Socrates believes that
self-mastery is the definition of justice. He and Glaucon agree that a man is
just when the parts of his soul (the thumos, epithumos, and logos) are in natural
accordance with each other. Self-mastery is the outcome of the balance of these
parts because the thumos will give him ambitious qualities, the epithumos brave
qualities, and the logos discretionary qualities.
“
[The just man] doesn’t let each part in him mind other people’s business or the
three classes in the soul meddle with eacho other, but really sets his own
house in good order and rules himself; he arranges himself, becomes his own
friend, and harmonized the three parts, exactly like three notes in a harmonic
scale, lowest, highest and middle… In all these actions he believes and names a
just and fine action one that preserves and helps to produce this condition,”
(443d)
The
city is the product of its inhabitants, so the city is just when the citizens are
just.
“I suppose we’ll say
that a man is just in the same manner that a city too was just… The one within
whom each of the parts minds its own business will be just and mind his own
business… Moreover, we surely haven’t forgotten that this city was just because
each of the three classes in it minds its own business.” (441d)
The city’s classes (economic, military, and
governing) are in accordance with nature because the individuals who make up the
classes are content to perform their prospective duties and not meddle in the affairs
of the other classes. The people maintain this acceptance because the parts of
their souls are in proper balance, allowing for individual self-mastery, which
demonstrates the way in which the justice of the city reflects the justice of
its people.
An individual’s soul
becomes unjust if he loses control of one of the parts, and the injustice of
his soul will manifest itself in his actions, causing him to be self-indulgent,
cowardly, or unwise. The tyrant, originally an oligarchic man who viewed
reservation and indulgence with equanimity, falls victim to an unchecked
thumos, which is enlarged by “enchanters” who instill in him an overpowering
love of freedom and “other desires – overflowing with incense, myrrh, crowns,
wines and all the pleasures with which such societies are rife,” (573a)
I see what you are saying about the correlation between individual justice and the justice of a city. There are three basic components, the thumos, epithumos, and logos, and these three apply respectively to the justice of both individuals and cities. If the three components are in balance then that human, or city depending on which example you use, is just.
ReplyDeleteHowever do you believe that they depend on one another? That if every individual found balance there would be no need for the city to find balance too? And conversely, if the city had perfect balance in its thumos, epithumos, and logos, would its citizens need to find that balance within themselves as well, or would this be inherently true because the city they live in is already in perfect balance?
How many citizens would have to be unjust to affect the city at large, thus turning the city itself unjust?
What happened here group? Why didn't Hally comment or question? Where is the electronic conversation? Please do better for next time!
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