Omar Bennett
Plato's theory of justice, as outlined in his influential work The Republic, offers a unique perspective on the concept of justice, contrasting with the traditional understanding of constitutional justice. Plato, through the character Socrates, explores the nature of justice and just actions, linking them to the idea of a balanced soul and the pursuit of knowledge. Plato's concept of justice extends beyond individuals to society and governance, advocating for an ideal state ruled by philosopher-kings who represent reason and act in the interest of the people. This theory, known as the Architectonic Theory of Justice, views justice as the harmonious interplay of different elements, each contributing to the greater good. Plato's philosophy also emphasizes the importance of understanding human nature and the role of virtues in a just society, with justice being seen as a central pillar of political thought.
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What You'll Learn
Justice as a personal virtue
Plato's Republic revolves around a central question: is it always better to be just than unjust? To answer this, Socrates sketches an account of a good city, arguing that defining justice as a virtue of a city would help to define justice as a virtue of a human being.
Socrates argues that justice as a virtue makes the soul perform its function well, and that a person who lives well is "blessed and happy". He presents the just person as one who has a balanced soul, indicating that the just person's soul entails desires for certain kinds of objects, the most important of which is knowledge. According to Socrates, the just person will pursue learning and not spend time indulging in desires that typically lead to unjust actions.
In response to Socrates' defence of justice, David Sachs argues that Socrates fails to show why having a balanced soul will lead one to act justly or why psychic health amounts to justice. Sachs implies that justice includes actions in relation to others and includes strong motivations not to act unjustly.
Other commentators have come to Socrates' defence, attempting to bridge the gap between a just soul and just actions. One approach is to show that the just person with a balanced soul operates according to certain values and desires that cannot lead to unjust actions. Another approach is to argue that the just person will do what is just in relation to others while also doing what is in their own interest. This view holds that the just person has a value that motivates them to do what is just in relation to others, and this value is their love of the forms.
Plato's Republic also contributes to political philosophy by linking the discussion of personal justice to an account of justice in the city and making claims about how good and bad cities are arranged. This has led to reflections on political questions, such as the relationship between the structural features and values of society and the psychological features and values of persons.
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Justice as a virtue of a city
Plato's Republic is a Socratic dialogue authored by Plato around 375 BC. It is Plato's best-known work and one of the world's most influential works of philosophy and political theory. The text centres on a simple question: "Is it always better to be just than unjust?"
In the dialogue, Socrates discusses with various Athenians and foreigners the meaning of justice and whether a just man is happier than an unjust man. To answer this question, Socrates takes a long way around, sketching an account of a good city on the grounds that a good city would be just and that defining justice as a virtue of a city would help to define justice as a virtue of a human being.
Socrates describes a "healthy state" made up of producers who make enough for a modest living. He then goes on to describe the luxurious city, which he calls a "fevered state". Acquiring and defending these luxuries requires a guardian class to wage wars. They then explore how to obtain guardians who will not become tyrants to the people they guard. Socrates proposes that the solution lies in education from an early age.
Socrates defines justice in the city as the state in which each class performs only its own work, not meddling in the work of the other classes. He also finds wisdom among the guardian rulers, courage among the guardian warriors (or auxiliaries), and temperance among all classes of the city in agreeing about who should rule and who should be ruled.
Plato finds justice in the city to consist in each part "having and doing its own," and since the smaller is just like the larger, justice in the individual consists in each part of the psyche doing its own work. This leads to the idea that justice is "giving every man his due". Plato argues that justice is a master virtue because, in both the city and the psyche, if each part is doing its own job, both city and psyche will also have wisdom, courage, and moderation or self-discipline.
However, it is worth noting that even within Plato's Republic, there are other virtues such as wisdom, courage, and self-discipline, and it is not clear that justice has any priority over these other virtues.
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The just person's love of the forms
Plato's Republic explores the nature of justice and why a person should be just. In doing so, Plato delves into the concept of the Theory of Forms, also known as Platonic idealism or Platonic realism. This theory suggests that the physical world is less real and true than Forms, which are timeless, absolute, non-physical, and unchangeable essences that all objects and matter in the physical world merely imitate.
Plato's Theory of Forms asserts that every object or quality in reality has a Form. For example, objects like dogs, human beings, and mountains, as well as qualities like courage, love, and goodness, all have corresponding Forms. These Forms are abstract and exist independently of our minds, constituting the basis of reality.
