Week 2 Recitation (Book 3 and 4)

Already reeling from Book One and Book Two, reading the third and fourth books of Plato's Republic was a completely new challenge. Perhaps the hardest task was delineating Plato's arguments from Socrates and seeing when was the author speaking through Socrates and when was the Socratic argument being documented.

Books 3 and 4 centers around natural justice. Glaucon And Tharsymachus used the story of Gyges Ring as well as the Sophistic arguments that justice was the perpetuation of natural aristocracy's doctrine over weaker people. The latter makes an argument that hierarchy is inherent in all types of governed societies. 

Socrates doesn't rebut these claims but tries to counteract these arguments with his own tale of justice as a natural inhibition arising from One Man's inherent craft and the environment (city) that he is formed in. He believes that aristocratic tyranny can be prevented if classes (Auxiliaries, Producers, Guardians) are rigidly formed and that the Guardians of the city are taught great morals, music, as well as gymnastics. Since man cannot service everything himself, he must rely on others. In order for others to trust each other, they must have a common Justice. And therefore, Justice cannot be taught and justice is not strong against the weak. Socrates believes we all have our place in natural justice, this has its own flaws.

While convincing, he doesn't actually answer Glaucon or Thrasymachus' questions directly or succinctly.