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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 3 page paper which how Socrates’ discovery of the nature of justice reveals the superiority of justice despite the fact that all other rewards go to injustice. No additional sources are used.
Page Count:
3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: TG15_TGrpiiiv.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
questions: What is justice? Why is justice superior to injustice? In Books II-IV, Socrates is engaged in an intense dialogue with two sibling students, Glaucon and Adeimantus, with
the intent of discovering the nature of justice. As was his custom, Socrates led the discussion by indirection, simply mentioning topics to consider and allowing the students to define
them for themselves before interjecting his assertions. Glaucon described justice in glowing terms as "the good that the happy man loves both for its own sake and for the
effects it produces" (358a). He contended it was essentially a compromise man makes between doing injustice and having injustice done to himself, but admitted that acquiring such an admirable
virtue was easier said than done because, "Every man believes in his heart that injustice will profit him far more than justice" (360d). Glaucon then proceeded to tell a
story about a shepherd, who after discovering a ring with magical powers, used it to usurp the kingdom of Lydia (359b-260d), which illustrated his point that injustice earns greater rewards.
Next, he cited instances from literature which lent further credence to his assertion, "Vice and injustice... are easy to learn and offer a profusion of pleasures... injustice pays better
than justice" (364b). Next, Socrates appeared to shift gears and direct the focus of the inquiry to what constitutes the making of a good state, which required meeting the basic
needs of its citizens and presiding over a division of labor, which by requiring people to perform tasks to for which they are best suited, it is beneficial to all.
Then in Book III, he continues describing the selection of rulers, which again is a categorization of the best and the brightest. He closed his oratory by pondering
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