POLS 250 Study Guide - Final Guide: Socratic Method, Virtue Ethics, Glaucon

• School: Queen's University
• Department: Political Studies
• Course: POLS 250
• Professor: Colin Farrelly

Document Summary

Socrates: represents plato"s positions (early parts considered socrates while later parts actually plato) Cephalus: dialogue takes place in his house. Thrasymachus: influential sophist (public speaker), tries to show he is much smarter. Glaucon: plato"s older brother, creates the biggest challenge. Dialogue takes place in socratic method: back and forth questions and answers. Cephalus: justice is telling the truth and returning anything borrowed. Socrates: example of borrowing a weapon - refutes #1. Polemarchus: justice is giving a man is due - people are deserving of certain punishments and rewards based on certain actions they have committed. Still does not get around problem of previous example. Justice is to benefit one"s friends and harm one"s enemies. Socrates: we could be mistaken (friends might be bad or enemies might be good) Thrasymachus: justice is the interest of the strongest party. Therefore, they can make laws that are not in their interests.