Glaucon Injustice In Plato's Republic
Glaucon the son of Ariston and the brother of Plato was an ancient Athenian who was known for writing about justice and injustice in Plato’s Republic. Glaucon in Republic tells the story of the ring of Gyge’s ancestor. His story starts out with a shepherd who is really morally good. The just man is given a ring that can make him invisible. A little bit like the Lord of the Rings. Once he has this ring the man can act unjustly with no fear of punishment. The shepherd uses the ring to seduce the queen, kill the king and take over the throne. Glaucon is getting the message across that laws do not equal justice. Even the most just man would behave unjustly if he had this ring. He would be a materialistic and power-hungry. Maybe most people
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would not be as unjust as the shepherd because he killed the king and took his wife but they would be unjust. The story basically states that a just man is being just because he fears what is going to happen to him after life. Glaucon is saying that if there were no fear in after life people would be unjust, people would rather be unjust then just and being just is so much harder then being unjust.
In the story of the ring of Gyge’s ancestors, Gaucon’s is right when he says the most just man would turn unjust if there were no motivation of fear. His argument is plausible because there are many examples of good people doing awful things. I also believe that some people are only good because they fear the punishment after life. If someone were given the power of being invisible, you would not be human if you didn’t abuse it a little bit. In Republic Glaucon says “No one believes justice to be a good when it is kept private, since, wherever either person thinks he can do injustice with impunity, he does it.” Glaucon is saying if both a just man and unjust men were given a ring they both would end up like the same because they are not being watched. Although some people may say that just person would use the invisibility for good. To that I say what is fun about that? People should pay attention at what Glaucon is trying to get across because the most just man could really be unjust deep down you do not really know.
Glaucon demonstrates that not only do people rather be unjust, but also that it is normal for them to do so. The perfectly unjust life, he argues, is more pleasant than the perfectly just life. In making this claim, he draws two detailed portraits of the just and unjust man. The completely unjust man, who does unjust actions, is honored and rewarded with wealth. The completely just man is rejected and miserable. Glaucon sounds like Drake when he says “Yolo” (you only live once). He is saying that yea you can be a morally just man, but what fun and what life would that be having to follow all the rules and being perfect. The Notorious B.I.G said, “It doesn’t make sense to go to heaven with the goodie- goodies dressed in white, I like black Timbs and black hoodies”. Biggie is saying why even try go to heaven when I can live a much easier, fun life and I do not have to deal with those people that are good all the time. Glaucon, Biggie Smalls and Drake are all saying very similar things just in a very different time. You could even say that Glaucon was like a modern rapper back in the day. More people should listen to Glaucon because he is right when he says the unjust life is more pleasant then the just life. The unjust man might be good because it suits his infamous ends to do so. He may love his family, and friends. For example, Walter White, Tony Soprano etc. But at the same time doesn’t care about doing right and only does what he wants. Also, the unjust man has many advantages in competitions. He has no qualms.
If you are the just man, you are courageous, loyal and a mensch.
But being the just man is so much harder then being the unjust man. The most just man has justice in his soul. But you cannot do all the fun and cool things that the unjust man can do. You also have to follow every rule and you cannot break one of them. Adiemantus the brother of Glaucon said, “no one praises justice for its own sake, but only for the rewards it allows you to reap in both life and afterlife.” As you can see Adiemantus and Glaucon both think that justice is only useful for the afterlife. Adiemantus is saying praise justice in itself not for its reputation. Glaucon says praise justice in itself not for its rewards. Justice is like currency and you can buy rewards in the afterlife. This is a plausible argument because why else be just? You could say because of their good soul they can feel good about their actions at the end of the day. Or as Socrates says the soul is a kind of a mental health. Socrates also says that justice is kind of a correct ordering of control amongst parts of the city/soul. That could be true but even with that your not totally confirmed that there is an afterlife. It is actually going for a risk being the just man and not going for a risk if you are going for the unjust
man.
Glaucon said “They say that to do injustice is, by nature, good; to suffer injustice, evil; but that the evil is greater than the good.” Doing injustice is naturally good. But to suffer from injustice is bad. Men make the laws and what they require is just. The people that are just are only just because they lack the power not to be. They follow the rules because they are scared of the consequences. They do not lack the power to break the rules. People could say that there is a social contract. Justice as a social contract would be an agreement between people to avoid being unjust to each other so they can avoid being the victims of other people's injustice. This basically means that everyone is being so unjust to each other and to the community that they make a contract so that people can avoid being the victim of the injustice. The argument is right because that would happen if everyone was so unjust to each other there would be a contract made and people would not be as unjust with each other.
I think it is important to work out if Glaucon is right or wrong because not only is it an interesting thing to learn about and it is important to know about just and unjust. It is good to be knowledgeable about the fact that being unjust is so much easier then being just. At the same time though we should know that we should be just not for the rewards but for itself. People should not be the just man just because of heaven afterlife. Like the shepherd who put on the ring, we all have that side to ourselves that is unjust. We just need to bottle it up and keep it in. Glaucon wants to be persuaded that justice is a virtue. He wants to think that it is valued for itself as much as for its consequences. He is playing "devil's advocate.”
