Many times when reading philosophical writings, the message is not always straight forward or clear. Philosophers in many cases have complex justifications for their thought, which can at times seem ironic or contradictory. Only by having a deep understanding of these kinds of writings, can readers truly understand why tension is presented. By understanding this tension, the esoteric meaning and message these works attempt to send to the audience can be deeply understood. One such writing which requires deep analysis in order to have such esoteric understanding is The Republic by Plato. One of the overarching, and perhaps most important, points Plato attempts to prove is the good justice brings to a society and to an individual. Plato presents a contradictory and oversimplified definition of justice, and does so because he is trying to appeal to the majority of the population which is not enlightened. Plato's message in doing so is in order to truly comprehend justice, it must first be understood on a basic level before it can be truly understood as an overarching concept. By analyzing the contradiction itself, the allegory of the cave, the structure Plato defines for a just individual, , and the overall mission of a philosopher, it becomes clear as to why Plato presents justice and its justification in the manner which he does. .
Plato presents a contradiction within his argument to rationalize justice, but by analyzing this tension it becomes clear that he does so because his audience is not enlightened. To a true philosopher, the truth to justice should be worthwhile in and of itself because it produces the greatest good. Educating people to produce the greatest good of the just city and the just individual is Plato's ultimate goal, and does so by proving that justice is good and worthwhile. In order to have a truly just city, it must be enlightened of this. Unless "the philosophers rule as kings or those now called kings and chiefs genuinely and adequately philosophize, and political power and philosophy coincides in the same place.
