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    Plato's View On Justice

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    Palak Toor
    Plato viewed justice as each person fulfilling their designated role in society for the harmonious functioning of the whole. He rejected pre-existing theories that justice meant might makes right or was a social construct. Instead, Plato believed justice resided in the soul and involved wisdom, courage, and temperance working together. Individual justice meant the rational, spirited, and appetitive parts performing their own roles, while social justice meant classes like rulers, soldiers, and workers doing the same. Though criticized as impractical and restricting individual development, Plato's theory established justice as a moral virtue essential for an ideal state.

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    Plato's View On Justice

    Uploaded by

    Palak Toor
    49 views15 pages
    Plato viewed justice as each person fulfilling their designated role in society for the harmonious functioning of the whole. He rejected pre-existing theories that justice meant might makes right or was a social construct. Instead, Plato believed justice resided in the soul and involved wisdom, courage, and temperance working together. Individual justice meant the rational, spirited, and appetitive parts performing their own roles, while social justice meant classes like rulers, soldiers, and workers doing the same. Though criticized as impractical and restricting individual development, Plato's theory established justice as a moral virtue essential for an ideal state.

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    Plato’s View on Justice

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    Plato viewed justice as each person fulfilling their designated role in society for the harmonious functioning of the whole. He rejected pre-existing theories that justice meant might makes right or was a social construct. Instead, Plato believed justice resided in the soul and involved wisdom, courage, and temperance working together. Individual justice meant the rational, spirited, and appetitive parts performing their own roles, while social justice meant classes like rulers, soldiers, and workers doing the same. Though criticized as impractical and restricting individual development, Plato's theory established justice as a moral virtue essential for an ideal state.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    49 views15 pages

    Plato's View On Justice

    Uploaded by

    Palak Toor
    Plato viewed justice as each person fulfilling their designated role in society for the harmonious functioning of the whole. He rejected pre-existing theories that justice meant might makes right or was a social construct. Instead, Plato believed justice resided in the soul and involved wisdom, courage, and temperance working together. Individual justice meant the rational, spirited, and appetitive parts performing their own roles, while social justice meant classes like rulers, soldiers, and workers doing the same. Though criticized as impractical and restricting individual development, Plato's theory established justice as a moral virtue essential for an ideal state.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 15

    Plato’s view

    on justice
    427 B.C – 347 B.C

    BY:MANISH YADAV

    A SS IS TA NT P ROF.

    DEPAR TM ENT OF LA W, M M (DU), M ULLA NA .


    “Injustice anywhere is a threat to
    Justice everywhere”

    - MARTIN LUTHER KING


    What is Justice ?
    *Fair,virtous and moral act or arrangement.

    *Giving each person his due –fair share to all. * Dharma- Moral DutyS

    *Justice implies something which it is not only right to do and wrong not to do.

    *sources- Religion, historical tradition/customs, natural law, reason and rationality

    .*Plato- Fundamental Virtues: Wisdom, justice ,temperance, courage.

    •Aristotle-Equality, proportionality, maintenance of equilibrium.

    •*Rawls- Justice as fairness. *Nozick-Justice as Entitlement. * Sen- Making people capable to


    live life of dignity and fulfilments

    3
    introduction
    Plato was born in Athens in 427 BC . He was a great political thinker . He belonged to an
    aristocratic famous family of Athens . He was born in the family of rulers. Plato was a disciple
    of Socrates. The death of Socrates changed his attitude towards politics. Socrates was
    hanged because he used to criticize prevailing corruption . He was killed by the rulers of
    Athens .Due to this Plato lost confidence and respect for democracy. Instead of becoming
    member of ruling party he decided to do writing . His most popular book was ‘’The
    Republic’’. The concept of justice occupies the most important part of Plato Republic. Plato
    regarded justice as true principle of social life. The Republic , therefore is called a ‘’treatise
    concerning justice’’.

