Cephalus and Polemarchus Definition of Justice Discussions Questions

Your response to the question below should be at least 200 words long.

In Book I, Cephalus and Polemarchus each attempt to define justice. Describe the definition of justice that each person presents. What does Socrates think of these two definitions?

Your response to the question below should be at least 200 words long.

Thrasymachus makes two related arguments regarding what how justice works in the world. Initially, he contends that justice is nothing other than the advantage of the stronger. He later modifies his perspective and suggests that a just man always gets less than an unjust one.

Explore the two perspectives and how Socrates responds to each. Although Thrasymachus might not define what we want justice to be, does he manage to say something important about the world we live in.

Your response to the question below should be at least 225 words long.

Why does Socrates think that the stories, songs, and activities that young people experience are so important? What types of stories and activities are necessary or encouraged? What must be prohibited? Why does he think such censorship justified? What would Socrates think if he reviewed the stories, songs, and activities that young people in the U.S. experience?

Your response to the question below should be at least 225 words long.

“The most terrible and most shameful thing of all is for a shepherd to rear dogs as auxiliaries to help with his flocks in such a way that through licentiousness, hunger, or some other bad trait of character, they do evil to the sheep and become like wolves instead of dogs.” Pg. 92

What types of constraints do we see in the Republic to avoid the problem of guardians turning on those they should rule/protect? How will the guardians live? Would our society benefit from any of these provisions? Have our guardians become wolves?

Write a brief essay (at least three pages, double spaced, 12-point font, and one-inch margins) responding to the prompt below.

Describe the noble lie (myth of the metals) presented in Plato’s Republic (Book III pgs. 91-92)? Why must it be told? Is it noble? Are such “noble lies” present in our society? Examples?