Essay about Socrates and Platos The Republic - 2163 Words

Socrates and Platos The Republic Throughout his life, Socrates engaged in critical thinking as a means to uncover the standards of holiness, all the while teaching his apprentices the importance of continual inquiry in accordance with obeying the laws. Socrates primarily focuses on defining that which is holy in The Euthyphro – a critical discussion that acts as a springboard for his philosophical defense of the importance of lifelong curiosity that leads to public inquiry in The Apology. Socrates continues his quest for enlightenment in The Crito, wherein he attempts to explain that while inquiry is necessary, public curiosity has its lawful price, thus those who inquire must both continue to do so and accept the lawful consequences†¦show more content†¦Their knowledge, unlike non-philosophers, comes from a greater understanding of the truth. Socrates describes the process for acquiring this higher understanding of the truth in the allegory of the cave. All individuals spend some, if not the entirety of their life in what Socrates describes as, â€Å"a cave with a long passageway stretching between [them] and the cave’s mouth,† (Sterling and Scott 209). Cave dwellers find contentment in the shadows on the wall of the cave, never desiring to uncover the root of the shadows and counter fit images. They, unlike philosophers, possess little courage, and desire never to be freed of their shackles and blinders. Philosophers, the minority population of cave dwellers, are those prisoners who not only escape bondage, but have an overwhelming urge to journey outside the cave once they are freed: â€Å"One prisoner is freed from his shackles. He is suddenly compelled to stand up, turn around, walk and look toward the light,† (Sterling and Scott 210). The journey from darkness to light, as painted by Socrates, involves pain, confusion, ridicule, and sometimes death; however, those who journey towards the light ultimately re ach a greater awareness of true reality, not the disguised reality of shadows and false images on the cave’s walls. Socrates states, â€Å"It is a conversion, a turning of the soul away from the day whose light is darkness to the true day. It is the accent toShow MoreRelatedSocrates And Ideal Education In Platos The Republic867 Words   |  4 Pages[Opening Statement] In Plato’s The Republic his mentor, Socrates, discusses what the ideal education should include. He claims that â€Å"the rearing in music is most sovereign,† and makes an argument to defend his stance (80; bk.3, ln.401, par. d). Education for Socrates is not informative (this is how â€Å"education† is mostly viewed in modern times; just filling one’s mind with information), rather, he sees education as a formative tool to shape the soul of an individual. Socrates views music in a muchRead MoreThe Tripartite of the Soul that Socrates Discussed in Platos Republic1429 Words   |   6 PagesIn this paper I will be discussing the tripartite (three parts) of the soul that Socrates discussed in chapter 6 of Plato’s Republic, and I will compare and contrast them to that of Aristotle and Anthony Kenny. In Plato’s Republic the three parts of the soul consist of the rational, spirited and, desire. In this dialogue the three parts of the soul go hand and hand with three parts of a just society. The desire or appetite of the soul is what controls our want for the pleasures of life. An exampleRead MoreThe Ethical Egoist: Whats the Problem in Plato’s The Republic, Socrates824 Words   |  3 PagesIn Plato’s The Republic, Socrates tries to explain the value of justice to man. Other educated Athenians challenge him, however Socrates pokes holes in all of their statements. Socrates argues that there are many problems with their views on social philosophy, especially when it comes to Thrasymachus’ idea of ethical egoism. Plato delivers his view of justice through Socrates when he responds to Thrasymachus, Glaucon, and Cephalus on the issue. Throughout the discussion, Plato never argues againstRead MoreThe Ethical Egoist in Platos Republic Essay989 Words   |  4 Pagesof ethical egoism is displayed in Book I of Platos The Republic. In this Book, Plato introduces the idea of ethical egoism, explains the political problem posed by it, and addresses the probl em through the words of Socrates. I will use this paper to explain and clarify the arguments for and against the concept of ethical egoism, with specific focus on the political problem it poses and the proper approach to addressing that problem, in terms of Platos social philosophy. Before addressing theRead MoreIs Plato s The Republic? Essay1134 Words   |  5 Pagesalso have similar influences on people. One such text is Plato’s The Republic. As said by Professor Jon Dorbolo of Oregon State University, â€Å"The Republic is considered by many to be Plato s masterwork. It certainly is one of the most important texts of political theory.† While reading this text, several different messages begin to reveal themselves throughout the text. 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Speech-writing is just the clever use of rhetorical deviceRead MoreSocrates s View Of Justice1676 Words   |  7 Pages â€Å"But when Socrates was busying himself with ethical questions to the complete neglect of nature as a whole, and was seeking in them for the universal and directing the mind for the first time to definitions, Plato, accepting his teaching, came to the conclusion that it applied to something other than the sensible world: the common definition, he reasoned, could not apply to any of the sensible, since they were always changing,† (Guthrie). Socrates was constantly wrappe d up in thought about how theRead MoreComparing and Contrasting Platos The Republic and Thomas Mores Utopia590 Words   |  3 Pageswork. In Plato’s Republic a person duty is determined by their natural ability. Unlike Thomas Mores Utopia, Socrates believes that a person should focus on achieving the most for themselves rather than the community being primary purpose. Plato’s Republic greatly supports the idea of inequality, and shows that social stratification is essential for the movement of the economy. For a country to function, there must be some sort of hierarchy and inequality. In page 118 of the republic Socrates states