Plato’s Republic
Books 9 - 10
I. Overview
1.
2.
Recap
The Philosopher and the City
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3.
4.
The Cave
So What?
Autonomy & Political Authority
Tyrannical vs Philosophical Lives
I. Recap
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Guardians can make sure you perform your
jobs correctly -- (contra freedom)
Celebration of freedom increases only when
distinction between Right/Wrong decreases.
If we truly care about morality, then we will
want to limit individual freedom
II.
The Philosopher & The City:
Allegory of the Cave
II.
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The Philosopher & The City:
Allegory of the Cave
Allegory of The Cave (VII, 514a-518)
II.
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Point of the story?
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Plato suggesting that it is wrong to treat best
moral specimen as equal to average ditch digger
Tie to Plato’s defense of Socrates
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The Philosopher & The City:
Allegory of the Cave
Athens needed to tolerate Socrates
Note, philosopher has nothing to gain by
going back to rule city… philosopher must be
forced to rule
II.
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The Philosopher & The City:
Allegory of the Cave
So What?
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How would ideal city come about?
Philosopher would have to convince city that they
need philosophers to rule, and philosophers don’t
want to rule
Not likely proposition -- city in speech unlikely to
come up
So no major problem, right?
II.
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The Philosopher & The City:
So What?
What is at issue between city and
philosopher?
Philosopher assumes that nothing can be
accepted without question
Philosophy undermines the necessary
social/cultural mores of city since
III. Autonomy & Political Authority
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We need to figure things out for ourselves -do the right thing for the right reason
But lawgiver (political authority) depends on
our unreflected acceptance of authority
Authority means doing whatever lawgiver
says without questioning. Not making
decision based on our own reason
Political association is based on authority
III. Autonomy & Political Authority
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Can’t both think for yourself and have
political authority
Tension between being good citizen and
good person
We can’t say “so what” because the plight of
Socrates is our plight
III. Autonomy & Political Authority
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How to assess which should come first in
guiding our behavior?
Myth of Er
Moral man should tell city to take a hike,
since soul is more important than city
IV.
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Philosophical vs. Tyrannical Lives
Why not become a tyrant since city is trying
to tyrannize us?
Answer is not based on altruism (do it
because it’s good for everyone else, even if it
does mean sacrificing me)
Tyrant is the biggest slave of all because…
IV.
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Philosophical vs. Tyrannical Lives
Tyrant is slave to other people
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Tyrant is subordinate of people he is enslaving
since he needs to buy off henchmen to enslave
other
Needs to make it worthwhile for henchmen to do
his bidding
IV.
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Philosophical vs. Tyrannical Lives
Tyrant is attempting self-defeating enterprise
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tyrant is governed by spirited part of soul
can’t stand appearing subordinate, so he/she wants to be
experienced in a certain way
wants to reduce everyone to Lowest Common Denominator
but that would mean he would get recognition of a bunch of
bozos (i.e., people for whom he has no respect)
anyone who could appreciate his virtue would need to be
killed as rival
IV.
Philosophical vs. Tyrannical Lives
Not only is the tyrant
 A slave to other people and
 Engaged in a silly self-defeating enterprise,
but …
IV.
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Philosophical vs. Tyrannical Lives
Slave to own passions
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if freedom means doing what you want to do, then
the tyrant isn’t free
philosopher is free because he is slave only to
reason
IV.
Philosophical vs. Tyrannical Lives
Tyrant’s
Life
Makes choices at specific
moments in life, but never
reflects on the overall
quality of that life
Life choices
Philosopher’s
Life
Reflects on the kind of life one ought to live and then lives it
IV.
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Philosophical vs. Tyrannical Lives
Lifestyle choice
Freedom is doing what you want to do upon
reflection, not what want to do particular
moments
That’s impossible when either the spirited or
appetitive part of the soul dominates
IV.
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Philosophical vs. Tyrannical Lives
To return to Socrates, Socrates most free
because he is living the kind of life he most
wants to live, it is an expression of his own
informed choices
You could not choose to be any different than
Socrates if you want freedom
That’s the final apology for Socrates
Coming Attractions
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Start on Aristotle