Plato’s Republic Essay

Submitted By strengboy
Words: 1598
Pages: 7
Open Document
Plato’s Republic We have learned many articles in the Introduction to Philosophy class this semester. Plato’s Republic is one of them. The Republic is ancient Greece philosopher, thinker and educator Plato’s important dialogue body masterpiece. Belong to the middle works of Plato in his academic career. The book consists of ten volumes, in Plato's works all his life, not only is the longest length, but also content is very rich, the thought is profound, involving all aspects of the philosophy, especially view of his political philosophy, epistemology are discussed in detail. As other masterpieces of Plato, the Republic is a book with beautiful language, extremely rich literary value. Reading this book, not only can be defined in question and answer, and refute the exercise philosophy thinking ability, in the process of delving into some important philosophical problem, and at the same time also can get a beautiful enjoyment. In this essay, I will try to point out one of Plato’s main points and his fallacy. People pursuits perfection, but reality is always not perfect, it's full of flaws or even sinful. In the gap between "what one wants” and “what is truth ", and people’s none stop pursuit of the perfect, drives some people with outstanding thinking and temperament of idealism to sketch one and one ideal world. Plato’s perfect, especially showing in his faith in knowledge, and resolutely carry out the beliefs of knowledge in all aspects of the republic. His republic is the most important and most characteristic of the proposition of philosophers rule as well as the later on the sentiments of justice, we can say they all come from the derivation of his belief knowledge. Plato believed that people construct countries is because everyone can't count on themselves to meet the various needs. To meet this need, everyone gathered together, and provide services to each other, therefore constitute the city-state. However, ordinary people often don't know which need and which ought not to meet. And also don't know how to cooperate for achieving a best state, casting out a perfect country – a country full of happiness. He is convinced that only knowledge can lead a good country. Therefore, countries should govern by the people with highest knowledge. But there are differences between the people’s talent, only a few people with highest talent can master the highest knowledge. Plato used the legend of the Phoenicians, according to the talent; people are divided into three grades of gold, silver, copper, iron. He used gold and silver compared with the intellectual part of human nature. He argues, among people with gold, the best talent, can produce philosophers. They are the people that eyes are staring at the truth, and hold the highest knowledge, so they should become the state controller. People with less talent should be defenders to bear the country. And those with worst talent whose thoughts are covered by all kinds of desire, their responsibility is engaged in the production and business, obey the rule of controller and defenders. Plato, himself, thinks the design of the ideal world is perfect, but it makes people live in which not so wonderful, because the height of both hierarchical and authoritarian ideal world. To this end, he was attacked by so many Democrats and the liberal thinker. But Plato's utopia is not unreasonable. He advocated the hierarchy and totalitarian dictatorship is essentially a kind of knowledge. This vision comes from the knowledge of his faith, it also contains that he inherited from his great teacher Socrates's fundamental belief that knowledge is virtue. This means that all of his ideas are based on the judgment, knowledge and virtue, true kindness are stick together. With the highest knowledge which at the same time is the highest virtue can reach for a good man. Plato put forward such an ideal is too vulnerable to criticism of the dictatorship of the knowledge, in
Show More

Related Documents: Plato’s Republic Essay

Justice In Plato's Republic

Plato’s Republic In a particular dialogue from Plato’s Republic, Socrates and Glaucon, Plato’s brother, discuss the nature of justice, as they travel from Athens to the port city of Piraeus. In order to determine what it is to be a just person, Socrates first considers what it is to be a just city. He decides upon what this city would contain and encompass. Glaucon questions if a completely just and faultless city is even possible. Socrates then makes the bold claim that, yes, the perfect city…

Words 879 - Pages 4

Justice In Plato's The Republic

What is justice? That is the exact question that Socrates considers in The Republic by Plato. He discusses a few ideas of justice, like doing what is right, or doing what is owed. Then a new idea is considered, the people who have the most power is in charge of what is right, and therefore makes justice. Socrates guns this down quickly. Then the discussion continues on to another topic. How human nature would always choose to do evil. However, Socrates takes the challenge on and says that he can…