In Plato's philosophy, the soul exists before the body and inhabits heaven, where it becomes directly acquainted with the Forms. This prior knowledge of the Forms is what we seem to learn or remember in our earthly lives. True and reliable knowledge, according to Plato, belongs to those who can comprehend the true reality behind everyday experience, and this knowledge is essential for ruling justly.
The philosopher-king, as the ideal ruler in Plato's Republic, is someone who can discern the Forms and rule according to them. This love of the Forms leads the philosopher-king to pursue knowledge and imitate the Forms in their rule, benefiting both themselves and others.
Plato's concept of the just person's love of the Forms bridges the gap between a just soul and just actions. By loving and pursuing the Forms, the just person operates according to values and desires that align with knowledge and justice, avoiding the indulgences that typically lead to unjust actions.
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The just person's desires and actions
Plato's theory of justice is quite different from the justice we understand in constitutional-legal terms. Plato's Republic centres on a simple question: is it always better to be just than unjust? In his Republic, Plato defines justice as "having and doing what is one's own", and a just man as "a man just in the right place doing his best and giving [the] full equivalent of what he receives".
Plato's conception of justice is informed by his conviction that everything in nature is part of a hierarchy, and that nature is ideally a vast harmony, a cosmic symphony. According to Plato, a just person will do what is just in relation to others while simultaneously doing what is in their own interest. In other words, the just person's own good is realised in doing what is also good for others. This approach suggests that the just person has a value that motivates them to do what is just in relation to others, and this value is the just person's love of the forms. The just person's soul entails desires for certain kinds of objects, the most important of which is knowledge.
Socrates, a central figure in Plato's Republic, defines the virtues of an individual in relation to the tripartite soul. According to Socrates, a person is wise if they are ruled by the part of the soul that sees and knows "what is beneficial for each part and for the whole". Courageous people are those whose spirited part "preserves in the midst of pleasures and pains" the decisions reached by the rational part. Temperance is achieved when the three parts agree that the rational part leads. Justice, according to Socrates, is achieved when each part of the soul attends to its function and not the function of another.
In summary, the just person's desires and actions, according to Plato, are characterised by a love of knowledge and a desire to contemplate and imitate the forms. The just person's actions are motivated by values that promote the good of others, while also realising their own good. This balance between the individual and the community is a key aspect of Plato's theory of justice.
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Justice and ruling
Plato's theory of justice is centred on his work, 'The Republic', a Socratic dialogue authored around 375 BC. The text is a contribution to ethics, discussing the virtue of justice and why a person should be just. The dialogue sees Socrates ask a series of questions to various Athenians and foreigners, exploring the meaning of justice and whether a just man is happier than an unjust man.
Plato's theory of justice is different from the constitutional-legal understanding of justice. This is summed up in the following quotes from 'The Republic': "Justice is having and doing what is one’s own", and "A just man is a man just in the right place doing his best and giving full equivalent of what he receives". Plato's theory of justice is thus linked to the idea of 'doing what is right' and 'doing one's best', rather than simply following legal or constitutional norms.
Plato's concept of justice is also closely tied to his vision of an ideal state, or a "just city-state". He argues that a just individual and a just society are interconnected, and that to understand the nature of the state, one must first understand the nature of man. This is reflected in his belief that "like man, like state", meaning that the character of the state depends on the character of its citizens. In other words, the virtues of a just individual contribute to the virtues of a just society, and vice versa.
Plato's ideal state is ruled by a class of philosopher-kings, who represent reason and knowledge. He believed that only those with wisdom, who are satisfied with mediation and are always in search of truth, are fit to rule. This is because the interest of the ruler should lie in the interest of the people, and those who are driven by self-interest or the pursuit of power may not act in the best interests of the ruled.
In conclusion, Plato's theory of justice, as explored in 'The Republic', is concerned with the ethical dimensions of justice and how they relate to the individual and the state. His concept of justice goes beyond legal definitions and instead focuses on the intrinsic virtues of justice, such as doing what is right and acting in the best interests of others. Furthermore, Plato's ideal state, ruled by philosopher-kings, reflects his belief that a just society is dependent on just individuals, and that ruling is a responsibility that should be given to those with wisdom and a desire for truth.
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