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H I S T O R Y
O F
P O L I T I C A L T H O U G H T
–
P L A T O
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T O D A Y 2
·The Sophists
·Socrates
·Plato
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Greek Enlightenment (450 BCE onwards)3
·The Sophists: Protagoras, Gorgias, Prodicus, Hippias, Thrasymachus
·Historians: Herodotus, Thucydides
·Dramatists: Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes
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The Sophists 4
Protagoras, Gorgias, Prodicus, Hippias, Thrasymachus
Foremost question:
Is it truly better to act in accordance with justice in society?
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Protagoras 5
Acting in a just manner is taught in society;
all are able to reach a basic level;
some have greater talent and excel
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Protagoras 6
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Thrasymachus 7
Justice is merely to the advantage of the stronger,
the weak are those who abide by justice
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‘Ladies and gentlemen, these are not assertions. These are facts’-US Secretary of State Colin Powell to the United Nations Security Council, 5th February 2003
8Thrasymachus
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9Socrates (470-399 BCE)
Redefines justice by making it intrinsically valuable
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10Trial of Socrates (399 BCE)
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11Plato (427-347 BCE)
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12Theory of the soulRational,
Spirited Appetitive
justice = self-discipline
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13Division of labour
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15Magnus Zeller - The Orator (c.1920)