Adeimantus And Justice Chapter 2 Summary

Further on in chapter 2 it discusses that Adeimantus is playing the devil's advocate just like his brother, by stating the reasons why injustice so often appears to be better than justice. He brings up the following points: that the children are poorly taught by parents and educators and also they are poorly represented in poetry and literature. It is said that justice is poorly taught by the parents because even though they tell their children to be just, they defend it only in terms of the good things. Also justice is poorly represented in literature because poets are always complaining about the problems and tribulations of living a just and virtuous life. While on the other hand they are also telling stories about villains who do well and end up unpunished. In fact, many poets even represent the gods themselves
as indifferent to justice; all they seem to care about are some good sacrifices. Socrates thinks what is causing the problem is that justice has only been looked in terms of an individual and not a city.
He then comes up with a solution "If we should watch a city coming into being in speech,” I said, “would we also see its justice coming into being, and its injustice?" (369a). They are going to attempt to make their own city, one with a farmer, builder, weaver, and so on. It is here were we see Socrates Adeimantus where justice fits into the city. He replies that it will come when the people interact and start to relate to one another. The men start to paint a picture of how the city will run. They say as the city begins to flourish more and more people begin to come. As more people are coming to the city it is becoming to crowded ,because of overpopulation the city will need to expand, and just how will they get this land? They will cease the land by force with the army they have now added to their city. The the men come up with the most important question who will make the laws and rule the city. Socrates says the guardians will rule. With this ruling they come up with many different attributes that the guardians must
have. Socrates then goes on to tell about the education system that he wants to provide for the children. He wants to band the myths that mothers tell to their children because in all stories the gods are seen as doing something that is not noble. Socrates fears that the children will become scared if the gods are viewed as sneaky and always hiding. This leads us into book 3. In the beginning of book 3 Socrates and the others describe what kind of citizens they want to live in this city. They want brave citizens ones that do not fear death, and this means that any poetry describing death in a negative manor must be eliminated. If death is looked as honorable then a wise man would not grieve over a person who has passed away. In addition, Socrates wants to eliminate grieving because it makes the people look weak. Next Socrates turns his attention to the topic of lying. Lying should only be acceptable if it benefits the city. In addition to this it is also written that he does not want to youth to be fond of money because it can only lead to corruption. Socrates wants to eliminate many things from the city such as the following: money, lying if it doesn’t benefit the city, and stories that show the gods doing wrong deeds.