Justice In The Republic

In The Republic, Plato discovers justice in the individual from the creation of a hypothetical city. The reader follows his desire to understand morality and the happiness the just man receives in comparison to the unjust man through the dynamic dialogue between Socrates and several other thoughtful men. Ultimately, Plato determines that being just is the most beneficial way to live. The era Plato lived in perceived justice as a burden on their shoulders. During Glaucon’s explanation of injustice, Plato inserts a myth that encapsulates the public’s opinion concerning equity. The tale of the ring of Gerges tells of a clever shepherd who upgraded his status in society by outsmarting the king and seducing the queen. The myth reeks of injustice
The working class is the lowest of the three classes. It contains the productive members of society and is the root of the desiring element. If uninhibited, it will become gluttonous and overwhelm itself with a multitude of impulses. Therefore, moderation is necessary for the soul and city to be just and happy. Next, the guardian class includes the warriors of the city. Their bravery and selflessness are unparalleled by any other class, making them the source of the spirited element. Plato compares the guardian class to the courageous component of the soul. This aspect of oneself allows the judgments of the rational element, found in the ruling class, to be put into swift action. Plato translates these characteristics of the soul into the individual by asserting that the just man will respect ethical behavior and not stray into lawlessness or shrivel in cowardliness and fear of death. Lastly, the ruling class of the city is composed of philosopher-kings and possesses the power of the rational element. These sophisticated members of society are trained rigorously, receiving an education above that of the guardian class. These intensive courses are meant to compel the soul to turn its entire body towards enlightenment. The idea, Plato conjectures, is that the rulers will be able to utilize their education to see good itself, or referred to otherwise as the Form of the Good.
According to Adeimantus and Glaucon, the vast majority of the population views justice as a necessary burden that is abused for the prestige it brings with it. In other words, it is much more favorable to be secretly unjust. Plato’s intention is to defend justice by comparing the happiness of the perfectly just individual to the perfectly unjust individual. However, the group encounters difficulty while attempting to conjure up the just individual and decides that if they look for justice on a larger scale, the city, they can narrow it down to justice in the individual. By creating the most perfectly just city they can, Socrates and the rest of the group can determine if the leader and members of a just city are truly happier than the leader and members of an unjust