    4
    Famous Works of Plato
    • Republic

    • Apology

    • Crito

    • Euthyphro

    • Meno

    • Parmenides

    • Phaedo

    • Phaedrus

    • Symposium

    • Statesman

    • The Laws

    5
    Pre- platonic theories of
    justice

    The Traditional
    The Radical theory Pragmatic theory of
    theory of Cephalous
    of Justice Justice
    and Polemarchus.

    6
    THE TRADITIONAL THEORY OF
    JUSTICE
    ▪According to Cephalous’’ justice is speaking the truth and repaying what one has borrowed’’.
    According to Polymarchus , Cephalous’s son ‘’Justice is to give everyone’s due’’. It was considered that
    good is done to friends and harm to the enemies.

    ▪Plato rejected traditional theory of justice.


    ▪Plato’s opinion was that in some condition speaking truth and repaying debt is injustice while telling
    the truth revealing the secrets of military is injustice.
    ▪A normal man who keeps his weapons with someone and get back when he becomes insane , so to
    return his weapons will not be justice.

    7
    The radical theory of justice
    ▪This theory was linked to Sophists and produced by Thrasymachus

    ▪According to Thyrasymachus “Justice is nothing else than the interest of the stronger’’ . ’It is might
    is right.

    ▪When the Government is stronger, it makes laws for the suitability of the rulers and Justice for the
    people, seeking the interest of the ruler rather than following their own interests.

    ▪Plato rejected this Radical theory of Justice.

    ▪He criticized this theory, That Justice does not mean the survival of the fittest or might is right ,
    but it is to remove the defects and evils in the society. As a good teacher removes the bad
    qualities of his students and promote his good qualities.

    8
    The pragmatic theory of justice
    ▪According to Glaucon ‘’ Justice is the child of fear. It is the need of weak who constitute the
    majority of society.

    ▪Glaucon stated that justice is an artificial thing, a product of social agreement.

    ▪Plato criticized this theory also.

    ▪According to Plato justice resides in human soul. He says justice do not depend upon chance or
    external force.

    ▪Justice is something natural and not artificial.

    9
    Plato’s theory of justice
    Plato attached great importance to the concept of justice. He believed that a proper justice could
    remove all the ills of a state. He believed that justice resided both in individual as well as society.
    “Justice is a quality. In similar word the meaning of Justice is to discharge one’s duties honestly
    and not to interference other’s actions.
    Plato says every person is represented by three qualities. 1. wisdom 2. courage 3. appetite
    According to him society is divided into 3 classes rulers, soldiers , peasants and labour.
    In which rulers represents wisdom ,soldiers represents courage and peasants represents
    appetite.
    In which appetite is lower class and wisdom is highest virtue.

    10
    11
    Plato’s PriNciPle of justice
    ▪That none should Interfere in the affairs of others.

    ▪A functional specialization should be established in the society.

    ▪Justice should harmonies Wisdom, Courage and Appetite.

    ▪There are two types of Justice individual and social.

    ▪His concept of Justice is not legal but moral/universal.

    ▪There is a close relationship between Justice and Ideal state.

    12
    CRITICISM OF PLATONIC THEORY OF
    JUSTICE
    ▪It is based more on morality and less on laws.
    ▪The concept of justice is not practicable in modern states.
    ▪It is against the personality development of an individual as it develops only one faculty of
    mind of a person. Like the person of producing class cannot join ruling class even if he has
    interest.
    ▪Hostility and clashes between classes.
    ▪It is also against democracy as absolute power will be in hands of ruling class.
    ▪According to George Grote, Plato has confined life of guardian class so much that they
    cannot enjoy life or happiness

    13
    imPortaNce of Plato’s theory
    of Justice
    ▪It is based on Morality

    ▪Uniformity in the interest of Individual and Society

    ▪Provision for a systematic Education system

    ▪Establishment of Separation of Power

    ▪Justice is an important part of Idea state

    ▪A.N. Whitehead said-” The safest general characterization of European philosophical tradition is
    that it consist of series of footnotes to Plato.”

    14
    Thank You

    15

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