![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Most of these dialogues have Socrates asking, ‘What is _ ?’ where an important notion like justice, knowledge, or courage fills in the blank. It is often thought that Book I of the Republic was initially a stand-alone dialogue as it ends, like so many of Plato’s other dialogues do, without an answer to its central question. ‘Righteousness’ seems a bit archaic and can have religious connotations that can be misleading. I will continue to use it, but I will often also use synonyms such as ‘right’ and ‘moral goodness’ and their ilk. As mentioned in the Introduction, the Greek word δικαιοσύνη ( dikaiosunê) is broader in meaning than the English word ‘justice’, which often suggests fair distributions or the idea of rights. The ever-curious Socrates wants to know what justice is not simply for its own sake but to determine whether a just life-a morally good life-is happier than an unjust one. In the next chapter we will explore Socrates’ encounter with Thrasymachus. In this chapter we will examine Socrates’ conversations with Cephalus and then with Cephalus’ son, Polemarchus. Plato packs a lot into the Republic’s first book, so we will have an easier time of it if we break the discussion into two chapters. ![]()
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