QUESTIONING CONVENTIONAL
WISDOM
JUSTICE IS NOT…
• Read 327a – 331d – Identify the
characters and their audience
• Identify Cephalus’ view of ‘justice’ in his
discussion with Socrates
• What is Socrates’ response?
JUSTICE IS NOT…
• Why is justice NOT paying back one’s debts or returning
what one has borrowed?
• What conventional wisdom can we compare that to
today?
----------------------------------------------------------331e – 336a
1. What is Polemarcus’ definition of justice?
2. What is Socrates’ response?
3. Write down something you read in the section that was
interesting to you and explain why.
JUSTICE IS NOT…
Paying back one’s debts because….
Doing good to one’s friends, if one knows they’re good, or
harm to one’s enemies, if one knows they’re bad,
because…
------------------------------------------------------------------------------“Standard of Excellence” – What something ‘ought to be’
(its excellence)
Humans ought to be______ ; therefore, ________men
would not to do _________to be good.
TICKET OUT…
• Write a 5 line response starting with:
– The Republic’s discussion about justice
reminds me about the issue of
_____________ today.
c. 341-347
T – MAN VS. SOCRATES
1. What’s Socrates’ first
argument against “justice is in
the interest of the
stronger…?”
2. According to MR. T, how
could doing wrong actually be
right? Is human nature
amoral, immoral, or moral?
3. What’s Socrates’ response?
A “Just” Professional
(Leader)
Socrates
As a professional, one’s
skill or ______ is
different than one’s
ability to earn _______
LIKE….
A just ‘leader’s skill to
look after his ‘subjects’
is different than what’s
in his _____ - _______
Thrasymachus
PLEASE DO…
• Quietly read c. 348-351
• What is Socrates’ saying about
competition?
• How can this relate to a real life issue?
TICKET OUT…
• Read and analyze the handout about the
Sophists
• Highlight and annotate one part of the
handout that relates to Socrates’ and
Thrasymachus’ discussion on justice
“FUNCTION ANALOGY”
• Cut out and color a set of eyes, ears, and
a “mind”
• On the cut out, write a quote from The
Republic describing its function
• Put your group’s ‘functions’ together in the
back of the room
RING OF GYGES
• Read quietly, c. 357b – 361c
• What is Glaucon’s perspective on
justice?
– Write down a quote and your thoughts on
that perspective
– fill out handout throughout our discussion
and hand in at the end of class
• Pay close attention to the story of the Ring
of Gyges, c.359d – 360d.
SOCRATIC SEMINAR
• Allow speaker to finish thoughts; DO NOT be afraid
of silence
• Do NOT raise hands; take turns
• Use the text!
• Bring others into the conversation (“Kim, what do you
think about…?”)
• Ask for elaboration; do not stay confused (“Tim, What
do you mean by..?”)
• Talk to each other; not the teacher
• Discuss ideas and raise questions
• Limit our opinions
Perspectives on ‘Justice’
THRASYMACHUS
 Justice is what’s in the
interest of the stronger
 Doing wrong is doing right
b/c doing right is only what
those in power say is right;
not what’s right for me.
 The purpose of organized
society is to benefit those
in power
 My contemporaries are
KARL MARX, FREDERICH
NIETSZCHE
 It is RIGHT to act out of self
interest
GLAUCON
 Justice is a compromise
 The Ring of Gyges says
people if given the
opportunity, will do wrong if
there is no consequence
 The purpose of organized
society is to protect
ourselves from each other
 My contemporaries are
 THOMAS HOBBES,
JOHN LOCKE
 It is NATURAL to act out of
self interest
THRASYMACHUS
GLAUCON
• 1.
• 1.
• 2.
• 2.
• 3.
• 3.
• 4.
• 4.
• 5.
• 5.
“The Guardian”
• “A philosophic disposition, high spirits,
speed, and strength.” c. 376c
• Complete your visual description of a
“guardian”
• Label the qualities of a “Guardian” with
their physical traits.
i.e. – “high spirits” from their heart
• Awards – Most Creative, Most
Informative
“The Guardian”
TICKET IN….
1. Quietly re – read c. 375-376c.
2. Write a minimum 5 line response
explaining how you, as a philosopher,
ought to act as a ‘watchdog’/ ‘guardian.’
“Pyramid of Justice”
• Create a “pyramid of justice” for your life
• Each personal characteristic (3) should lead to
your justice as an individual
– just as the 3 classes of the Republic lead to a
‘just state.’
• Each characteristic should be dependent upon
the other
– without ‘one’ the others can’t exist
• Define the meaning of each characteristic
through a quote from “The Republic”
“The 3 Classes and their Mutual
Relations”
GOLD CLASS
• What is the story of the Myth of the Metals
teaching you as citizens of the state?
• What qualities make up your class?
– What are your skills?
– What functions ought you to perform?
– What are the pros and cons to your life?
“The 3 Classes and their Mutual
Relations”
SILVER CLASS
• What is the story of the Myth of the Metals
teaching you as citizens of the state?
• What qualities make up your class?
– What are your skills?
– What functions ought you to perform?
– What are the pros and cons to your life?
“The 3 Classes and their Mutual
Relations”
BRONZE CLASS
• What is the story of the Myth of the Metals
teaching you as citizens of the state?
• What qualities make up your class?
– What are your skills?
– What functions ought you to perform?
– What are the pros and cons to your life?
JUSTICE IS…
– GOLD CLASS –
Rulers –
– SILVER CLASS –
Auxiliaries
– BRONZE CLASS
Skilled
Craftsmen
?
