A. Glaucon’s Challenge to Socrates
- Two modes of goodness: instrumental and intrinsic goodness.
Which kind is justice?
2. Glaucon rehabilitates Thrasymachus’ argument for the zero-sum justice as instrument of the powerful, playing advocato diabolo aka Socratic Method
(358d-359e, pp.36-36)
3. The social compact as a selfish compromise between the strong and the weak - morality as an expression of the Will to Power (Nietzsche) - the desire to dominate. Inequality as nature, equality as unnatural creation of law.
4. Ring of Gyges Thought Experiment - No one willingly chooses justice but only for selfish profit.
5. The Perfect Contrast Thought Experiment - The most successful Unjust Man (e.g. Anti-Christ), who does “the greatest injustices while having provided himself with the greatest reputation for justice” (p.38) versus “the man simple and noble who “does not wish to seem, but rather to be, good. (and) The seeming must be taken away. For if he should seem just, there would be honors and gifts for him for seeming to be such. Then it wouldn’t be plain whether he is such for the sake of the just or for the sake of the gifts and honor.” (p.39)
6. Adeimantus’ addition: Conventional views of the gods support the idea that justice is merely instrumental: (a) Being just for the sake of divine reward - “the finest wage of virtue is an eternal drunk” (p.41); (b) Gods are capricious and so human happiness is subject to fate; (c) the gods can be bought through sacrifices, crimes paid for with offerings.
7. “For if all of you had spoken in this way from the beginning and persuaded us, from youth onwards, we would not keep guard over each other for fear of injustice be done, but each would be his own best guard, afraid that in doing injustice he would dwell with the greatest evil.” (367a, p.43)
B. Turn from Political Theory to Moral Psychology
8 .“Now, don’t only show us by the argument that justice is stronger than injustice, but show what each in itself does to the man who has it that makes the one bad and the other good.” (367b, p.44)
9. Introducing Plato’s City-state - watching the ‘city in speech’ come into existence. To understand how justice functions within a human soul to maintain harmony, they turn to examine how justice may function within a state to maintain harmony.
10. The City of Utmost Necessity, (369-371) the “healthy city” - a self-sufficient, peaceful city, with division of labor to supply all necessities, with simple food, pleasures, no strife, poverty or war - no need for justice or injustice. (ecotopia?) - Glaucon’s criticism: “this is a ‘city of sows’
11. The City of Luxuries, the “feverish city” - includes meat, and “relishes” (perfume, incense, courtesans and cakes), and so requires whole new classes of workers, including (a) doctors for sickness, and (b) soliders: since now we must “…cut off a piece of our neighbor’s land, if we are going to have sufficient for pasture and tillage, and they in turn from ours, if they let themselves go to the unlimited acquisition of money, overstepping the boundary of the necessary.” (373) - requires a warrior class, a standing army.
12. The Beautiful City [Kallipolis] - Plato’s utopia, a well-ordered city, with three classes of citizens all minding their own business, working together in harmony.
C. Education of the Guardians (music, gymnastic and Noble Lies)
13. Justification for “Medicinal Lies” (382d, p.60)
14. Need for “spirited” individuals for soldiers. (Thymos) - the psychological character of honor-bound service to an ideal/institution. - the need to control the warrior class.
15. Need for ideological education of the guardians so as to rear them to love their city and hate their enemies. the moral recuperation of the gods as good and rational (contra Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey).
16. Need for ideology to make the warriors courageous, (Tharseo) not afraid of death. (386-388, p.63-65) Death is not bad.
17. Ideology for moderation (Sophrosyne) - guardians must be in control of their bodies’ appetites (p.67)
18. Restrictions on artistic representations of truth/morality. Heros must be portrayed as happy, villains as unhappy.
19. Need for eugenics (410a).
20. Criteria for determining who becomes a guardian The best guardians are the most patriotic - “the best guardians of their conviction that they must do what on each occasion seems best for the city.” (413c, p.92)
21. Distinction between the Auxiliaries (rules or “guardians of the guardians) versus the guardians (warrior class) 414b, p.93)
21. Need for a Myth to undergird caste system: The Auto-chthonic Myth of Blood and Land (414d, p.94)
Caste system of Kallipolis
Auxiliaries (rulers) rational truth gold
Guardians (warriors) spirited honor silver
Workers/merchants (citizens) appetitive pleasure bronze
22. Communal living for the auxiliaries - to ensure a perfect unity of personal and public interest.
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