|
|
In The Republic, Socrates tests the proper order that exists between reason, spirit and desire. He did this by questioning others of their beliefs and their thoughts. He would raise doubts in their time old teachings in order to prove them wrong and raise contradictions. Socrates taught people in this way as opposed to preaching to the groups that he would attract. The proper order that Socrates held was that reason came first above all, then spirit and lastly, desire. This is correct because of all of the teaching of Socrates that Plato describes in The Republic. Reason was the most important to Socrates because it was believed that his reason, or wisdom, could overcome his physical desires. Socrates also tied being just and unjust into reason. However, he does not have a proper definition for justice. Cephalos, Polemarchos, and Thrasymachos all offered various definitions for justice but none of them satisfied Socrates. When challenged of his views Socrates says that justice is wise and virtuous and he tries to prove that justice is more profitable than injustice. To do this, Socrates explains that you must look at the whole city and not an individual person. When Socrates described the perfect city, it included three classes of people. The highest class, albeit the smallest, included the philosophers because they held the most wisdom. The philosophers were said to have gold in them and valuable virtues such as self-control and self-discipline.
|
