A Sample Study Guide

What follows is a sample study, each week the student will receive something similar to complete, the essay list for each week is at the end of the packet. I selected the first book of Plato’s Republic for the sample, as the book is very well known and widely available. It should not be hard to obtain a copy of it at a local library if one wants to practice the study guide and see if it works for your learning needs.

Study Packet, Plato’s Republic Book One

Introduction

Please note that all of the conversations in the Republic are not intended to be read as literal or as history of Socratic thought as Plato seems to be adding some of his thought to the thought of Socrates by the time he writes the bulk of this work, about mid-point in his career age 40 to 50. Adding one’s thoughts the thoughts of one’s master is not uncommon in Greek intellectual history, the student sees himself as continuing the work of his teacher. The first book, the reading assignment for this week, however, does not seem to introduce many new Platonic themes and thus may well bring us close to an example of Socrates in action.

Plato's Republic opens with a discussion in the house of a wealthy business man named Cephalus and there is a small cast of characters. Plato, through the character of Socrates, will be discussing the definition of justice (proper conduct) with three people in particular; Cephalus, Polemarchus, and Thrasymachus. A small group of listeners is also present but do not have any significant roles. The style of the book is that of a play or conversation though in books two through ten Socrates will take a dominant role.

The Cast

Socrates: Teacher of Plato, executed in 399 B.C. on charges of worshiping false gods and corrupting the youth. The trial of Socrates is covered in another work by Plato, the Apology, which means defense in Greek, it can be read without too much guidance and is well worth the time.

Cephalus: Father of Polemarchus and a successful business man.

Polemarchus: Son of Cephalus, mutual friend of Socrates and the other listeners.

Thrasymachus: Teacher of rhetoric and sophistry. Note: The Athenian government was a direct democracy, everyone votes regularly on most matters, and thus the ability to speak well and powerfully was political power. This is what Thrasymachus taught for a fee, the ability to move people with words. Sophists like Thraysmachus usually get pretty rough treatment from Plato in his writings, Plato does not like to see reasoning used to serve the interests of one, or the few, at the expense of others.

The discussion of the text will precede through these characters and you need to keep in mind who is speaking when you are reading. (You might write them into the text if and when matters get confusing.) Cephalus will only be relevant in the first few pages and then Polemarchus takes up the discussion with Socrates. Thrasymachus enters about a third of the way into the reading and will remain the main speaker with Socrates through the rest of the reading for this week. The questions that follow will be asked partly in terms of these characters and thus knowing who is speaking is very important. The following multiple-choice questions will take you step by step through the arguments in the reading. I recommend using them as a study guide as you do the reading but one could just as easily read the whole of book one and then return to the questions and do some spot re-reading to find the best answer. On any given question there maybe multiple correct responses but one is a better fit and thus to be preferred.

The Structure of the Study Guide

The following study guide divides the reading into four sections of multiple choice questions followed by commentary. The sections are marked by a system of numbers and letters that will be found in the left and right margins on each page of the work. The system is similar to the division of biblical books into chapters and verses. This is a numbering system for all of Plato’s works and will start at 327 (the Republic, the book we are reading, is not first in this system) with letters a, b, c, d, further dividing the material in regards to each number. Each number and each letter 329, 329a, 329b, roughly correspond to a paragraph though this is not an exact matching system, just a rule of thumb.

Plato’s Republic, Sections 327-336 of Book One

1. For Cephalus old age brings the benefit of being…
   1. Released from a whole horde of lunatic slave masters.
   2. Wise and good.
   3. Temperate and wise.
   4. None of the other three.
2. Cephalus thinks the chief benefit to wealth is that…
   1. It buys many nice things.
   2. You don’t have to work for another person.
   3. It can help one to be a good person.
   4. Makes it easier to get what you want.
3. Simonides defines justice as…
   1. The interest of the stronger.
   2. Giving each man his due.
   3. Life without worry or care.
   4. Truth and honesty.
4. Simonides further refines his definition of justice to…
   1. Good to friends and evil to enemies.
   2. The interest of the strongest.
   3. Mitigated truth and honesty to help preserve others feelings.
   4. None of the other three.
5. Socrates refutes Simonides redefined definition of justice by…
   1. Getting help from the audience.
   2. Showing it makes justice useless, that a just man must be a good judge of character and that a good person does no harm.
   3. Showing it makes justice useless, that a just man must be a good judge of character and that a good person does not lie.
   4. Appealing to Homer as he is the better poet.

Commentary on Questions One through Five. Sections 327-336.

In this section Plato is introducing a discussion on the good and justice and takes a few moments to consider a popular definition of justice seemingly in vogue in Athens at the time. This is a pretty easy read as it is still mostly light conversation, it will get a little heavier in a moment. This section does give a very good example of Socrates in action, watch how he handles the popular definition of justice given by Simonides and you will get a good idea of his style in short. Socrates will ask for a definition, he then proposes an example that challenges the definition (if it is not a good one) and then asks for a re-formulation or a new definition. This is part of the Socratic stance that he does not teach anything, he merely helps others see what they already knew but maybe were not conscious that they knew it. He will use the same method in the coming pages but with a more determined and cynical opponent named Thrasymachus. In books two through nine Socrates will take a lead role in conversation which is different from his style in the first book. This is one of the reasons these latter parts of the text are thought to have a significant amount of Plato added to the thought of Socrates but might also show two Socratics styles; one for the general public and hostile opponents and one for closer friends and associates.