YAY!!!!! JUSTICE IS…
• ‘The sum of 4 qualities
within a state’
1. GOLD CLASS –
2. SILVER CLASS –
3. BRONZE CLASS
4.
The effective function of the
three classes qualifies a ‘just’
state
YOU WANT
ANSWERS?
I’LL GIVE
YOU
ANSWERS!
YAY!!!!! JUSTICE IS…
• ‘The sum of 4 qualities
within a state’
1. GOLD CLASS –
Wisdom of the state
to use “reason” wisely
one’s ability
2. SILVER CLASS –
Courage in the state
courageous or have “spirit”
one’s ability to be
3. BRONZE CLASS
A disciplined state
one’s ability to temper its’
“appetite” (self – interest)
4.
The effective function of the
three classes qualifies a ‘just’
state
one’s ability to be
‘just’
YOU WANT
ANSWERS?
I’LL GIVE
YOU
ANSWERS!
• Does individual justice exist?
–GOLD - Wisdom
JUSTICE IS
“MINDING
ONE’S
BUSINESS”
433.e
–SILVER - Courage
–BRONZE / IRON – Discipline (Self
– Love)
• Did his closed text work? How does it fit?
TICKET OUT…
• FIVE LINE RESPONSE
• How is Plato’s definition of justice
applicable/not applicable to your life?
Questioning “Conventional
Wisdom”
Does American culture define
justice as “MINDING ONE’S
BUSINESS?”
EDUCATION IN THE REPUBLIC
“The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.”
-Aristotle
EDUCATION IN THE
REPUBLIC
• What do you feel should be the main goal
of public education today?
1. To teach children the skills in attaining knowledge
(reading, writing, arithmetic).
2. To invest in productive and skilled citizens in order
to progress society.
3. To instill a sense of character in children.
4. To provide opportunities for children to interact with
members of their community (socialization).
5. To teach children the values of what it means to be
an American.
EDUCATION IN THE REPUBLIC
“The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.”
-Aristotle
How does Socrates’ views on
censorship fit into the ‘closed text’?
Comparisons and contradictions to
the American educational system?
According to Socrates, should
censorship be left to the family or the
state? Why?
TODAY’S READING
#1’s – Read starting 376c about the content of “literary education”
#2’s – Read starting 392d about the form of “literary education”
#3’s – Read starting 398b about “musical requirements” (content and
form)
• Identify 3 main characteristics of education
in the Republic as it pertains to your
reading. Include citation #’s to support
each characteristic
• Fill out a T-Chart identifying similarities
and differences between education in the
Republic and your education in CRSD.
Education in the Republic
CONTENT
1.
FORM
1.
2.
2.
3.
3.
COMPARISONS WITH CRSD
Similarities
1.
Differences
1.
2.
2.
3.
3.
4.
4.
5.
5.
Plato
• Metaphysics
– Things that are real are
absolute
– Therefore things cannot
change constantly the
way our apparent reality
changes
Plato
• Theory of Forms
– Forms
• Unchangeable
• Not interpreted by senses
• Interpreted by reason and logic
– The realm we perceive is not real
– It is an imitation of reality
THE FORMS
(the ‘true’ object) /
“KNOWLEDGE”
CONCEPTS / UNIVERSALS
(the idea of the object in your mind) /
“UNDERSTANDING”
Particulars / Objects
(the ‘object itself’) / “BELIEF”
Reflections / Copies
(representations) / “CONJECTURE”
METAPHYSICS
• The study of reality beyond
the _________world
The principle of
thought stating that
reality or existence
can only be proven
through
_______________
_______________
The principle of
thought stating that
reality or existence
is proven through
exercising
______________
or ___________
METAPHYSICS
How would an empiricist or rationalist prove or disprove the
reality of:
“If a painter paints a picture
of an ideally beautiful man,
complete to the last detail,
is he any the worse painter
because he cannot show
that such a man could really
exist?”
Describe Plato’s meaning in
relation to The Republic and
his search for justice. What
do you think?
(472 d)
The Divided Line Theory
HOW DOES PLATO’S VIEW OF
METAPHYSICS FIT HIS
DEBATING TECHNIQUES
(Socratic Method, Closed Text,
Law of the Excluded Middle)?
In what ways
do you live in
“The Cave?”
HOW DOES THE
ALLEGORY OF THE CAVE
EXPLAIN PLATO’S VIEW
OF METAPHYSICS?
Senses vs Logic
Where is Plato?
Aristotle vs. Plato in
Metaphysics
• Greek philosophy’s first step in
proving reality was in proving
existence. This was known as
ONTOLOGY
• Plato used small examples from
common life to build up his concept of
“Forms” (worked from bottom up)
– Where do we see this concept in the
‘socratic method’ of searching for
justice?
• Aristotle began with the big picture,
known as “Substances” and whittles
this down until he reaches the smaller
concepts
– How would Aristotle attempted to
prove ‘justice’ if he wrote The
Republic?
Aristotle vs. Plato in
Metaphysics
• These 2 schools of thought
became the basis for
Western Philosophic
thought during “The
Enlightenment”
EMPIRICISM &
RATIONALISM
METAPHYSICAL CONCEPTS
Enlightenment through the early 20th Century
1.Monadology (Leibniz)
2.Hegelian Dialectic
3.Paradigms
4.Behaviorism
Hegel’s Holiday
-logical opposites (2 separate functions (antithesis/thesis), but
both performing functions at the same time (synthesis)
by Rene Magritte