Question

Socrates has at last provided a definition of justice. This definition bears strong resemblance to the two definitions of justice put forward in Book I. Cephalus ventured that justice was the honoring of legal obligations, while his son Polemarchus suggested that justice amounts to helping one’s friends and harming one’s enemies. These two definitions are linked by the imperative of rendering what is due, or giving to each what is appropriate. This same imperative finds variant expression in Plato’s definition of justice—justice as a political arrangement in which each person plays the appropriate role. What is due to each person is rendered all at once. Each is assigned the role in society that best suits their nature and that best serves society as a whole. What would you understand from this excerpt?

Answer 1

It could be understood that a comparison is being made, between socrates and Plato idea of justice, their views are being summarized and contrasted.

Step-by-step explanation:

The view Socrates has on justice is that justice is the virtue that controls:

• Reason
• Spirit
• Appetite

That hierarchy is really important to Socrates, he says justice resides in your soul, and it has the control to determine 1. reason 2. spirit 3. appetite and depending on the interaction these elements have you will act with justice or not.

On the other hand, Plato has a different order in society, and justice is limited to the function every part has in that comunity.