Socratic Justice

Term Paper # 99346

Literature > Greek and Roman
Philosophy > Ancient Greek
Philosophy > Metaphysics

Socratic Justice

An analysis of Socrates' views of justice as described by Plato, Xenophon, Aristophanes and Aristotle.

1,803 words () | 2 sources | MLA | 2007 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses Socrates' interest in logically establishing certain central, important truths, for example what constitutes justice, and what constitutes the good. To discuss Socrates' views, the paper analyzes dialogues and other writings of his pupil, Plato and writings by Xenophon, Aristophanes and Aristotle. It describes his notion of justice (or morality) as an ideal that could be timeless.

From the Paper:

"As we have seen, Socrates believed in a notion of justice (or morality) as an ideal that could be timeless. He believed that it consisted in balance and harmony, and most importantly in the triumph of truth and reason over passions and selfishness. This ideal of justice could be realized both in the individual person, and also in the state as a whole, or the polis. And although at the end Socrates chose to submit to ignorance, fear and procedural justice, there is no reason to suppose that he ever deviated from his quest for truth, or from his belief in justice as an ideal form of harmony and truth."

Sample of Sources Used:

Partenie, Catherine. Plato: Selected Myths. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004.
West, Thomas G. and Grace Starry West. 4 texts on Socrates. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 1984.