Kyle Sheehan

FYS 100 Section 50 – Social Utopias

Dr. Watts

September 4, 2015

Q: How does Plato teach the reader about justice through Socratic dialogue?

Throughout all of book one and book two of the republic, Plato solely writes through Socratic dialogue. Socrates was very well known for asking difficult and thought provoking questions to his fellow Athenians. He did this through dialect and conversation which later was named “the Socratic method” (Bibliography.com).

Justice is by far the most prominent discussion point spoken about in Republic thus far. However, the topic is approached not argumentatively but by means of conversation. Plato never portrays Socrates getting angered in any of his various discussions. Even when aggressively challenged by Thrasymachus and told that he was speaking nonsense, Socrates remained calm and collective (Republic p13). In book one, Socrates takes a very special approach to the discussion about justice with Polemarchus, Cephalus and Thrasymachus. Instead of telling them his definition of justice and ending the conversation there, he asks them to first tell him their definition of justice. After each definition is giving, the opportunity for discourse is opened. Instead of directly pointing out flaws in their definitions, Socrates responds by asking questions or using examples. These questions and examples are meant to make the speaker think more deeply about their definition and question their own beliefs (Republic p4 line 330a). By doing this, Socrates is teaching them how to find their own way to the truth rather than simply being told. For example, Cephalus believes justice means following the laws and being honest. Socrates responds by asking “is it sometimes just to do these things, sometimes unjust?” He then goes on to give an example: “everyone would surely agree that if a man borrows weapons from a sane friend, and if he goes mad and asks for them back, the friend should not return them, and would not be just if he did” (Republic p5 line 331c). Likewise, Socrates responds to both Polemarchus’ and Thrasymachus’ with questions and discourse (Republic p11 and p18-19). In book two, the argument against justice becomes bolstered by the arguments of Glaucon and Adeimantus. Plato purposely makes the challenge even harder for Socrates. One of the main components of Socratic dialogue is to attack the strongest position or challenge so that afterward there is no further doubt to be had. Glaucon’s argument is noticeably much harder for Socrates to respond to. At first he is reluctant to entertain Glaucon’s challenge of proving justice to be a “third kind of good”. However, as a true teacher of philosophy he really does wish to persuade Glaucon and Adiemantus that this sentiment is true (Republic p36 line 357b). As usual, Socrates responds to these challenges not directly but by examples. Instead of answering the question, Socrates decides to create a fictional utopia in explicit detail.