POLS 1002 Lecture 8: Book 9 = Plato, The Republic
Document Summary
Socrates meets g&a"s challenge directly: justice produces tangible benefits for the individual. Desires, least of all unlawful ones, can neither be suppressed nor satisfied, the realization of criminal desires is a nightmare. Hydra, you cannot use violence against, they will just multiply. The tyrant is enslaved to his desires, he reduces subjects to slavery. The tyrant"s cares fall below the threshold of any healthy desires. Love of wisdom = learning, knowledge, philosopher. Love of winning = recognition, honor, soldier. Love of profit = sensuality, status, ordinary person. Socrates claims the tyrant must be miserable. Some people don"t know what true happiness is, only know releases from pain. The philosopher has experienced everything that lovers of honor and profit have experienced. The philosopher knows the difference between pleasures/release from pain. Addiction, philosophers know the difference and therefore can judge different types of happiness. Happiness comes from excellence, the highest pleasure comes from the highest excellence (living justly)
