PlatoTheRepublicWord文件下载.docx

PlatoTheRepublicWord文件下载.docx

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TheRepublicisaSocraticdialoguewrittenbyPlatoaround380BCconcerningthedefinitionofjusticeandthevirtueandcharacterofthejustcityandthejustman.ThedramaticdateofthedialoguehasbeenmuchdebatedandthroughitmusttakeplacesometimeduringthePeloponnesianWar.ItisPlato’sbest-knownworkandhasproventobeoneofthemostintellectuallyandhistoricallyinfluentialworksofphilosophyandpoliticaltheory.Inthebook,SocratesdiscussthemeaningofjusticeandexaminewhetherornotthejustmanishappierthantheunjustmanbyconcerningaseriesofdifferentcitieswithvariousAtheniansandforeigners.Theparticipantsalsodiscussthetheoryofforms,theimmortalityofthesoul,therolesofthephilosopherandofpoetryinsociety.

Thetopicofhappinessastheeternalsubjectofhumanbeingisalsotheinevitableproblemofethnics.Asjusticeisoneofthemostimportantelementstohumanlife,happinessisasimportantasthemostfundamentalelementtomaintainnormaloperationandsteadydevelopmentofhumansociety.Platoisthefirstideologistwhofirstlydemonstratedthejusticeandhappinesssystematicallyinwesternsociety.“TheRepublic”includesPlato’ssystematicaccountofJusticeandpursuitofhappiness.

BothearlyPlatonicethicalandpoliticalphilosophytakerootintheaccountofjustice.ItisamaincriterionforPlatotoevaluatethevaluesinthephysicalworld.“TheRepublic”,ascalled“Politeia”,hasasubheadof“TheoryofJustice”;

“Politeia”demonstratesthejusticewholly;

thePlato’sdeepthinkingoncity-stateAthensasagreatphilosopherandhisresponsibilityforconcerningthecountryasthethinkerareembodiesfromcriticismonseveralpopularjusticeideastothedefinitionofhappiness,thevirtue,fromnationaltoindividual,andfromthewaytoseekhappinesstorealizethehappiness.

Platowasborninaneventfultimewhentheflourishingperiodwastakenupbythecontinuouswars 

in 

Athens.Borninanoblefamily,Platowasinfluencedbypoliticsatanearlyage.AfterexperiencingthebrutalPeloponnesianWarandthedeathofSocrates,hebegantodeeplythinkcity-stateAthens.“TheRepublic”isthesolutionputforwardbyPlatowhenhehadanAthenianpoliticalproblem.

InPlato'

sTheRepublic,justiceisdepictedasamajorpartinaperfectsociety.Justiceissaidtobreedagoodsociety,whereasinjusticewillbreedabadone.Platodefinesjusticeindialogueas“keepingwhatisproperlyone'

sownanddoingone'

sownjob.”Undertherulessetforthisperfectsociety,peoplearetopracticetheoneprofessionatwhichtheyperformbest.Thisprofessionalsocorrespondstoacertainsocialclass.Undernocircumstancescanonechangethisprofession.Alongwithasetoccupation,Platohasalsodeterminedthattheperfectcommunitywouldregulatewhatchildren（andthecommunity）aretaught,andtowhatthechildrenwillbeexposed.

sperfectsociety,regulatingthestories,songs,poems,andactionstoldtochildrenismeanttoenforcethestandardofhowpeopleshouldact,think,andbelieve.Platostatesthathis“firstbusinessistosupervisetheproductionofstories,andchooseonlythosewethinksuitable,andrejecttherest.”Inthese,Platohasdescribedaidealsociety.Inthesociety,Peopleareengagedonthepursuitofjustice.Andallthoseareinordertorealizehappiness.

InmanydialoguesPlatograppleswiththequestionofhowwearetoliveagoodlife.Hebeginsfromanassumptionwhichheshareswiththerestofhissociety,namelythatweallseekeudaimonia,whichmeanshappiness.Whatwethinkofasethicsemergesastheconcernnotjusttoliveone’slife,buttodoitwell,tomakeagoodlife.Itissharplydistinguishedfrommodernnotionsofhappiness,whichidentifyitfrommodernnotionsofhappiness,whichidentifyitwithfeelinggood;

happinessinallancientthinkersistheachievementofsomeonewholivesanadmirable,enviablelife.Platoneverdoubtsthatthisiswhereethicalconcernstarts.Hegives,however,aradicallydifferentanswerthanmostpeople,andmostotherphilosophers,tothequestionofwhatitistoliveanadmirable,enviablelifeandsotoachievehappiness.

Socrates’beliefintherealityofmoralpropertiesleadstoanimportantconsequenceconcerninghappiness.Accordingtoclassicalviewsofhappiness,one’sownhappinessissomethingthatonecanbemistakenabout.Inotherwords,youmaythinkyouarehappyandyetnotactuallybehappy.Thisthoughtsoundsstrangetomodernears.Accordingtomostcontemporaryviewsofhappiness,ifyouthinkyou’rehappy,thenyou’rehappy.Infact,itmayseemasifthinkingandfeelingthatyouarehappyisjustaboutallthereistobeinghappy.Accordingtomodernviewsofhappiness,then,there’snothingmoretobeinghappythanthinkingandfeelinghappyand,sinceyouknowhowyoufeel,youcan’tbemistakenaboutwhetheryouarehappy.However,fortheclassicalviewofhappiness,itmakessensetoask,“Iknowyoufeelhappyandthinkyouarehappy,buthowdoyouknowthatyoureallyarehappy?

