02 Plato on Justice and the Ideal State Free Online FlashCards

What makes a city just in Plato’s account?

A city is just when its groups perform their appropriate roles and cooperate under wise leadership, without improperly taking over one another’s work.

What is the role of producers in Plato’s city?

Producers, including farmers, craftspeople, and merchants, meet the city’s material needs.

Who should rule Plato’s ideal city?

Guardians make political decisions; the best rulers are philosophers, chosen from those who complete demanding education.

Where do wisdom, courage, and moderation chiefly reside in the city?

Wisdom belongs chiefly to the rulers, courage is maintained by the defenders, and moderation is shared agreement that the wise should govern.

What are the three parts of the soul in Plato’s account?

The soul has three parts: reason, spirit, which gives resolve and anger, and appetite, which desires food, wealth, and other pleasures.

How are the parts ordered in a just soul?

A person is just when reason governs, spirit supports reason, and appetite stays within proper limits.

What role does education play in Kallipolis?

Kallipolis depends on education that identifies and cultivates people’s abilities; guardians receive demanding intellectual and physical training.

What does the Cave illustrate about philosophical education and public life?

The Cave represents education as turning the mind from appearances toward understanding; those who gain understanding are expected to return to public responsibility.

Why does Plato restrict private wealth and family arrangements for guardians?

Guardians are to avoid private wealth and, in the ruling and defending class, private family arrangements, limiting loyalties that might compete with service to the city.

What does Plato propose for women with guardian abilities?

Women with the relevant abilities should receive the same guardian education and perform the same civic roles as men.

What danger does Plato associate with democracy?

Plato argues that democracy’s emphasis on freedom can weaken respect for expertise and restraint, creating a danger of tyranny. This critique concerns the ancient democracy he depicts, not modern representative democracy directly.

What justifies political authority in Plato’s Republic?

Political authority is justified by knowledge of the good and virtue directed toward the whole city’s benefit, not merely by power or popular approval.