Socrates Soul

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In Plato’s Republic, Socrates discusses the three parts of the soul and how each part influences the individual and the city. While the different parts of the soul correspond with the three classes of people in the city in the Republic, there are other influences the soul has on society. In today’s society, the soul influences the classes in politics, culture, and technology. The appetite, rational, and spirit part of the soul influence individuals in their everyday lives and these decisions affect their lives. Socrates mentions the three classes and how the soul influences these classes. The type of soul and individual has determines which class each individual belongs to. Socrates tells about how all people are born from the earth…show more content…
Cephalus, Polemarchus, and Socrates each define how they think justice is. Cephalus says that justice is about being honest and paying what is owed and Polemarchus says that justice is following any legal obligations. However, Socrates defines justice as fulfilling one’s own role in society and giving back to the city what is owed. Socrates gives the soul three parts and creates a way of understanding justice that works for all people no matter what role they play in society. Socrates creates a comparison between a just city and a just man. “Justice is establishing the parts of the soul so that they dominate and are dominated by each other according to nature, injustice so that they rule and are ruled contrary to nature,” (Plato, 444d). According to Socrates, justice in the individual is the balance between the three parts of the soul. Each of the parts of the soul correspond with one another and not being one more dominate over the others. Each individual play a role in a society, just as the soul plays a role in that individual, both of which affect…show more content…
Everyone should work towards what is best for the city instead of what is best for themselves. “Each person must tend to the business that accords with his nature,” (Plato, 453b). Everyone in the city has a role that they are best suited for to work as. These individuals work in the areas they are best suited for create what would be the best for the city. For example, the guardians are mates based on a lottery system. However, this lottery system is rigged because the best male and female guardians are mated to help create the best children. Having the guardians mate as the best with the best, it would be what is the best for the city because these children would be theoretically better for the city and for the guardians. When having everyone working towards the what is best for the city, there would be more of an equal take on justice if everyone disregards wanting to do what is best for themselves. If people were to do what is best for themselves instead of for the city, people would have selfish intentions and want to further themselves in society. This could hurt the city because there would not be justice in how people are working in the city and the goals of the city would be put aside. Putting what is best for the city first would be better for justice because if the city gains, then ideally the individuals in the city would also gain. This would therefore indirectly be doing

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