Platos Republic essays

Plato's Republic essays The Republic by Plato is considered a classic. A classic in the sense that it has withstood the test of time and is still studied today by people all over the world. It describes the human search for justice while also exploring philosophical clarity. Plato wrote this book about his teacher, Socrates, who was the first philosopher of western thought and believed that there was a rational explanation for all occurances on earth rather than just a religious meaning. His search for logical explanations for all occurances led him to be sought out in his community to have discussions about life and man. The Republic recounts discussions Socrates had with his contemporaries about the meaning of justice. The first of these men was a rich, older man by the name of Cephalus. He believed that justice meant speaking the truth at all times and always paying back one's debts. Cephalus said that a just man should return whatever is owed to another without hesitation or concern and to always tell the truth no matter the consequences. This caused Socrates much confusion and, using his dialetic method, he prodded deeper into to Cephalus's meaning to try to come up with some truth. Socrates said that being just is not as easy as just telling the truth and paying one's debts all the time. These actions could be considered just or unjust depending on the circumstances. If someone had borrowed his friend's whiskey and his friend, who is a recovering alcoholic, asked for it back, would it be the just thing to do to return it knowing his friend has a drinking problem or to keep it in order to help him out? That is the kind of question that Socrates posed to Cephalus to which he agreed and le ft the argument to his son, Polemarchus. Still, Polemarchus carried on the belief that "it is just to give to each what is owed" (331 e). However, he also states that it can depend on the circumstances around that situation specifically that one does wha...