Analysis Of Socrates Views On Self-Discipline
📌Category: | Philosophy, Socrates |
📌Words: | 669 |
📌Pages: | 3 |
📌Published: | 15 January 2022 |
In both readings, Socrates illustrates the principles of justice and self-discipline within a society by comparing just behavior with unjust behavior. He begins his assessment by detailing that each person in a community should be assigned only one job that suits their skills the best. He states, “quantity and quality are therefore more easily produced when a man specializes appropriately on a job for which he is naturally fitted, and neglects all others” (Plato,370b). It can be concluded that Socrates believes that for a state to be self-disciplined, the citizens living in it must focus only on their own skills and not attempt to deviate from their own purpose (Plato, 370d). We can see that if one were to attempt something new, it would likely result in a person performing inadequate work. To keep the community balanced and operating efficiently, each person must keep themselves focused on their own talents and professions (Plato, 370d) without the need of outside forces always keeping them in check, thus being self-disciplined.
To build upon his argument of self-discipline, he makes it clear that he does not believe that a society should attempt to deviate from a good system once they have it in place (424b). Instead, a society should continue to operate in a way that is effective and that any attempt to improve a system could cause its collapse. (Plato, 424b). He argues, “in a word therefore society should continue to operate in a way that is effective and that any attempt to improve a system could cause its collapse. (Plato, 424b). He argues, “in a word therefore, those in charge of our state must stick to the system of education and see that no deterioration creeps in; they must maintain it as a first priority and avoid at all costs any innovation in the established physical or academic curriculum” (Plato, 424b). From this argument, it can be concluded that it is important to him that a society sticks to what it knows and remains self-disciplined in its established processes. Furthermore, any attempts to shake its foundation would represent a society that lacks the aforementioned self-discipline, and it is one that would not be worthy of attempting to fix. Instead, he believes that the rulers of society should silence any individual that would attempt to spread detrimental information (Plato, 424b). Altogether, he believes that a self-disciplined society is one that stays true to established principles.
In addition to a state being self-disciplined, Socrates also illustrates the importance of being just in a community, especially pertaining to positions of elevated authority, such as a judge. He believes that it is right professionals in certain occupations to have experience with opposing forces, but not in others (Plato, 408d). For example, he believes that it is necessary for a doctor to have an encounter with various diseases, but it is not acceptable for a judge to have a criminal background (Plato, 409b). He conjectures, “the mind must, while it is still young, remain quite without experience of or contact with bad characters, if its condition is to be truly good and its judgements just” (Plato, 409b). In this passage, he is explaining that if a judge were to have a criminal record, his mind would be corrupt and biased, thus lacking a just discipline. However, if a doctor were plagued with a certain disease and conquered it, he would be an expert in curing in others. (Plato, 409b)
Furthermore, he argues that the best of men hold true to their beliefs in the face of opposition. In particular, he demonstrates that the ruler class should only consist of those men that can past rigorous tests that would challenge their integrity, in order to ensure that they will always do what is best for the community (Plato, 413d). Although in this passage, he is talking about the guardians' class in particular, the reader can draw from it that the strongest of men will not give up their beliefs, even in the face of danger. (Plato, 413d). Instead, the most just men will retain their integrity even when faced with the most taxing of challenges (Plato, 413d). If this position is to be accepted, it would imply that some people are more just than others and are meant to rule, while others are meant to follow.