Justice and Morality in Platos Republic Essay examples -- justice as

ledger entry This essay discusses and clarifies a concept that is central to Platos argument in the Republic an argument in favour of the transcendent value of justness as a human good that justice informs and guides example conduct. Platos argument implies that justice and righteousness are advantageously interconnected, because the excellence and goodness of human vitality the best way for a person to live is intimately dependent upon and closely interwoven with those things that we find wanted in themselves and for their consequences 1. Hence, we acknowledge that Plato Is moral thesis cannot be interpreted either as a deontological or as a consequentialist argument or as an act centred or agent centred moral concept. Platos thesis is informative, in philosophical terms, precisely because it enables us to find new and more fruitful ways of flavour at those basic questions concerning justice and morality, and the bearing in which they are interrelated 2. In the Republi c Plato endeavours to answer complex questions about justice by introducing a unique account of what justice rattling is, and how morally sensitive people are educated and informed about the real nature of justice and morality 3. Our understanding of justice is more gravid if we insist that what really matters is not merely the observance of external demands normative and conventional moral rules but the typeface of the truly just person 4. jurist and goodness, based upon judgement as the virtue of a decent life, are seen as congruent in the stage setting of a well ordered society. Platos sound claim, in the Republic, is that justice is so great a good that anyone who completely embraces it is thereby better off, even in the face of the... ...4-225 19 Rep. VI 573d & ibid., p.221-222) 20 ibid., p.327 21 Nagel, 1986, pp. 195-196 22 Rep VII, 540a-b 23 Rep. V, 46le-462e 24 Rep. IV, 419a-421c & Rep. VIII, 519d-521b 25 Annas, 1981, pp. 321-334 & White, 1979, pp.43-54 ------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------BIBLIOGRAPHY Annas, Julia An Introduction to Platos Republic Oxford 1981 Chapter 3, pp. 59-71 Chapter 6 pp. 53-169 Chapter 13, pp. 331-334 Irwin, Terence Platos Ethics Oxford 1995 Chapter 12, pp. 181-202 Kraut, Richard (Ed.) The Cambridge henchman to Plato Cambridge 1992 Chapter 10, pp. 311-337 Nagel, Thomas The View from Nowhere Oxford 1986 Chapter X, pp. 189-207 Waterfield, Robin (Tr.) Platos Republic Oxford 1993 White, Nicholas A Companion to Platos Republic Indianapolis 1979 Justice and morals in Platos Republic Essay examples -- justice as Introduction This essay discusses and clarifies a concept that is central to Platos argument in the Republic an argument in favour of the transcendent value of justice as a human good that justice informs and guides moral conduct. Platos argument implies that justice and morality are intimately interconnected, because the excellence and goodness of human li fe the best way for a person to live is intimately dependent upon and closely interwoven with those things that we find desirable in themselves and for their consequences 1. Hence, we acknowledge that Plato Is moral thesis cannot be interpreted either as a deontological or as a consequentialist argument or as an act centred or agent centred moral concept. Platos thesis is informative, in philosophical terms, precisely because it enables us to find new and more fruitful ways of looking at those basic questions concerning justice and morality, and the manner in which they are interrelated 2. In the Republic Plato endeavours to answer complex questions about justice by introducing a unique account of what justice actually is, and how morally sensitive people are educated and informed about the real nature of justice and morality 3. Our understanding of justice is more profound if we insist that what really matters is not merely the observance of external demands normative and conve ntional moral rules but the character of the truly just person 4. Justice and goodness, based upon judgement as the virtue of a decent life, are seen as congruent in the context of a well ordered society. Platos fundamental claim, in the Republic, is that justice is so great a good that anyone who completely embraces it is thereby better off, even in the face of the... ...4-225 19 Rep. VI 573d & ibid., p.221-222) 20 ibid., p.327 21 Nagel, 1986, pp. 195-196 22 Rep VII, 540a-b 23 Rep. V, 46le-462e 24 Rep. IV, 419a-421c & Rep. VIII, 519d-521b 25 Annas, 1981, pp. 321-334 & White, 1979, pp.43-54 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------BIBLIOGRAPHY Annas, Julia An Introduction to Platos Republic Oxford 1981 Chapter 3, pp. 59-71 Chapter 6 pp. 53-169 Chapter 13, pp. 331-334 Irwin, Terence Platos Ethics Oxford 1995 Chapter 12, pp. 181-202 Kraut, Richard (Ed.) The Cambridge Companion to Plato Cambridge 1992 Chapter 10, pp. 311-337 Nagel, Thomas The Vi ew from Nowhere Oxford 1986 Chapter X, pp. 189-207 Waterfield, Robin (Tr.) Platos Republic Oxford 1993 White, Nicholas A Companion to Platos Republic Indianapolis 1979