Philosophy - Plato - Essay Example

Its democracy was on its knees. There was rampant political selfishness in the great City and this greatly angered Plato. He saw justice as the only true remedy to all of the city’s and the entire country’s problems Self satisfaction was rampant owing to the popularity of the Sophistic teachings that dwelled on self satisfaction that turned the society into largely individualistic people. Most people were running for public offices to achieve their own selfish gains and this eventually divided the city into two groups of the haves and the have nots.

The culture of individualism became his main target for attacks in his works.Cephalus established the traditional theory of justice. He viewed justice as speaking the truth and paying one’s debt. He viewed justice as identifying with the right conduct. According to Polemarchus, justice consists in giving what is proper to him. He viewed it simply as doing good to friends and harm to enemies. These two views were criticized to great lengths by Plato. He criticized Cephalus’ theory with the view that there may be cases in which his preferred formula may violate the spirit of right; hence it cannot be taken as a sound universal life principal.

He poked holes in Polemarchus’ theory by asking hoe this could be applied in a case whereby the friend is only a friend in seeming but in reality was an enemy. He wondered what would happen in this scenario. He concluded that if justice is determined by the relations between two individuals it promoted individualistic principles and ignores the rest of the society. In the allegory of the cave, Plato proposes a group of prisoners that have been bound in the cave all their lives only being able to see the cave walls.

The only light is from a fire at the top of the cave. A path runs above and behind them separating them from the fire. People passing by the path have their shadows cast onto the wall viewed by the