Plato’s Republic, Sections 336b-343 of Book One

6. Thrasymachus defines justice as…
   1. The interest of the strongest.
   2. The interest of the smartest.
   3. The interest of the wisest.
   4. The interest of the meek.
7. To demonstrate his point Thrasymachus appeals to…
   1. Popular conceptions of justice.
   2. The history of Athens.
   3. The poets.
   4. The laws and governments of various societies who pass rules in their own interests.
8. For Thrasymachus when a professional makes a mistake they…
   1. Will probably get sued.
   2. Cease to be a professional.
   3. Need to be punished.
   4. All of the above.
9. Socrates, in attempting to disprove Thrasymachus’s definition of justice, shows that…
   1. Thrasymachus is a heavy drinker.
   2. The history of Athens tells a different tale.
   3. The arts have authority over their subject, as medical practice has authority over the doctor, and thus the art of ruling has authority over those that rule.
   4. A good man suffers no ill from the world.

Commentary on Questions six through nine. Sections 336b-343.

At this point Plato is taking on a very serious concern in ethical thought; that there is no such thing as ethics. Power defines what is right, might makes right. This is a powerful argument to consider as it does seem to have ample examples both in history and our daily lives. What is the case, however, is not always what ought to be the case and it is on this point that Thrasymachus gets caught. What is just is not what is legal. There are such things as good and bad laws and this fact implies a standard higher than the law by which it is to be judged. For Plato this standard is justice. Plato will define justice in the rest of the text and we will leave that discussion for that time.

Plato’s Republic, Sections 343b-348 of Book One

10. According to Thrasysmachus the ruler is to the ruled like…
    1. The sheep is to the shepherd.
    2. A ship is to the sea.
    3. The arrow is to the bow.
    4. The shepherd is to the sheep.
11. For Thrasymachus injustice practiced on a large scale is…
    1. Bad for everyone.
    2. Bad for the one practicing injustice.
    3. The history of Athens.
    4. Better than ethical conduct.
12. According to Socrates no art, craft or skill is designed to serve…
    1. Those who practice it.
    2. Those who receive its benefits.
    3. The government.
    4. None of the other three.
13. For Socrates the only reason for good men serve in politics is that…
    1. Money and prestige.
    2. They are drafted into service.
    3. They cannot find equals or betters to do the job.
    4. It is the proper job of the philosopher.

Commentary on questions ten to thirteen. Sections 343b-348.

A new question is being asked at this point in the text, is an ethical or just life better than an unjust or unethical life. This, one might say, is the real crux of the dispute, is one better off dealing behaving properly or improperly, if you can get away with your misconduct? Which is the better road to take?

Plato’s Republic, Sections 343c- 354b of Book One

14. For Thrasymachus injustice is both…
    1. Unwise and a vice.
    2. Wise and a virtue.
    3. Profitable but improper conduct.
    4. All of the other three.
15. For Socrates the wise or good man does not…
    1. Get married.
    2. Reveal secrets he is entrusted with.
    3. Try to out-do all others, only the bad.
    4. Defy the rules of tradition.
16. According to Socrates injustice undermines all…
    1. Traditions.
    2. Customs.
    3. Cooperation.
    4. Efforts to establish the just rule of single person.
17. For Socrates everything has…
    1. A correct place in the hierarchy of nature.
    2. A special function.
    3. Smaller parts which make up the whole.
    4. None of the other three.
18. For Socrates the function of the soul (mind) is to…
    1. Reason, will and govern.
    2. Provide for the building of a collective society.
    3. Provide for the building of a market society.
    4. Provide for the building of a religious society.
19. According to Socrates a good soul is one that…
    1. Follows the dictates of tradition.
    2. Assists in the building of market society.
    3. Governs life well, governs life for the better.
    4. Assists in the building of the collective society.
20. For Socrates an unjust person…
    1. Will live life poorly and miserably.
    2. Will make a good deal of money if not caught.
    3. Is a very rare thing.
    4. Is little different from a just person.

Commentary on questions fourteen through twenty. Sections 343c-354b.

Thrasymachus wants to assert that the unjust life, practiced on a large enough scale, is a better life than one lived in accordance with ethical standards. The great robber baron with vast wealth, politicians and judges in his pocket, is far happier than a honest store clerk. Looked at from a purely economic point of view this is hard to argue but for Plato there is a psychological health issue that is also involved. The unjust society or person is divided and wars internally. The different appetites and drives all struggle for control and dominance. For Plato a divided and warring mind or society is not one that is mentally healthy. The just life is one in which reason governs the drives and appetites and orders them for the best mutual functioning. The old idea that health is better than wealth is in operation here and Plato thinks ethical conduct is mental health.

The Three Essay Questions for this Week

Please select one of the following three questions to answer for this week’s essay assignment.

1. A) Explain, in detail, the debate Socrates has with Polemarchus. What is Polemarchus’ first definition of justice, what is his second or redefined definition and how does Socrates under-mine them both?
3. B) Explain, in detail, Thrasymachus’ reasoning for thinking injustice is the interest of the stronger. How does Socratese refute Thrasymachus’s comparison of the ruler to the shepherd and the subjects to sheep?
5. C) Plato equated ethics or justice with mental health, what does he have in mind with this equation, how does he come to this conclusion.