Glaucon brings up three types of goods.
- A sort of good we welcome, not because we desire its consequences, but because we would choose to have it for its own sake.
- A sort of good we love for its own sake, and also for the sake of its consequences.
- A sort of good we would not choose to have them for its own sake, but for the sake of its consequences
Socrates places justice in the second type, something we love both because of itself and its consequences.
Glaucon believes that the majority of people place justice in number three. This is in line with the social contract theory. If every person act unjustly for their own benefits, society would become an all for all situation and fall into a chaos.
In book 1, it was not answered what justice is.
Glaucon is going to argue
- What is justice
- Do people practice justice willingly
- The life of an unjust person is better than the just one
Injustice when acted on others is good, but when acted upon oneself is suffering. The suffering exceeds the goodness from doing it. Thus people come to an agreement to not do injustice to each other. This agreement turn into laws, and laws are seen as justice.
However, if someone has the power to do injustice without suffering its punishments, he would not agree to justice. It is human nature to desire life better than others. If a just person is given the opportunity to do injustice without punishment, he would go down the same path an unjust person would take.
An unjust person seeks to uphold an appearance of justice to acquire support from people. With the fruits he gains from being unjust, he is better equipped to give to his people and offer to the gods.
Religions support injustice through absolutions and purifications in exchange for offerings and prayers.
Of the praises given to justice, all concern either reputations, honors and the rewards that come with it.
Socrates claims justice exists on two levels. Justice that belongs to one person, and justice that belongs to a city. He was not able to answer the question on justice at the individual level.
The city soul analogy: the perfectly just city
Cities arise out of needs because people individually are not self sufficient. First is the need to sustain life. Second is shelter. Third is clothes.
Once basic needs are met, humans naturally pursue more. Given that resources are limited, the city has to seize resources from other cities.
A person is more efficient when he masters and produces one craft. So there’s a division of labor. Some people produce food, some produce tools, and some are turned into soldiers. Those who are talented to be soldiers are aggressive in nature, yet this same quality can also become a threat to society. To combat this potential threat, education is needed.
The media spreads stories that will influence the mass’s world views and shape young people’s minds. Some stories promote ideas harmful to the society. As such, media should be controlled.