... who are entitled to the nurture, guidance, and education that he could provide by staying alive and doing what is within his power for their fortune. (Plato: Cerrito 54) In regards to Critos reasoning, Socrates does not agree with him and sets forth his reasons for holding that one is bound to enact to ... unto him, he has accepted the laws and regulations and to abide by the decisions of courts, regardless of what those decisions might be. (Plato: Crito 54-56) Plato's argument is even more dictatorial: he states that we have an obligation, for the good of our soul; to obey unjust laws a...

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• Grade Level: High School

... is hard. But in Martin Luther King case, it seemed a breeze. Martin Luther King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" was influenced by Plato's "The Myth of the Cave" in so many ways. Plato talks about living in an underground den, chained against the walls, couldn't do anything about it. Some being there since childhood. Letter ... in, especially Dr. Martin Luther King. He was arrested for believing in non-segregation, freedom of speech, and blacks/whites having the same rights. Like Plato, Martin Luther King talks about using your knowledge as good or evil. But in King's Letter from Birmingh...

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• Grade Level: High School

... adhere to social standards, or pursue his or her convinced conscience? Each of these situations surface in the works of two ancient Greek writers. In Plato's Apology and Crito, through critical reasoning, Socrates acknowledges the word of the law. In contrast, Sophocles" play Antigone makes the point that justice ... obligations, to Socrates, take priority over ethical obligations. On the contrary, in Antigone, Sophocles portrays an opposite view on law and justice, than that of Plato and Socrates. In the play, King Creon makes a decree prohibiting the burial of Polynices. Creon's mentali...

• Word Count: 1064
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• Grade Level: High School

To be Just or Unjust? Throughout Book II of the Plato's Republic, Glaucon is extremely infatuated about understanding the exact meaning of justice; this is important because through courage, Glaucon will go on endlessly about how highly he speaks of injustice, ... their lives. Although the unjust receives reputation right away, the benefits for the just person are more beneficial for having a healthy conscience in the long run. Footnotes 1G.M.A Grube, C.D.C Reeve, Plato Republic, (Hackett Publishing Company Inc., 1992), 34-35. 2 Grube 20 3 Grube 35-36 4 Grube 36-37 5 Grube 36 6 Grube 37 7...

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... to Obtain the Good Life Plato describes ethical maxims through stories, parables, and examples in the Republic. The people that are used as examples throughout the Republic are segregated into three groups: gold, which are the ... out the leader's decisions through its courage (442-B)? Following the leader, fighting by spirit, carrying out the decisions made by the leader, all lead to a successful city and a good life. Plato tells through ten books of the Republic, what the maxims are in each class to living the good life. All the classes come together in some way which creates harmony...

• Word Count: 628
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• Grade Level: High School

... to Obtain the Good Life Plato describes ethical maxims through stories, parables, and examples in the Republic. The people that are used as examples throughout the Republic are segregated into three groups: gold, which are the ... out the leader's decisions through its courage (442-B)? Following the leader, fighting by spirit, carrying out the decisions made by the leader, all lead to a successful city and a good life. Plato tells through ten books of the Republic, what the maxims are in each class to living the good life. All the classes come together in some way which creates harmony...

• Word Count: 592
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• Grade Level: High School

... to Obtain the Good Life Plato describes ethical maxims through stories, parables, and examples in the Republic. The people that are used as examples throughout the Republic are segregated into three groups: gold, which are the ... out the leader's decisions through its courage (442-B)? Following the leader, fighting by spirit, carrying out the decisions made by the leader, all lead to a successful city and a good life. Plato tells through ten books of the Republic, what the maxims are in each class to living the good life. All the classes come together in some way which creates harmony...

• Word Count: 592
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• Grade Level: High School

... not help but to think back on two people that so long ago have reasoned and imagine political theories that are still in use today. Plato and Aristotle are considered to be "Founding Fathers" of modern political theories. I armed myself with Hacker Andrew's Political Theory: Philosophy, Ideology, Science: ... Aristotle suggested, in his work, The Politics, that the society itself should reach for the best possible system that could be attained (Hacker 71). Plato relied on the deductive approach, while Aristotle is an example of an inductive approach (Hacker 71). Utopia is a solution in ...

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... reader can see many conflicts in ideas such as the idea between Thrasymachus and Hume on Justice. Thrasymachus believes that justice is simply the advantage of the stronger, ruling class. (Plato 14) Hume on the other hand believes that justice is significant for its usefulness. For example, if there were a society where everyone was an equal and there was an abundance ... the ruling class be given an excess of the things they need. This would leave little or none for the lesser people so the justice is not useful to them. (Plato 15) On the other hand if Hume's ideas were applied and jus...

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... Rousseau, who each argued for a slightly different version of the Social Contract Theory, largely popularized the idea. However, Socrates first introduced the idea in Plato's dialogue the Crito, sections 50a-54d. The Social Contract Theory basically states that every citizen of a state is said to implicitly agree to a ... with the theory or not. "The only passage I meet with in antiquity where the obligation of obedience is ascribed to a promise is in Plato's Crito, where Socrates refuses to escape from prison because he had tacitly promised to obey the laws." (Hume, 1748) Philosophers ...

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... the will of the people can be disobeyed when unjust, however in the second incident, he argues that the law should not be broken at any cost. Plato uses these scenarios to argue that Socrates is inconsistent in this matter. Upon a closer look, however, there is an explanation or deeper meaning to Socrates" ... Apology, "is that God only is wise; and by his answer he intends to show that the wisdom of men is worth little or nothing. (Plato p8)." At first, Socrates doesn't perceive of himself as being incredibly wise, but also realizes that most of the people who were considered to be the ...

