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Major Concepts of Book IV
Interpretations and Connections
Philisophical Concept Map
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City in Speech: The Ideal City
-The "perfect" city
-Must have rules to be happy, although few in number
-Aristocracy: rule by the better few (determined at birth who the “better few†were)
-Three classes: guardians (rule the city), auxiliaries (soldiers), and the masses (everybody else: farmers, artisans, philosophers, etc.)
-Class distinction, and thus occupation, determined by an examination at birth
-Moderation in everything
-Equality
-Afraid of change
-United and strong sense of “communityâ€
-Rigorous education that focuses on gymnastics, music, and poetry
-Philosophers should be king
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Perfect City = Paradise
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The Four Virtues
Socrates told Adeimantus that there are four virtues that the City in Speech must have in order to be a happy city, and therefore a just city. To find justice, one can do one of two things. They can a)discover the other three virtues and thus discover justice through the process of elimination; or b)find justice directly and thus end the search right away. The four virtues are as follows:
-WISDOM (logos): The proof that one is wise and educated and has the ability to make the right decisions. True wisdom that meets the city’s needs can only be found in the ruling class (the guardians).
-COURAGE (thymos): The strength to fear only what is worth fearing and to resist all distractions (pleasure, sorrow, fear, desire, etc.). Courage is exhibited by educated soldiers.
-TEMPERANCE (Moderation): Mutual agreement between superior and inferior as to which should rule. Temperance is keeping one’s passions (aros) at bay. Temperance can be found in any citizen.
-JUSTICE: To mind one’s business; commands a man to have and to hold only what is his own.
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??? Definition of Justice/Injustice ???
The definition for justice is very basic (as seen above). Every man has his own place in the world. Justice is the idea that he is not to deviate from that place. He is not to meddle in another class or another job. He is meant to be what he has been designated to be since birth. Injustice is merely everything justice is not.
the CITY & your SOUL
A city is supposed to mirror a human soul, according to Socrates. The best example of this is the four virtues.
-Wisdom = Power of reasoning; rules soul like wisdom rules city
-Courage = Bravery; must listen to wisdom like soldiers must listen to gaurdians
-Temperance = Moderation in desires and passions just like a city must exhibt moderation in all its actions
-Justice = Most noble virtue; will be acquired if all the other virtues are obtained, as in a city
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Will the world ever truly know just what justice is? |
According to Socrates...
...the human soul is a mirror image of a city's soul. Image source: www.bodymap.ims.u-tokyo.ac.jp |
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