of specialization – rulers are also interested in wealth creation Allows for random types of people like criminals and beggars to enter Two types: drones that harmless or stinging o o Corresponding person is a thrifty money maker  Timocrat’s son who emulates him  But the father befalls tragedy and the son turns to greed/hunger  He focuses to amass wealth and he is subject to random appetites  He is careful though because he doesn’t want to lose his money Oligarchy  democracy o Desire for money leads to lending money at interest o People are driven to pverty while others succeed o Impoverished hate the rulers while the rulers pretend to ignore the poor The poor revolt – agitated by the stinging drones o o Result is a constitution whenever everyone has equal portions of the city o Freedom is important and positions are just assigned Corresponding man o  Necessary desires – we can’t train ourselves to overcome – indicate true human needs  Unnecessary desires – one we can overcome (like a decadent lifestyle)  Oligarchic – necessary desires His son the democrat is overcome by uncesssary desires Manipulated by bad people, he abandons moderation and treates anarch as freedom His extravagance is magnificence to him while he sees shamelessness as courage Towards the end he drifts to the middle more Democracy  Tyranny o Freedom  neglection of proper ruling o Drones stir up trouble by finding two groups  People who are organized and will become wealthy  Those who work with their hands and take little part in politics  Puts them against each other Poor think the rich are oligarchs. Rich think poor will revolt. o o The winner is the drone who becomes the tyrant  He kills all the good people  Makes constant war 

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