Plato’s theory of justice

• In this theory tries to answer questions like what is justice, whether or

not it is desirable virtue for people and states.
• For Plato justice is a moral concept. It is the bond which joins men
together in the states. Not legal or judicial concept. Justice is the
greatest good that people can attain as individuals and as members of
a larger political community
Features of Plato's justice
• (i) Justice is another name of righteousness.
• (ii) It is more the performance of duties than the enjoyment of rights.
• (iii) It is individual's contribution to the society in accordance with his
abilities, capacities and capabilities.
• (iv) It is a social morality; man's obligation.
• (v) It is the strength of the social fabric as it involves a web of social
system.
• To better understand what is justice we need to understand what is
not justice
• Cephalus answers that justice is simply telling the truth and paying
back one's debts. (A mad persons)
• Cephalus's son, Polemarchus, then suggests that justice is giving
every man his due, which he takes to mean harming your enemies as
well as helping your friend. Socrates responds by pointing out that
hurting a person makes that person worse, or "less excellent
• According to Thrasymachus (a sophist teacher of rhetoric)-and here
the discussion becomes political-what is " 'just' or 'right' means
nothing but what is to the interest of the stronger party. Injustice is
better than justice
• Is it not true, asks Socrates, that those in power make mistakes? And if the
powerful mistakenly make laws that are harmful to themselves, will they not in the
process violate the principle that the exercise of their power is to their own self-
interest.
• Socrates demonstrates that political knowledge has to do with the public interest,
not with the interest of the politician.
• Thrasymachus: It is to one 's own interest not to be just. Eg herdsman and his
cattle
• The question before us is whether or not justice is intrinsically superior to injustice
and, therefore, whether or not human beings ought to be just. Plato suggests that
it would be easier to look first at justice in the state, then at justice in the
individual.
• Now the question before hand is whether justice is superior to injustice and,
therefore, whether or not human beings ought to be just.
• Plato begins his discussion of justice in the state by arguing that the state is natural
because no one is self-sufficient. The state, says Plato, is simply the man writ large. As
a result a just individual and just state have a close relationship.
• The state becomes self-sufficient by maintaining an appropriate division of labor.
• State constitutes three classes: ruling class (reason dominates), auxiliary class
(courage dominates), producer or artisan class (desire dominates). A just state is one
in which there is a harmony between the three classes.
• The most important aspect of this division is that each class is required to be
conscious of this and accept it in principle. The artisan class must understand their
role and should not look to control power in order to perform their function.
• The division of labor, in short, is a division of virtues, and those who
have a superior role in the division of labor are, in Plato's ideal
society, those who have a superior degree of virtues
• Thus, justice is the virtue of virtues-it is the virtue of maintaining the
proper relationship among wisdom, courage, and temperance.
Injustice is rule by non-philosophers, which means the appropriate
ordering of classes and virtues has broken down
• Human nature made up of three elements: reason, courage, appetite
(desire). A just individual is one in whom the three are in harmony.
(private justice)
• LIMITATIONS
• Not a juristic definition of justice
• Cannot be applied to modern nation states
• It develops only 1/3 of individual’s personality
• Monopoly of power in the hands of one class.
• It ignores the essentials of human psychology
• It leads to totalitarianism
• It is a class state
Plato on education
• For Plato, social education is a means to social justice. Education has been an
instrument for moral reforms. It is the most important thing in maintaining the
rule of philosophers. education is a path of social righteousness, and not of social
success;
• It is an attempt to cure a mental malady by a mental medicine. The future rulers
come to realize that the desire for power and pleasure is not the basis of political
or individual happiness
• It is important in so far as it 'provides a basis for the ideal state designed to
achieve justice
• Following his teacher, Socrates, Plato had a belief in the dictum that Virtue is
knowledge and for making people virtuous, he made education a very powerful
instrument.
• Advocates censorship of poetry and particularly that of great epic
poet Homer. It appeals to emotions
• Education is not a private enterprise for Plato
• Some assumptions
• soul, being initiative and active, throws up, through education, the
best things that are Iatent in it.
• education moulds the character of the growing young
• education helps people earn a living and also helps them to become
better human beings
• Plato does not want to make education a commercial enterprise, state
controlled system of compulsory education, the education supplied is
consonant with the harmony and well-being of the state.
• His educational scheme falls naturally into parts,
• the elementary education; 6 to 20 years training in gymnastic and
music, for all three clases
• military service; 20-35 years, emphasis upon developing courage
among the two classes (auxiliary and ruling class)
• the higher education; 35-50, teaching of mathematics, astronomy and
logic. Main emphasis upon training in dialectics. It is trough this
method the future philosopher will realize the ultimate good (sun). It
is responsible for maintaining order and harmony in cosmos.
• Only very few would be able to comprehend the ultimate good. They
would thus become true philosophers and are to made rulers as they
only know how to have order and harmony in the society.
• This is Plato’s ideal state, rule by philosopher king.
• As change in the appearances is the norm in physical so would be the
case with Plato's ideal state. It degenerates: Timocracy, oligarchy,
democracy, despot
• . There will be corresponding degeneration in individual virtues.
• Overall it can be said that plato’s scheme of education was not
democratic as producing class was excluded from higher education.