Plato-The Republic

Plato-The Republic
Translated by Richard W. Sterling and William C. Scott.
Bendis-Moon goddess imported from abroad.
If a person has been generally temperate and cheerful during his youth and middle years, old age is likely to treat him reasonably well.
Those who make money themselves, love to with a double intensity. It is the chief evidence of its own creativity. “the chief value of wealth is to strengthen virtue”
“There are many who ask but can not answer”.
“Justice is simply the interest of the stronger”.
Governments use their power to make tyrannical democratic or aristocratic laws…”transgressor will be punished…for breaking the laws…”.
Justice is what the stronger believes to be in his interest. Socrates refutes it.
“the rules…his chief occupation…is how can he best fleece them to his benefit”
Injustice lords it over those who are truly simple and truly just”
The just man in public office will reap no rewards.
“…tyranny , is the highest form of injustice”, force and fraud are the tyrant’s chosen instruments”.
“…the most severe penalty a man can suffer who refuses to be governed is to be governed by someone worse than himself”
“justice is virtue and wisdom and injustice, vice and ignorance, only justice can create unity and love”.
“ utter villains are completely unjust…totally incapable of effective joint action”
“whenever injustice appears…it first spawns factions…excites enmity, anything so at odds with itself…becomes its own enemy,,, can neither inflict injustice nor defend themselves…draw up a compact with one another…”
“…the highest form of injustice is to appear just with out being so”
“ it is better to seem just than to be so”
“ they (priests) declare that if a man or any of his ancestors committed a misdeed, it can be atoned for by entirely pleasurable festivals”
A city or a state is a response to human needs.
Needs-food, shelter, clothes. City founded to facilitate an exchange of production. Tradesmen buy/sell in cities, merchants between cities.
Love of learning the same as love of wisdom which in turn is philosophy. Guardian should be strong, swift, high spirited, love wisdom, truthful, should be freed from other duties, not afraid of death.
Young minds are not able to discriminate between what is allegorical and what is literal.
Greek polytheism and gods behave like men, though more powerful. Zeus greatest.
Must not indulge the guardian with so much happiness that hey will forsake their role as guardian “we want no scoundrels governing us.
Education must be the main concern of guardians.
Cardinal virtues of a city philosopher king. temperance, courage, wisdom, justice
Habituation is evidently required to see things higher up
Entering into debate…with people who have never seen justice itself.
Ability to think is divine.
Men lacking education and experience in truth can not adequately preside over a city.
Good government is impossible if men behave like beggars, turning to politics because of what is lacking in their private lives and hoping to find their good in public business.
Forms of government- Timocracy-Sparta-Crete, Oligarchy, Democracy, Tyranny, Dynasties.