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Virtu Like most Western philosophers, Niccolo Machiavelli's ideas were heavily influenced by the early Greek philosophers. Most notable among the Greek philosophers who inspired Machiavelli was Plato. In particular, Machiavelli took interest in Plato's concept of just rulers who ruled by moral virtue. Machiavelli argued against this Platonic philosophy. He believed in "virtu", whatever was best for the State was virtu. This is ... its citizens from attacks by other states. The ruler, therefore, is justified in doing whatever is necessary to maintain the country, even if it is unjust. On the o...

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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Aristotle was a philosopher who lived from 384 B.C. to 322 B.C. He spent twenty years studying and working at Plato's Academy. Plato was an influential philosopher and scholar that made a tremendous impact on Aristotle. Many of Plato's ideologies were presented in Aristotle's works. Aristotle demonstrated his political views in The Politics and The Nicomachean Ethics. Aristotle stated, "Every state is a community of some kind, and every ... ...

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... questions. He, as always, has a complex with what is just and unjust. The major theme of most of Socrates" work deals with this matter, and Plato, being a student of Socrates, pondered the same issue. In Crito Plato presents the community or city as the supreme law. Everyone must consider their behavior in relations to the community. The city of Athens had their ... ...

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... the concept of justice. Three ancient thinkers helped articulate concepts of justice that form the basis for much of western thought and catholic social teaching. These are Socrates (470BC-399BC), Plato (427BC-348BC) and Aristotle (384BC-322BC). Socrates was a teacher and philosopher who lived in Athens between 470 BC and 399 BC. Socrates wrote nothing. His method of teaching was to ... of the young and sentenced to die. He chose death by drinking hemlock. Most of what we know about Socrates and his ideas of justice we learn through his student, Plato. Plato, who lived from around 427 B...

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... they gave him the decision of banishment or death. " You made a noble show of indifference if you had to die, and in fact preferred death, as you said to banishment- (Plato 851). As you can see he chose to stay and die a noble countryman. He never went into other parts of different states either unless his government urged him to do ... their final say and abiding by their final decision on this matter. " It is never right to do wrong or return a wrong or defend one's self against injury or retaliation-(Plato 848). Socrates believes that you should never return a wrong doing that Someon...

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... the concept of justice. Three ancient thinkers helped articulate concepts of justice that form the basis for much of western thought and catholic social teaching. These are Socrates (470BC-399BC), Plato (427BC-348BC) and Aristotle (384BC-322BC). Socrates was a teacher and philosopher who lived in Athens between 470 BC and 399 BC. Socrates wrote nothing. His method of teaching was to ... of the young and sentenced to die. He chose death by drinking hemlock. Most of what we know about Socrates and his ideas of justice we learn through his student, Plato....

• Word Count: 373
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... indicates: Outline of the Politics Questions in Nicomachean Ethics X.9.1181b17-24 Book I: types of communities: the city, the household; household management Book II: critical survey of proposed and actual constitutions: Plato (Republic, Laws), Hippodamus, Sparta, Crete, Carthage, various legislators "First, then, let us try to review any sound remarks our predecessors have made on particular topics." Book III.1-13: city and ... , or any peoples related by treaty would form a single city; in this way, Aristotle rejects the minimalist conception of the function of a city described by Glau...

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Socrates", Martin Luther King, and Malcolm X's Positions on Law After reading Plato's Crito, Martin Luther King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail", and Malcolm X's "The Bullet or the Ballot", it is clear that all three of these men were attracted to the natural conception ... unjust law is not really a law. However, it is also clear that Socrates had a contrasting different view on a citizen's obligation to obey the law. The Crito is a dialogue, written by Plato, that takes place in Socrates" prison cell where he awaits execution. In this dialogue, Socrates" good friend, Crito, presents several...

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... influence those laws. Aristotle believes the study of politics is the study of a whole way of life of people. I must acknowledge agreeing with this view. Aristotle was a promising student of Plato's but disagreed with some of his works on the Republic. Aristotle's criticism of the Republic is not fair because he fails to realize ... Plato's attempt to achieve perfect justice in a city. Aristotle believes that diversity within the city is necessary in order to obtain self-sufficiency because diversity provides the means for a diversion of ... ...

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... this very question is put forth as contentious. Plato disputes this question by using a method dialectic - the asking and answering of questions which lead the listener from one point to another, supposedly with irrefutable logic by obtaining agreement to ... ...

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... is why man named these rules - laws. For our society to progress we must follow rules to act like civilized people. Who governs us? If we go back to Plato's Republic, to paraphrase Plato, he stated that each individual in a republic has a job to perform, a duty. So we elect in a democracy a person to govern us and protect our rights. How is this ... ...

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... between law and morality with respect to the following: the death penalty; the insanity defense (M'Naghten vs. Durham rule); Perry's reckoning with organised religion. Is the law based on morality? Plato said that morality stems from Natural Law - this existed in prehistoric times and included unspoken agreements such as "I won't kill you, and you won't kill me," or "I'll help you ... ...

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... there is more social justice then there is more democracy and vice-versa. There are many theories for social justice and many different view points that are discussed throughout history. Plato believed in Classical Conservation, that justice in our society has a "natural order" of things and in his book, The Republic, he goes into detail about how just like ... ...

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... our own needs above others'. It is obvious that humans shouldn't have the right to commit these acts just because we have natural rights, the right to freedom". According to Plato's Crito, "Whatever the popular view is, and whether the alternative is pleasanter than the present one or even harder to bear, the fact remains that to do wrong is in ... ...

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• Grade Level: Undergraduate