Philosophy 152 Philosophy of Human Nature Darwall Fall 1996 PLATO I I Critically Evaluating Philosophical Positions and Arguments A. Is the position justified? 1. What reasons to believe it? 2. Are they true? 3. Do they support the position? B. What consequences does the position have--i.e. what would be true if it were true? Do these raise question about the position itself? C. What objections can you see to the position? How could these best be responded to? How would you respond to them if you held the position. II Intellectual Empathy and Critical Thought III Background for Plato's Republic IV What is the Challenge? A. Distinction between kinds of goods (note examples) B. Is justice good in itself? V Glaucon's theory of justice: A. "Most men say that to be unjust is good but to suffer injustice is bad." (10) B. "the measure of evil suffered by one who is wronged is generally greater than the good enjoyed by the one who does wrong." (10) C. So those who cannot be unjust with impunity "find it profitable to draw up a compact with one another. . . to bind them all neither to suffer injustice nor to commit it." (10-11) D. What do you think Glaucon means by justice and injustice? How can there be a compact without justice? E. Prisoner's Dilemma F. Glaucon's challenge: No one is willingly just. G. The Ring of Gyges VI The Crucial Experiment (13-14) VII Socrates's task VIII Justice in the State and Justice in the Person (17) IX Justice in the State A. The division of labor B. Producers, Guardians, Rulers C. Justice: each doing his proper task