Plato and the Republic Essay - 2585 Words

The Sun of Knowledge: Platonic Epistemology as Discussed in The Republic nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The history of philosophy can be viewed as the result of the work of an obscure Athenian whose voluminous works, penetrating questions, novel ideas, and didactic teachings have shaped the flow of nearly all philosophic thought. It has been said that the influence of the ancient Greek philosopher named Plato has laid the foundation for Western culture. Plato was born to an aristocratic family in Athens in 428/427 B.C. As a young man, Plato studied poetry, but later under the tutelage of the famed Socrates, turned to philosophy, who introduced him to the ethical importance of the pursuit of wisdom. Plato was also influenced by the†¦show more content†¦nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;It is the purpose of this essay to give an analysis of Plato’s theory of the cause of knowledge in the idea of the good through his illustration of the sun and determine how his theory relates to his question of justice. The Forms nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Plato in the Republic assumes the reader has an understanding of his doctrine of the forms, thus an introduction to his doctrine is imperative before a discussion of his illustration of the sun can begin. Plato was an idealist, meaning that ideas comprise what is ultimately real in this world. This is antithetical to his student Aristotle who held that material was ultimately real. The Renaissance painter Raphael illustrates these two contrasting positions in his famous painting The School of Athens. Raphael depicts Plato with his arm stretched out, pointing to the sky (implying that ideas are real), and Aristotle with his hand spread, pointing down to the earth (implying that material is real). nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;For Plato, ideas, or forms, are intelligible, distinct, eternal patterns of which the objects on earth are mere reflections. Each object on earth has a corresponding form. For example, there is a single form of a chair, and all other chairs (whether three legged or four, metal or wood) are flawed copies of the ultimate, changeless form of the chair. Plato is concerned with the nature of existence. What is the substance ofShow MoreRelatedThe Republic By Plato1341 Words   |  6 PagesIn book X of The Republic, Plato uses Socrates as his voice to discuss the topic of poetry in his ideal society. While he sees music and gymnastics as vital parts of society, he sees poetry as something that’s not only unnecessary, but also harmful. Glaucon is surprised by this and questions the reasons Socrates has this way of thinking. Socrates states that â€Å"all such poetry is likely to distort the thought of anyone who hears it, unless he has the knowledge of what it is really like†. Here, SocratesRead MoreThe Republic, By Plato2010 Words   |  9 Pages In The Republic, Plato presents a dialogue of Socrates, in which he seeks to uncover truths about what constitutes a just society, and what kind of men would rule such a society. As such a society would require a sound government, Plato, through Socrates, presents five possible types of governments, which involve varying levels of liberty and justice. Although the arguments demonstrate that aristocracy is the ideal form of government, all forms of government have fatal flaws that lead to continualRead MoreThe Republic, By Plato1412 Words   |  6 PagesIn Plato’s book, â€Å"The Republic†, there are many examples of rhetoric. In regards to the controversial topic of women and eugenics in which Plato is almost forced into mentioning because of Adeimantus and Glaucon, he uses various rhetorical statements to portray his view on the matter. His readers believe women shoul d be equal, so Plato attempts to persuade his readers into thinking he believes the same. For example, in the passage on women and family Plato states, â€Å"we shall assign these to each accordingly;Read MoreThe Republic by Plato1645 Words   |  7 Pages In Plato’s Republic Book 1, Thrasymachus argues that morality is the advantage of the stronger. To support his view, Thrasymachus first claims that the governments, which are the stronger parties, always pass laws based on their own interest, and then argues that subjects must always obey these laws, therefore morality is the advantage of the stronger. Socrates gives two sets of counter arguments. First, by differentiating apparent advantage and actual advantage to the stronger, SocratesRead MoreThe Republic by Plato1202 Words   |  5 Pagesupon, as explained by Socrates in Plato’s Republic. Throughout the eight books of Socratic dialogue the ideal state and ideas of justice are debated, on both individ ual and state levels. The guidelines for a perfect state and how it will come about are thoroughly described. Socrates covers every aspect of political life and how it should work stating that â€Å"until power and philosophy entirely coincide†¦ cities will have no rest form evils† . In Plato’s Republic Socrates emphasizes the superiority of theRead MoreThe Republic by Plato1411 Words   |  6 PagesAfter reading The Republic there are three main points that Plato had touched on. The first of these three points is that Plato is disheartened with democracy. It was due to Socrates’ untimely death during Athens’ democracy that led to his perception of the ideal state as referred to in The Republic. Plato perceived that the material greed was one of the many evils of politics; in Plato’s eyes greed was one of the worst evils of political life. Thus economic power must be separated from politicalRead MoreThe Republic, By Plato1250 Words   |  5 Pages In his text, The Republic, Plato leads us through an elaborate thought experiment in which he creates the ideal city. Throughout The Republic Plato constructs the laws and societal structures of what he deems will lead to a high functioning society. He names this city Kallipolis. A cornerstone of Kallipolis’ structure is Plato’s principle of specialization. The Principle of Specialization argues that each member of society must do the job in which he is best suited. Plato explains â€Å"The result,Read MoreThe Republic By Plato1385 Words   |  6 Pages In Book IV of The Republic, written by Plato, Socrates makes an argument for why an individual should strive to be just, or more importantly, why being just is more profitable than being unjust to the individual. The three parts of an individual: rational, spirited, and appetitive, must all strive to pursue truth in the just individual, but it is possible that this requirement may not be met while still profiting the individual. Through an analogy between justice in the city and justiceRead MoreThe Republic, By Plato1500 Words   |  6 PagesThis textual analysis will be based on the book â€Å"The Republic† by Plato, specifically the passage 475d-477a. The purpose of this essay is to analyze and evaluate the main concepts explored in the passage and their relation to the platonic political philosophy presented in â€Å"The Republic†. The essay will provide a summary of the passage, emphasizing the breakthroughs reached in the Socratic dialogue. The main points will then be singled out for a more in-depth review in order to see if the argumentsRead MoreThe Republic, By Plato1255 Words   |  6 Pageswas just beginning to surface as a notable substance within various societies. Athens, was perhaps, the greatest nesting ground of intellectual thought, and it hosted many great minds, such as Plato. While Plato is famous for many of his works, The Republic is the most read and circulated. In the Republic, Plato lays out two philosophical questions through a character named Socrates. Both questions re-occur as the foundation of dialogue amongst other characters, such as Glaucon, Adeimantus, and Polemarchus