Socrates View Of Justice Essay
It is my opinion that the view of justice that is provided by Socrates is in fact the proper explanation of what it is to be just. It is not enough to appear just to people around you, you must be just. Even if you appear to be the most just and loved person in the world that means nothing if you cannot be at peace within your soul which means having a balance between the three parts. For if someone has an opportunity to steal something such as a computer, although they may be better off materially and appear to have acted justly to those around them. This does not exempt them from the sickness that must be brew in their soul because "one sin leads to a deeper sin," and if that person is not caught they will continue on a path that destroys
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This is first demonstrated when he decides to have an affair with Dolores. By choosing to have an intimate relationship with someone other than his wife Judah has abandoned the harmony that Socrates says must be in place in order for someone to be just. Judah has allowed his desire for physical pleasure to take over reason. If Judah were just he would not have allowed appetite to rule reason because he should "not allow any part of himself to do the work of another part or allow the various classes within him to meddle with each other."(443d) Secondly Judah cannot be a just person because he claims that he has benefited from having Dolores killed. Socrates would argue that an unjust act, like that of murder cannot be "profitable to anyone, since, even though he may acquire more money or other sort of power from them, they make him more vicious." (591a) Thirdly since Judah was able to evade the law Socrates would argue that this would only make him even more unjust because "doesn't the one who remains undiscovered become even more vicious while the one who is discovered is calmed and tamed" forcing him to reacquire balance in his soul. Therefore since a just person would not want to risk becoming more vicious and creating imbalance in the soul Judah cannot be a just
This is first demonstrated when he decides to have an affair with Dolores. By choosing to have an intimate relationship with someone other than his wife Judah has abandoned the harmony that Socrates says must be in place in order for someone to be just. Judah has allowed his desire for physical pleasure to take over reason. If Judah were just he would not have allowed appetite to rule reason because he should "not allow any part of himself to do the work of another part or allow the various classes within him to meddle with each other."(443d) Secondly Judah cannot be a just person because he claims that he has benefited from having Dolores killed. Socrates would argue that an unjust act, like that of murder cannot be "profitable to anyone, since, even though he may acquire more money or other sort of power from them, they make him more vicious." (591a) Thirdly since Judah was able to evade the law Socrates would argue that this would only make him even more unjust because "doesn't the one who remains undiscovered become even more vicious while the one who is discovered is calmed and tamed" forcing him to reacquire balance in his soul. Therefore since a just person would not want to risk becoming more vicious and creating imbalance in the soul Judah cannot be a just