Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Ethics - Essay ExampleA background of the text is setoff important in order for one to understand the different perspectives from which aloneice can be viewed. Glaucon argues that justice is pursued by military man against his will - a matter of necessity rather than for the goodness of it1. He also thinks that the just man would pursue injustice were he to be immune to the consequences and besides, he lastly ends up the happier of the two. Glaucon asks Socrates to defend the view that justice is better than injustice (358b-362d). Adeimantus also requires of Socrates to demonstrate that there is value to justice, not just a utility for man to gain reliable advantages in society. To answer this, Socrates uses an similitude of justice in the city to portray justice in a person. He argues that a just man does not differ in any way from a just city (435b). Justice is the result of a soul that is swell ordered, so Plato creates three material bodyes of people present in his model city Kallipolis producers, guardians and formulas. In a just city, these three classes of people are required to display certain virtues that all come into action to ensure that justice prevails in the city the rulers should create just laws, the soldiers carry out the orders of the rulers and the producers stay in obedience of this authority. The ruler class is supposed to have wisdom to ensure that the entire city operates on the same basis. This wisdom is supposed to trickle down from the governing (ruling) class onto the entire population of the city. It ensures that the city has good judgment (428d). The soldiers use of goods and services is to carry out the orders of the rulers and as such is supposed to be well educated to understand the laws as much as possible. Through this, their role in ensuring justice can not be eroded by such things as pleasure, pain, fear and desire (430a). They gain this kind of focus through the virtue of courage and thus help in maintaining just ice within the city. The producers on the other hand are required to obey authority. For this to happen, the producers are supposed to possess the virtue of moderation which creates harmony, unanimity and agreement amongst all members of the city. The issue of who is to give way is settled this way and everybody works together thus ensuring justice. Moderation can not be divorced from justice as it enables everybody to play their wear outicular role and everyone must practice one of the occupations for which he is naturally suited. (433a). The three classes of people that work harmoniously to ensure justice in the city now entice us to what justice should be in the human soul. The human soul has more than one single driving force people are hesitant when making some choices, some part of their soul stops them from pursuing their desires and thus there is national conflict. The part of the soul that is calculative and questions the other part is the rational part of the soul. Th en there is the irrational part which is lustful and appetitive (439d). Emotions are created by the part of the soul that is spirited, which in times of internal conflict may ally the rational part against the irrational part of the soul thus the person ends up making a rational decision. The analogy between the city and the person is then clear that the rational part