Reference no: EM133612679

Assignment:

The Republic is one of the most important philosophical works ever produced. In some respects, The Apology, and the Crito were merely a "warm up" for this hefty and substantially long book written by Plato. The work is a dialogue primarily between Socrates, Plato's teacher and Galucon. However, there are a variety of other characters that appear in this dialogue (Plato not being one of them), which are all meant to represent a different part of the soul and thereby mirror the parts of the state. Cephalus, who's name means head, represents the ideas of age, and tradition. He is a wealthy and retired old businessman and the head of a business family. Cephalus exemplifies the seasoned experienced man who is not a philosopher, but has attempted to live the good life and to adopt a virtuous lifestyle. Socrates challenges him early in the dialogue which is a metaphor in many ways of the Philosopher King challenging the notions and ideas of tradition. Cephalus is ultimately banished (the removal of himself from the conversation) which is to say the old notions of tradition the Philosopher King not only possesses the ability to challenge these notions and remove them, but possibly is duty bound to do so, especially if those notions are unjust.

QUESTIONS

1. Examining this principle of challenging traditional ideas, what contemporary issue(s) would you identify that are rooted in traditional notions of the state that are frequent topics of challenge, and what are the most common arguments posed by traditional sophists within the state?
2. Are philosopher kings duty bound to challenge tradition on principle, or only under the circumstances when tradition endangers the existence of justice? (Be certain to consider the arguments that Plato makes throughout the Republic about justice.)