Platos Happiest Way of Life Essay - 780 Words

Platos Happiest Way of Life A just life in a just society would be the happiest possible way to live for Plato. Justice is defined as a balanced and well-integrated specialization of functions both within the scope of society and the individual. The just society classifies its members on the basis of individual differences in intellectual and physical abilities and is therefore warranted. The way to achieve a happy life is only half satisfied with the presence of a just society. Other than living in a just society, the harmony between the parts within an individuals mind or soul is as important. The psyche contains three elements: wisdom, spirit, and appetite. The wisdom in a person, similarly to the role of the rulers in society,†¦show more content†¦The metaphor of the cave is employed at this point to facilitate understanding with powerful visual imagery. When the prisoners are seated with their backs to the fire, they are satisfying the desires of their appetite by looking at the mere shadows and t reating those as genuine objects. When freed to turn around and face the actual bonfire, puppets, and their operators, the blessed prisoner has now been drawn closer to truth. Upon ascending from the cave, the individual experiences a painful process of adapting to the illumination of the sun (lower forms) and ultimately comes into direct visual contact with the sun, which is a metaphor of the Good. He gains knowledge of the ultimate truth -- the form of the good -- and experiences ultimate pleasure as a result. A most basic condition in this intriguing metaphor is that the prisoner puts his mind and reasoning in charge because it is the only method enabling him to perceive of the Good. Plato proceeds to explain that a person can attain the greatest happiness as long as his spirit and appetite follow the guidance of wisdom, which identifies proper and productive pleasure. It is only rational and obvious that letting the man (reason) be in control of the lion (spirit) and the many-headed monster (appetite) would lead to prosperity and fulfillmentShow MoreRelatedPlato vs. Aristotle: Virtue1656 Words   |  7 Pages While Plato believes only philosophers are capable of true, inherent virtue, Aristotle believes all men can be virtuous with practice and dedication. GREAT. WAY TO GET TO THE POINT. BE SURE TO MENTION WHETHER OR NOT YOURE ARGUING THAT VIRTUE IS INTRINSICALLY GOOD. HAVE IT SMACK ME IN THE FACE ITS SO OBVIOIUS. (LIKE THAT TYPO). Plato’s Republic contains one of the greatest recorded discussions on the nature of justice. His definition of justice can be interpreted today as virtue, or the properRead MoreSocrates, Plato, and Aristotels View on Happiness1529 Words   |  7 Pagescan one achieve true happiness? This is the ultimate question of life and what every person is seeking an answer to. Many feel that they have found their answer in belonging to the faith of their choice, but what is it that their faith teaches them that brings them happiness? The Philosophers Socrates, Plato and Aristotle all have a similar view on what happiness is and how to achieve it. Aristotles view is based on Platos and Platos is based on Socrates teachings; this is why they are similar butRead MoreWritten Assignment774 Words   |  4 PagesWritten Assignment 1; 1of2 The â€Å"nature of the good life† from a philosophical point of view is not as simple as the typical picture that may pop into one’s head of lying on a beach in a tropical paradise sipping frozen daiquiris. Depending on which type of ethical model you use will change the picture. For Thucydides his view point seems to be that â€Å"Might is Right† versus Plato’s â€Å"Might for Right† as well as a search for what is right. Another way to differentiate the two would be to say one is forRead MoreLiving in a Communist Dungeon Was Like Living in the Plato’s Cave824 Words   |  4 PagesLiving in a communist dungeon was like living in the Plato’s Cave In Plato’s book, the Republic, in a story that the ancient Greek philosopher shows to his student Glaucon, by using an allegory of peoples that are condemned to live in a cave for all their lives, the philosopher shows how people can be deceived by many images that they see from the distance and when they have not enough information to judge them. 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All forms and materials have an essence to them but are predetermined by the world of forms. Aristotle was concerned with what was happening in the here and now in this world, which correlated with all his beliefs in ethics. Aristotle had many stemming from Plato’s beliefs but with an alternating twist. To begin with AristotleRead MoreEssay on Thrasymachus’ Views on Justice939 Words   |  4 Pageson the definition of justice, as well as its importance in society, is one far differing from the opinions of the other interlocutors in the first book of Plato’s Republic. Embracing his role as a Sophist in Athenian society, Thrasymachus sets out to aggressively dispute Socrates’ opinion that justice is a beneficial and valuable aspect of life and the ideal society. Throughout the course of the dialogue, Thrasymachus formulates three major assertions regarding justice. These claims include his opinionRead More Platos Republic Essay1025 Words   |  5 PagesPlatos Republic In Plato’s Republic, Glaucon is introduced to the reader as a man who loves honor, sex, and luxury. As The Republic progresses through books and Socrates’ arguments of how and why these flaws make the soul unhappy began to piece together, Glaucon relates some of these cases to his own life, and begins to see how Socrates’ line of reasoning makes more sense than his own. Once Glaucon comes to this realization, he embarks on a path of change on his outlook of what happiness isRead MoreEssay on Platos Allegory of the Cave1315 Words   |  6 Pagesfollow them. Social norms are certain things in life that everyone does to be accepted by their co-workers, family, friends and even strangers. Some may feel that they have to live by these norms to get through life without being rejected and to be known as a â€Å"normal† person, hence the word â€Å"norm†. If a person were to stray from this path and just do what they felt like doing and do what made them happy as an individual, would they be criticized? In Plato’s Allegory of a Cave he describes an exampleRead MoreEssay about What Is Pleasure?560 Words   |  3 Pages He did not agree with Platos statement that said, Pleasure must be in some way an ingredient of happiness. For much of his life Epicurus lived solely on bread, and it was said that he would not, for a time, drink anything except for water. He considered the good to be pleasure, but recognized that if a person simply pursued pleasure he would soon have pain. Living pleasantly without suffering from any undesirable effects of living is the acceptable way to live life. The authors of the essay