”Manymodernconceptionsofhappinessimplythathavingampleamountsofpleasurecanmakeyouhappy,evenifyouarecompletelylackinginmoralvirtue.

Manypeople,inthemodernasmuchasintheancientworld,finditnaturaltosaythatahappylifeisoneinwhichyouaresuccessful;

thehappypersonwillbe,typically,therich,securepersonwhohasachievedsomethinginlife.Itsoundsodd,indeedperverse,tosaythatsomeonecouldbehappy,couldbelivingalifeyouadmireandtrytoemulate,ifheorsheturnedouttoberejectedandunsuccessful.ButPlatowasinfluencedbytheexampleofSocrates,whogaveupworldlysuccessforphilosophy,andwhoendedupcondemnedasacriminalandexecuted.ButinPlato’sopinion,Socrateshaslivedaadmirablelife.Andso,mostpeoplemustbewrongabouthowtoachieveahappylife.

Wheredomostpeoplegowrong?

Theythinkthattheirlifewillgowellandthattheywillbehappyiftheyhavethethingsthatmostpeoplethinkaregood-health,wealth,goodlooksandsoon.Butarethesethingsgood?

Dotheydoyouanygood-dotheybenefityou?

Platothinksthatyouareherelikeacraftspersonwithtoolsandmaterial-theydonotdoyouanygooduntilyouputthemtouse.Dosomethingwiththem.Moreover,youhavetodotherightthingswiththem,putthemtousewhichisexpertandintelligent,ortheywillnotbenefityou,indeedmaydoyouharm.Forexample,someonewhowinsthelotterymaywellnotbemadeanyhappierbyjusthavingthemoney.Unlesssheputsittointelligentuse,themoneymaydonothingforher,orevenruinherlife.Happinesscannotjustbethestuffyouhave;

youhavetoputittogooduse,dealwithitinthewaythatacraftspersondealswithhismaterials,beforeitwillbenefityouandsomakeyourlifebetter.

Hencewefindthatthevirtues,whichenablesustodealwellwiththematerialadvantagesofourlife,arecalled“divinegoods”,whichhasbeenmentionedintheLaws.Incontrasttothe“humangoods”constitutedbythosematerialadvantages.Withoutthedivinegoods,wewilllosethebenefitofthehumanones.Sothevalueforusofhealth,wealthandthelikedependsonourpossessionofvirtueslikecourageandjustice.Andthevirtuesdependinturnfortheirvalueinahumanlifeonthepracticalreasoningwhichformsthemandguidestheirapplication.Hencevirtueswhichmakesomethingoutofthestuffofourlivesareidentifiedwithwisdom,thepracticalintelligencewhichguidedvirtuousliving.

Socratesclaimsthatallthatisrelevanttotheissueofwhethersomeoneishappyornotiswhethertheyarevirtuous.Ifweknowacourseofactioniswrong,thenweshouldnotdoitandnoamountofanythingwecouldgainorlosebydoingtheactionmakesanyimpactonthispoint.Evenifyourlifeisatrisk,youshouldnottrytosaveitbycompromisingyourvalues.

WecangetitfromtheCrito.Socratesexamineswhyheshouldorshouldnottrytoescapefromprisonbeforeexecutionasfollowing:

Socrates:

Weshouldnowexaminethis-whetheritisjustformetotrytoescape,ornot.Ifitturnsouttobejust,letustry,andifnot,;

let’sdropit.Buttheseconsiderationsyoumention,aboutspendingmoney,andreputation,andbringingupmychildren,Isuspect,Cristo,thattheseareintruthconsiderationsthatappealto……mostpeople.Butforus,sincetheargumentdemandsit,thereisnothingelsetoexamineexpectwhatwejustsaid,namely,whetherweshallbeactingjustlyorwhetherweshallintruthbeactingunjustlyifwedoallthis.Andifthiswillclearlybeanunjustactionforustodo,thenthereisnoneedatallforustotakeintoaccountwhetherIwillhavetodieifIstayanddonothing,orhavetosufferanythingelsewhateverratherthandowrong.

WhyisSocratessosurethattheclaimsofvirtuecannotbecompromised-cannotindeedbeweighedupagainstconsiderationslikethoseofmoney,securityandsoon?

Wehaveseenthatvirtueisnotjustonegoodthingformetohave,somethingthatmightbemeasuredagainstothergoodthings,suchaswealthorsecurity.Rather,virtueisa“divine”good.Itiseithertheonlyunconditionalgood,ortheonlythingwhichisgoodatall.Anditholdsthispositionbecauseitisvirtuewhichenablesustoputotherconventionallygoodthingstogooduse.Hence,itiswhatmakesthedifferencebetweenhavingthingslikehealthandwealthbenefitusordousnogood,orevenruinourlives.Hencevirtueisoftenthoughtofasakindofskillorexpertise-akindofpracticalknowledgewhichisappliedinmakingmaterialsintoaunifiedandfinishedproduct.

Theideahereisapowerfulone.BythetimeIstartthinkingabouthowtolivemylifewell,Ialreadyhavealife.Ihaveasetofcommitmentsand