Words 742 - Pages 3

Oppression Of Women In Plato's Republic

Plato’s Republic, a philosophical work pertaining to the creation of a fictionalized city in order to resolve certain questions about human virtue and justice through the voice of Socrates, was groundbreaking during the time of the Ancient Greeks. Still today, many of his ideas are seen as radical in the context of modern society. One specific example of this disparity is in the role that women play in the Plato’s city. Women in the Republic hold the same standing as men – an concempt that has not…

Words 1059 - Pages 5

Is Plato's Republic Just? Essay

“Just” City Plato sets out in his work, The Republic, to identify and define the meaning of justice and what true justice would look like in practice. Plato does this through the voice of his great teacher Socrates and in developing a cohesive definition for justice; he sets out to formulate the completely just city. This ideally just city is then used to define how the concept of ideal justice would look and be administered practically within Plato’s ideally just city. An admirable and truly difficult…

Words 1017 - Pages 5

Comparing Plato's The Apology And The Republic

In Plato’s texts, The Apology and The Republic, he provides insight to Socrates’ belief that “the unexamined life is not worth living.” In this theory Socrates syas that life is not worth living so long as people fail to seek wisdom and knowledge on how to live a life of goodness and worth. Wisdom and knowledge are tools that help people learn about life and find it’s value. Socrates believed and taught that when life is examined, you can see the proper way to live it. Throughout Plato’s Republic…

Words 836 - Pages 4

The Ring Of Gyge In Plato's The Republic

When faced with accusations and outer opinions, no matter how lurid they may be, I believe it is most important to be true to oneself. Briefly, I applied myself to the philosophy to better understand Plato’s concept of inherent human selfishness, but even a mere glimpse of being in accordance with Plato’s allegory of the Ring of Gyges repulsed me. Now, having the Ring of Gyges for 24 hours, I will remain just in my actions so in the future, I can find peaceful solace in my times of…

Words 372 - Pages 2

The Three Invaders In Plato's The Republic

In “The Republic”, Plato introduces readers to intriguing thoughts regarding the three overseers of what we know to be the couch. This can be found in his statement: “Thus we have three forms of couches and three overseers of their manufacturer- the painter, the carpenter, and god.” In this statement, Plato: refers to “the overseers” as the creators of the couch, causes us to think about how the items we see today is so disparate to the “ideal” version of themselves, and leaves us with a significant…

Words 353 - Pages 2

Body Image Depicted In Plato's 'The Republic'

In Plato’s “The Republic” he explores the idea that artists are known as wizards because they create representations of models of things that they do not understand. For instance, a painter will depict an image of a house, but he does not have the knowledge or skill that is required to build a house. Plato believes that God creates a form of the house, the carpenter uses the form to build the house, and the artist merely represents it. When the artist produces the image, he is only concerned with…

Words 698 - Pages 3

Thrasymachus Definition of Justice in Plato's Republic Essay

enforce justice. Scholars have, however, been divided whether this claim is compatible with the position Plato attributes to Thrasymachus in the first book of the Republic. Plato’s account there is by far the most detailed, though perhaps historically suspect, evidence for Thrasymachus’ philosophical ideas. In the first book of the Republic, Thrasymachus attacks Socrates’ position that justice is an important good. He claims that ‘injustice, if it is on a large enough scale, is stronger, freer, and…

Words 1177 - Pages 5

Comparing Plato's Republic, Nicomachean Ethics And Politics

• Thesis In Plato’s Republic, Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics and Politics, they both believe that for everyone to achieve the just life, it is important to have strict divisions of roles. These divisions outlined by both authors serve as a model for their views on equality. Plato and Aristotle’s core ideas on equality are similar because many of them are prematurely based on the idea of proportional distribution of equality through enabling individuals to play their appropriate roles. Though they…

Words 1082 - Pages 5