PHI 2010 Study Guide - Final Guide: Thrasymachus, Polemarchus, Cephalus
Justice (Dika iosune) for Plato
Justice me a ns individua l a nd pe rs ona l
Socrates is the ma in s peaker
Socrates: Good rule r, mora lly a nd politica lly
Plato a nd s ocrates ha ve a different opinion
Plato: J ustice is equal mora lity
If s ome one be ha ves a certa in way, its how the y de s e rve to be tre a te d
Cephalus’ Hypothesis
Doing the right thing: te lling the truth and paying back what you receive (Pos itive light)
“Business person’s” e thical code
Kant’s countere xa mple s re late (UGLY HAT) white lies
Polemarchus’s Hypothesis
Support your frie nd, disadvantage e ne mies
“Greek Heroic”
Simple theory (not we ll thought out)
Myths of Home r (odys s ey)
Socrates: re jects polemarchus’s hypothesis.
Disa dva nta ge s Jus t pe ople.
Polema rchus re s pons e: Moral a ction is s upporting your friends that you rightly to be lieve to be
good people and harming thos e that you rightly be lie ve to be ba d pe ople
Thrasyma chus Cha lle nge: Cynica l.
Just a nd right mea ns nothing, power to wha t the stronge st s a y
iF YOU HAVE POWER YOU DETERMINE WHAT IS RIGHT
Hie ra rcha l
“ought” and “should” be cause the strongest person wants you to
The Ring of Gyges
Posses s or of ring ha s power to be a s evil a s pos s ible and nobody thinks he is evil, s e e
virtue in him
Job: thought to be e xtremely e vil.
Thrasyma chus s a ys we would a ll ta ke the ring, no one would be Job.
Plato’s Re s pons e: J ustice is the art of be ing “Agent”
Agent= being a pers on
Good age nts are good pe ople
A person is some one who is good.
SO WHAT IS THE P OINT OF JUSTICE: to be a good pers on, look outs ide your own se lf
inte rest. P e ople be come doctors to help people .
If there s no point be hind the a ction then it is not a good action.
RADICAL CONCEPTION OF J US TICE: obliga te d to be just e ven if goe s a ga ins t your s e lf
inte rest. Be ing just is a lways in your se lf inte re s t.
Pla to sa ys the mos t ide a lly jus t s ocie ty is in our bes t inte re st but he doe s n't expla in WHY
Pla to pla ce s burde n of truth on de nie rs
MACKIE “THE S UBJ ECTIVITY OF VALUES “
Right a nd wrong is intrinsic. Some thing give s the m the re a s on or “ought-to-be-
doneness”
Eddington. two ta ble s . Ta ble 2 nothing ha s re a s on, pa s s ion, or oughtnes s .
Mora ls a re que e r
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Document Summary
Doing the right thing: te lling the truth a nd pa ying ba ck wha t you re ce ive (p os itive light) Kant"s counte re xa mple s re la te (ugly hat) white lie s. S upport your frie nd, dis a dva nta ge e ne mie s. S imple the ory (not we ll thought out) Myths of home r (odys s e y) Dis a dva nta ge s j us t pe ople . J us tice me a ns individua l a nd pe rs ona l. S ocra te s is the ma in s pe a ke r. S ocra te s : good rule r, mora lly a nd politica lly. P la to a nd s ocra te s ha ve a diffe re nt opinion. P la to: j us tice is e qua l mora lity.
