Justice is the Most Important Component - Essay Example

‘In describing the four types of constitution he specified them in this order – first, there is the constitution praised by most people, namely, the Cretan or Laconian. “(4)(544 c) the second was an oligarchy, the third democracy and the last one was genuine tyranny. In trying to weigh the happiness or wretchedness of people within a certain government one could investigate the justice or injustice that is practiced. (545 a pg. 215) he goes on to explain that nothing is permanent be it a city, the government or a constitution – everything has to face dissolution and decay.

(546 a, pg 216)Plato explains that both plants and animals have gestation periods that are fixed and represented by circles and says that if a seed is sowed during the fertile part of the cycle, it grows well to maturity; but unfortunately, if it is sown during the barren period of the cycle, it either does not germinate at all, or it becomes an inferior crop. (pg. 216, 8) The same thing is applied to humans. In ignorance of the above fact, if humans join their brides or grooms during the wrong period, their offspring would not be good-natured unfortunate.

(545d, pg 217) Therefore rulers chosen from among such descendants would be inferior and would not be good rulers. Whenever they go there would be inequality, disharmony, hostility, and war. (547a, pg. 217)