Thus it cannot possibly be the proper function of a just man to harm his enemies. If one accepts that justice is itself a human excellence, then, as Socrates is quick to point out, "men who are harmed necessarily become more unjust" (335d).īut how can someone practice justice to bring about injustice? As it is never the function of heat to cool things, so we must recognize that it is never the function of a just man to harm someone. Justice as Human Excellence / the Proper Function of the Just Man: "Is it the of the just man to harm anyone at all?" (335b) To harm something, even your enemy, is to contribute to the deterioration of that entity's excellence. įriendship and "Friendship": "When you say friends, Polemarchus, do you mean those whom a man believes to be helpful to him, or those who are helpful even if they do not appear to be so?" (334c) What is the nature and significance of this distinction? Is Meno's aporia relevant to this discussion? How do you decide when someone is to count as a "true" friend? What does this imply about the "craft" of justice? Is justice not something that might mix with the other crafts? How would the discussion be affected if justice were allowed to mix with the other crafts?Īfter the discussion of justice as a craft, Polemarchus reiterates his faith in the definition attributed to Simonides: "justice is to benefit one's friends and harm one's enemies" (334b). Notice that there is no mixture yet between the various crafts under discussion. The Craft Analogy: is living a just life analogous to a craftsman's knowledge and capacity to realize a prescribed end? What role does this analogy play in the dialogue between Socrates and Polemarchus? (332c-334c). Putting trust in Simonides: What is implied in the introductory remarks by Polemarchus? [One should understand that quoting famous poets in ancient times was practically akin to quoting scripture in the modern era.) 1: The Conversation with Cephalus (329a-331d): How does the conversation between Cephalus and Socrates evolve into a dialogue about the nature and definition of "justice?" What is the definition of justice proposed by Cephalus? How is the definition evaluated? What is wrong with defining justice in terms of always telling the truth and paying one's debts? What sort of definition do you think Socrates is looking for?Ģ: The Conversation with Polemarchus (33ld-336a): Examples include Joey and Phoebe from the 1990s sitcom Friends, and Harry and Hermione from the young adult book and movie series, Harry Potter. Platonic friendships appear in popular culture, though fans like to point out sexual tensions or even ship them. But people misused and abused it, and the section was removed in 2018 along with all the other categories found in the personals section due to sex-trafficking concerns. In the 2000s, the term was used by the online classifieds website Craigslist in a section titled Strictly Platonic, meant for posts involving people seeking friendships. Many, however, like to argue that true platonic friendship can’t exist, as sexual attraction will always creep in between people. It originally referred to a relationship between a man and a woman, but has since expanded to include people of all genders. In its contemporary sense, platonic love involves a close friendship between two people where there doesn’t exist sexual desire. Over time, the idea of platonic love evolved into a friendship lacking a sexual component, especially due to social circumstances. Platonic love was viewed as a relationship devoid of sensual desires, instead grounded in the intellectual connection between two people. Platonic popped up again in the 1630s in England, where there was a renewed interest in Plato’s teachings. Ficinio’s platonic love was a Christian take on Plato’s ideas. It was based on ancient Greek philosophy of Plato, who saw the love of beauty itself as a higher, more ideal form of love than of the flesh. He spoke of amor platonicus (“platonic love”), a kind of divine, soul-connected love. The concept of platonic goes back to Florentine scholar Marsilio Ficino in the 15th century.
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