Everyone should care of Glaucon’s point of view. Glaucon asks Socrates whether justice belongs in the class of good things we choose to have for themselves, like joy, or those we value for their consequences though they themselves are hard, like physical training, or the things we value for themselves and their consequences, like knowledge.
would not be as unjust as the shepherd because he killed the king and took his wife but they would be unjust. The story basically states that a just man is being just because he fears what is going to happen to him after life. Glaucon is saying that if there were no fear in after life people would be unjust, people would rather be unjust then just and being just is so much harder then being unjust.
In the story of the ring of Gyge’s ancestors, Gaucon’s is right when he says the most just man would turn unjust if there were no motivation of fear. His argument is plausible because there are many examples of good people doing awful things. I also believe that some people are only good because they fear the punishment after life. If someone were given the power of being invisible, you would not be human if you didn’t abuse it a little bit. In Republic Glaucon says “No one believes justice to be a good when it is kept private, since, wherever either person thinks he can do injustice with impunity, he does it.” Glaucon is saying if both a just man and unjust men were given a ring they both would end up like the same because they are not being watched. Although some people may say that just person would use the invisibility for good. To that I say what is fun about that? People should pay attention at what Glaucon is trying to get across because the most just man could really be unjust deep down you do not really know.
Glaucon demonstrates that not only do people rather be unjust, but also that it is normal for them to do so. The perfectly unjust life, he argues, is more pleasant than the perfectly just life. In making this claim, he draws two detailed portraits of the just and unjust man. The completely unjust man, who does unjust actions, is honored and rewarded with wealth. The completely just man is rejected and miserable. Glaucon sounds like Drake when he says “Yolo” (you only live once). He is saying that yea you can be a morally just man, but what fun and what life would that be having to follow all the rules and being perfect. The Notorious B.I.G said, “It doesn’t make sense to go to heaven with the goodie- goodies dressed in white, I like black Timbs and black hoodies”. Biggie is saying why even try go to heaven when I can live a much easier, fun life and I do not have to deal with those people that are good all the time. Glaucon, Biggie Smalls and Drake are all saying very similar things just in a very different time. You could even say that Glaucon was like a modern rapper back in the day. More people should listen to Glaucon because he is right when he says the unjust life is more pleasant then the just life. The unjust man might be good because it suits his infamous ends to do so. He may love his family, and friends. For example, Walter White, Tony Soprano etc. But at the same time doesn’t care about doing right and only does what he wants. Also, the unjust man has many advantages in competitions. He has no qualms.
If you are the just man, you are courageous, loyal and a mensch.
But being the just man is so much harder then being the unjust man. The most just man has justice in his soul. But you cannot do all the fun and cool things that the unjust man can do. You also have to follow every rule and you cannot break one of them. Adiemantus the brother of Glaucon said, “no one praises justice for its own sake, but only for the rewards it allows you to reap in both life and afterlife.” As you can see Adiemantus and Glaucon both think that justice is only useful for the afterlife. Adiemantus is saying praise justice in itself not for its reputation. Glaucon says praise justice in itself not for its rewards. Justice is like currency and you can buy rewards in the afterlife. This is a plausible argument because why else be just? You could say because of their good soul they can feel good about their actions at the end of the day. Or as Socrates says the soul is a kind of a mental health. Socrates also says that justice is kind of a correct ordering of control amongst parts of the city/soul. That could be true but even with that your not totally confirmed that there is an afterlife. It is actually going for a risk being the just man and not going for a risk if you are going for the unjust
man.
Glaucon said “They say that to do injustice is, by nature, good; to suffer injustice, evil; but that the evil is greater than the good.” Doing injustice is naturally good. But to suffer from injustice is bad. Men make the laws and what they require is just. The people that are just are only just because they lack the power not to be. They follow the rules because they are scared of the consequences. They do not lack the power to break the rules. People could say that there is a social contract. Justice as a social contract would be an agreement between people to avoid being unjust to each other so they can avoid being the victims of other people's injustice. This basically means that everyone is being so unjust to each other and to the community that they make a contract so that people can avoid being the victim of the injustice. The argument is right because that would happen if everyone was so unjust to each other there would be a contract made and people would not be as unjust with each other.
I think it is important to work out if Glaucon is right or wrong because not only is it an interesting thing to learn about and it is important to know about just and unjust. It is good to be knowledgeable about the fact that being unjust is so much easier then being just. At the same time though we should know that we should be just not for the rewards but for itself. People should not be the just man just because of heaven afterlife. Like the shepherd who put on the ring, we all have that side to ourselves that is unjust. We just need to bottle it up and keep it in. Glaucon wants to be persuaded that justice is a virtue. He wants to think that it is valued for itself as much as for its consequences. He is playing "devil's advocate.”
Everyone should care of Glaucon’s point of view. Glaucon asks Socrates whether justice belongs in the class of good things we choose to have for themselves, like joy, or those we value for their consequences though they themselves are hard, like physical training, or the things we value for themselves and their consequences, like knowledge.