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Example research essay topic: Question And Answer Socratic Method - 1,346 words

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- BOOK I: WHAT ARE THE CURRENT VIEWS ON JUSTICE? - This introductory book raises the fundamental issue of the entire work: What is justice? Four views of justice are examined: 1. justice is speaking the truth and paying one's debts; 2. justice is helping one's friends and harming one's enemies; 3. justice is to the advantage of the stronger; and 4. injustice is more profitable than justice. - SPEAKING THE TRUTH AND PAYING ONE'S DEBTS (327 a- 331 d) - Many Athenians are celebrating the introduction of a new goddess in Piraeus, the port of Athens and the center of the democratic party.

Socrates and Glaucon are returning from the festivities when Polemarchus sees them. He insists that they come to his home for some conversation with his friends. Socrates is persuaded. He cannot, it seems, resist this opportunity to discuss philosophy with a group of noble youth. Polemarchus' father, Cephalus, is in the house.

Socrates sees how old he has grown and wants to know whether old age is a difficult part of life. Cephalus says that he is glad to have escaped the "mad masters" of bodily pleasures and is now content. But he quickly adds that if he had not cultivated a good character he would be unable to enjoy old age. Then Socrates poses several rather crude questions: Do you think you endure old age easily because you are wealthy? Is acquiring wealth really the important thing in life? Socrates, who is penniless by choice, implies that men like Cephalus often forget about the conditions that make their kind of life possible.

Cephalus admits that his wealth makes it possible for him to live a well-balanced life. He does not have to deceive others, nor is he in debt to any god or any man. Socrates seizes on these remarks to talk about justice. He asks Cephalus if he means that justice- good conduct in relation to others- is simply telling the truth and honoring one's debts. This is precisely what Cephalus, the successful businessman, means. Because of his wealth he can die contented, his duties fulfilled.

Thus, for Cephalus justice is a matter of self-interest, but also his view agrees with the laws of the city and with the traditional religious beliefs. Socrates' objection to Cephalus is quite simple: Aren't there times when one should not tell the truth or repay debts? For example, if a man loaned you a gun, then became insanely jealous and asked you to return his gun so he could shoot his wife, should you return his weapon? Because Cephalus' definition of justice does not hold up in all cases, Socrates says that it is not a good definition. Suddenly Cephalus decides that he must leave; there are yet more debts to be paid to the gods. He refuses to be drawn into a philosophical discussion, one that might threaten his cherished beliefs.

Cephalus' definition, like the ones of Polemarchus and Thrasymachus that follow, is found wanting. However, from each of the definitions presented in Book I something is learned that will be reflected in the principle of justice Socrates develops later. - HELPING FRIENDS AND HARMING ENEMIES (331 e- 336 a) - After Cephalus leaves, the discussion becomes more serious and more complex. Polemarchus carries on his father's argument. But unlike his father he is not concerned with the role of justice in religious matters.

Instead, Polemarchus relies on authorities other than the gods or the laws. He borrows a maxim from the poet Simonides- justice is "giving every man his due. " Socrates confesses that he doesn't know what the poet means, and asks, "What is it that is due, and to whom?" He knows, for instance, what the functions of such crafts as medicine and cooking are. But what is the function of the craft of justice, if indeed it is a craft? Polemarchus says that justice is benefiting one's friends and harming one's enemies. At last, Socrates has a clear statement that he can systematically examine. Socrates' examination of Polemarchus' definition can be divided into three parts: 1.

a look at how one can benefit friends (332 d- 334 b); 2. an attempt to define "friend" (334 c- 335 b); and 3. a criticism of the view that a just man can do harm (335 c- 336 a). - 1. Socrates asks Polemarchus to explain in what ways justice can be helpful and harmful. Through a series of leading questions- Is the just man more useful than the farmer in producing crops? Than the builder in constructing houses?

and so on- Socrates leads Polemarchus to the absurd conclusion that justice must be useless. And Socrates pursues this line of reasoning to yet another absurdity. Because justice, according to Polemarchus' definition, appears to be the craft of keepers of things not in use (money and property), and because good keepers are in a position to be the best thieves, justice appears to be the craft of thieving, to the benefit, of course, of one's friends. 2. Polemarchus protests. Socrates concedes that maybe his problem is not knowing what Polemarchus means by "friend. " Polemarchus responds that friends are those who we think are good and helpful to us. But, Socrates asks, can we be mistaken about who our friends, and enemies, are?

If so, we may be helping or harming the wrong people, which could not be justice. A contradiction is reached: justice can both help and harm friends. Polemarchus is forced to be more precise about what he means by "friend. " He says "that the man who both seems and is good is the friend. 3. At this point, Socrates focuses on the crucial aspect of his quarrel with Polemarchus' definition. Surely it cannot be the function of justice to harm anyone at all. Don't we consider justice to be an excellence of character?

And no excellence- whether that of horses or humans- is ever achieved through destructive means. The function of justice is to improve human nature. Whatever else it may be, justice is a form of goodness that, by its very nature, cannot participate in anything injurious to someone's character. - NOTE: The method of argumentation in this section is worth noting carefully. Socrates' discussion with Polemarchus is a superb example of what is sometimes called the Socratic method. Said to be invented by Socrates (and, obviously, named for him), the Socratic method is a philosophical technique for discovering knowledge through question and answer.

Socrates, claiming to have no knowledge, encourages others to answer a general question. Here the question is "What is justice?" He then proceeds to show the inadequacies of each definition by producing counterexamples, that is, by producing examples that expose the biased nature or the narrow scope or the outright falsity of a definition. These exercises in thinking are not entirely negative. The ultimate goal is always to discover that which is true, good, universal. - THE ADVANTAGE OF THE STRONGER (336 b- 347 e) - Thrasymachus roars "like a wild beast" into the discussion. He angrily accuses Socrates and Polemarchus of talking rubbish- all this question and answer business!

He wants to know why Socrates does not just say what he means. Thrasymachus, a sophist, likes to give long speeches without being interrupted by questions. Any other form of teaching, he believes, shows weakness. This scene provides comic relief from the seriousness of the preceding discussion.

Socrates describes himself as trembling and frightened by Thrasymachus' outburst. But you know better. Socrates is setting Thrasymachus up for the kill. The long argument of this section can be divided into four parts: 1. an attempt to arrive at a precise definition of "ruler" (337 d- 341 b); 2.

a comparison between leadership and other crafts (341 c- 342 e); 3. a speech by Thrasymachus on justice (343 a- 344 c); and 4. a discussion on why rulers choose to rule (344 d- 347 e). - 1. Socrates begins his calm, methodical attack on the snarling Thrasymachus by luring the sophist into presenting his own vie...


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Research essay sample on Question And Answer Socratic Method

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