Virtue In The Platos Republic

Kaleb Stuart js2286 Social and Political Philosophy

Midterm

Question 1:

The role of virtue in Plato’s Republic is to give structure to the ideal State. This is because it is argued that, man, left to his own convictions and outwardly just will give into the temptation to be unjust when it benefits him and when he has certainty he will not be caught. In Book IV Plato, through Socrates as a character discusses the virtues that make up this ideal State, they are wisdom, courage, temperance, and justice. Wisdom, courage, and temperance are correlated one to one to the three classes that make up the State. Wisdom is an attribute of the Guardian class, Courage is an attribute assigned to the Warrior class, and Temperance to the Artisan class.

The class structure resembles a triangle divided into three sections where at the top the fewest members of the ideal state belong to the Guardian class. The second section has more members than the top but fewer than the base; this class belongs to the Warriors. The final class encompasses the most members and is reserved for Artisans.

People, who by their nature, have the ability to gain knowledge and understand the consequences of decisions made about the state. With this knowledge, these people possess the virtue of wisdom. Plato as Socrates makes an argument about the difference between knowledge and wisdom. He says, “There is knowledge of the carpenter; but is that the sort of knowledge which gives a city the title of wise and good in counsel?” He then says “Then a city is not to be called wise because possessing a knowledge which counsels for the best about wooden implements”.

The warrior class encompasses members who no matter what circumstance their courage could not falter. Socrates, in...

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...n's rule, the people are to obey and not rebel. It is interesting that Hobbes attributes the authority of the Leviathan as given by the people, yet he says the people have no right to overthrow a ruler who is no longer upholding the Laws of Nature outlined by Hobbes himself. Even if man by the State of Nature is violent, petty, and self-serving, why should people by beholden to a Sovereign that no longer serves its direct purpose of fulfilling the Social Contract?

Locke would entirely disagree with Hobbes about a ruler's right to power. Locke says,

" There is one way more whereby such a government may be dissolved, and that is: When he who has the supreme executive power neglects and abandons that charge, so that the laws already made can no longer be put in execution; this is demonstratively to reduce all to anarchy, and so effectively to dissolve the government."