Socrates Virtuous Soul Analysis - 1234 Words

This philosophy study will argue against Socrates’ â€Å"virtuous soul† as the motivation for just acts in The Republic. Socrates’ argument for the â€Å"balanced soul† as a motivation for just acts is defined in relation to the contrasting arguments of his contemporaries, such as Thrasymachus, Glaucon, and Adeimantus. This ideological view of the â€Å"virtuous soul† does not provide a practical explanation for the motivation of a â€Å"just act† in a hierarchical society. The argument of Thrasymachus defines justice as being the advantage of the stronger, which defines the motivation for a just act that only applies to those that can practice and/or enforce justice in society. Glaucon through the â€Å"Ring of Gyges† allegory also defines the†¦show more content†¦This argument defines the motivation of human life, which always struggles to find justice in a hierarchically structured society. In contrast to Thrasymachus, Socr ates argues that it is the virtue of the soul that provides the motivation for committing a just act, which should be the primary casual reason for justice in human society. Socrates’ argument that the psychic health of the soul is defined as being part of the virtue of wisdom, which prevents the unjust man from committing an unjust act. This description of the soul is part of the countermand to Thrasymachus’ remarks about the advantage of the social framework of the â€Å"strong† and the †weak, which Socrates replies by arguing for the wisdom of virtue as a the balancing motivation for justice: â€Å"But it is evident that there must have been some remnant of justice in them [the unjust individual]† Plato 22). This argument, however, only shows the causality of the soul as a virtue, as it does not provide a bridge to the actions of human beings in the real world. In this manner, Glaucon provides a more effective argument against the fallacies of So crates, which define the societal motivations of punishment and reward that are part of the larger problem of self-serving legal benefits that only benefit the stronger. Glaucon’s argument defines the allegory of the Ring ofR, which allows an individual to become invisible and all-powerful. This story tells of the shepherd that would overthrow a powerful queenShow MoreRelatedPlatos Views on Life after Death1388 Words   |  6 Pagesof the soul. Plat always viewed the soul as an entity that was distinct from the physical body. Moreover, while the physical body was destined to die, the soul was enduring, interminable, and destined to go on somewhere in some state of being. In just what sort of way the soul would endure was a matter of question, in which at various points in his career as a writer Plato offered different accounts. 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