Plato’s Republic Study Sheet

Table of Contents

· Good man- explanation/definition

· Justice- explanation/definition

· Moderation

· Wealth- what it is

· Socrates’ views and opinions

· Polemarchus’ views and opinions

· Thrasymachus’ views and opinions

· Philosophy

· Bibliography

Book I

Good man
- One who does not defraud or deceive
  - Intentionally
    - Help
  - Unintentionally
    - Harm
Justice
- Speaks the truth
  - Not a good definition
  - Ex.
    - Right or wrong in doing it or speaking the truth depending on condition
- Pays your debts
  - Not a good definition
  - Ex.
    - Friend in right mind deposits arms and asks for them when not in right mind
  - A deposit is a debt
  - Help friends, hurt enemies
    - Help
      - An action in one's bet interest
    - Harm
      - War
      - No war, no harm
        
        No justice
- Power of acquisition
  - Money partnership
    - Deposit wanted to be kept safely
    - Justice is useful when money is useless
- Useful when things are useless
- Useless when things are useful
- Always usefull in one way or another
- Needed most at war
- Needed least at peace
Moderation
Wealth
- Great comforter
- Burdens
- Evil
- Love
- Blessings
- Contribution
- Advantages
Socrates
- Harm
- Art
  - Consider
  - Provide
  - Interest is to perfect it
  - Look after own interests
  - Unimpaired
  - Care for which is the subject of that art
  - Does not consider the interest of the stronger
  - Considers the interest of the weaker
  - Doctor
    - Medicine
      - Health of the sick
      - Receive money
  - Pilot
    - Navigation
      - Lead the lost
  - Builder
    - Architecture
      - Build homes for the homeless
  - Pay
    - Decreases interest of the art
  - Interest of what the art is
    - If think about money, focus goes to money and not art
- Rulers provide and protect
  - Education
    - Benefits the people
      - Think for yourself
      - Smart enough to act alone
      - Make into a skill
      - Helps everyone in time of need
    - Makes the ruler look better
  - Jobs
- - Benefits people
    - Make own money
  - Security
  - Military
  - Disagree with analogy of the shepherd and the sheep
    - People are smarter than sheep
    - People can look after themselves
    - People can think upon their own interests
Polemarchus
- Pay your debts
  - Help friends, harm enemies
    - Help
      - An action in ones best interest
    - Harm
      - Done most in war
      - Done least in peace
      - No justice
- Good man deceive intentionally or unintentionally
- Power of acquisition
  - Money partnership
    - Deposit wanted to be kept safely
Thrasymachus
- Justice is nothing else than in the interest of the stronger
  - Governments
    - Tyrannies
    - Democracies
    - Aristocracies
    - Ruling power in each State
    - Make laws according to what type it is
    - Rulers
      - Not make mistakes
        
        Harm people or places
      - Make laws right or wrong
        
        Right
        
        To their interest
        
        Wrong
        
        Contrary to their interest
      - Laws must be followed by subjects
  - Analogies
    - He who is mistaken about the sick is a physician in that he is mistaken
    - He who is mistaken about math or grammar is a mathematician or grammarian in that he is mistaken
    - Mistake is when skill fails
    - Rulers are unerring
      - Make laws to own interest
      - Subjects must obey laws willingly
    - Shepherd watches over the sheep to benefit himself
    - Rulers watch over the people for the interest of the rulers
- Private contracts
  - Partnership dissolve
    - Unjust has more
    - Just has less
- State
  - Income tax
- Take an office
  - Neglect affairs and suffer losses
    - Get no public support
- Injustice is a man's own profit or interest
Philosophy
- Study of why things are the way they are
- What is the meaning
- Why people act the way they do
- Study of everything
- Knowledge, answers
Theory of Universals
poverty, wealth, youth, old age

Bibliography

Plato, "The Republic." Ebooks. 19 Nov 2006. 17 May 2007 <http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/p/plato/p71r/introduction1.html>.

Unknown, "The Republic (Plato)." Wikipedia. 17 May 2007. 17 May 2007 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Republic_of_Plato>.

Gorman, Susan. "The Republic." Teaching Plato. Boston University. 17 May 2007 <http://ablemedia.com/ctcweb/consortium/gormanteachingplatorepublic1.html>.

Kemerling, Garth. "Plato: The State and the Soul." Plato: The Republic 1-4. 27 Oct 2001. 17 May 2007 <http://www.philosophypages.com/hy/2g.htm>.

Unknown, "Outline of Plato's Republic." Plato Outline. Boston University. 17 May 2007 http://www.bu.edu/av/core/cc101/bwj-Plato-Outline.pdf.

The Republic, Book I Review