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Edith asked:

What were Socrates' comments (his definition) on "Justice"? Where would I find the appropriate
reading material?

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Plato sees the self (psyche) and the city (polis) analogously and his idea of justice (dikaiosyne) is part
of it, like the oil in the machine which makes it function smoothly. The self has three levels. The
sensual, which requires self-control or temperance (sophrosyne). The emotional, which requires
fortitude (andria). And he rational, which requires wisdom or prudence (sophiaor phronesis). Justice
is the fourth cardinal virtue. The three parts of the self are not merely interrelated, but are modes of a
unity. "Justice" is what brings about the harmony or good relations of the parts of the self. The City is
the same. There are the people, the hoi poloi,the guardians and the philosopher/ rulers. The proper
virtue of the people, the producers, is temperance, of the guardians, fortitude and courage, and of the
philosopher/ rulers wisdom and prudence. These three classes of society maintain the balance of
right relations through the medium of justice. Justice is the quality of human being that relates
persons to one another and to themselves, both individually and socially.

The main texts by Plato on Justice are to found in the Republic(351d-352a; Book IV and Book X) and
the Laws.In the LawsPlato's ideas are extended and enriched, although not systematically. The
reader needs get the whole picture in order the see the part (justice) properly. Books I — V and VI are
about human nature in its personal and civil aspects, in term of which one will grasp the elusive form
of justice.

Matthew Del Nevo
http://www.sicetnon.com