Plato Socrates Wickedness

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In the philosophical texts of The Republic books 1 and 2 and The Consolation of Philosophy, both Socrates and Boethius write on the basis of wickedness and punishment as well as happiness and goodness. Boethius believes wickedness acts as its own punishment because it serves as a vice in which the wicked descend from human nature and become more like beasts. Meanwhile, Socrates inclines towards the side of consequences of wickedness in both the soul as well as outside influences that lead to their own punishment. Therefore, Boethius believes that as long as one is wicked, they will never truly attain individual happiness in their lifetime because they will never liken to the godlike nature of goodness. Socrates disagrees with Boethius' assertions…show more content…
One example of an external consequence of goodness would extend from Socrates' analogy about borrowing a weapon from a friend, then refusing to return it, when it seems obvious that the friend is no longer in the right state of mind. "But speaking of that thing itself, justice, are we to say it is simply speaking the truth and paying whatever debts one has incurred? Or is it sometimes just to do these things, sometimes unjust?" (PR 5) This quote shows that justice comes in many forms and sometimes it comes down to refusing a person what is rightfully theirs in order to protect others from eventual consequences. Although the friend would be angry for not having their own property returned, in reality, it is the idea of goodness to put the interest of others before yourself in the case of mere guilt. This extends from the fact that justice is synonymous with goodness and it serves as a purpose to guide people morally away from the selfish path of wickedness and…show more content…
Since the gods are categorized as just, then those who are unjust are therefore deemed their enemies. This ties in to the faulty definition of goodness and how it is not the unjust actions that are bad but those consequences that occur due to the unjustness. For it is easier to be unjust than just because it is more difficult to create consequences from just actions and therefore they can often be avoided or forgotten, "justice is one of the greatest goods, the ones that are worth having for the sake of their consequences, but much more so for their own sake." (PR 45) With this in mind, evil can be interpreted as the time when one gives up their natural inclination for justice and their consequences. They do this because justice acts as a restriction on the way in which people seek out happiness. It is a constant glimmer in the back of one's mind as a certain set of guidelines one must follow in order to reach supreme goodness and happiness. Herein lies the problem that justice cannot be a thing that is sought out for self interest but only for the sake of justice
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