Professional Documents
Culture Documents
• Piraeus is port of Athens and source of “outlandish ways of life”; The Piraeus was
also a place of resistance to “Thirty Tyrants” who ruled Athens after defeat by
Sparta
○ Polemarchus ends up dying by the hands of the tyrants while Socrates
suspected of showing sympathy to the tyrants
○ Socrates death is indirectly caused by the Thirty Tyrants
• Polemarchus is forcing Socrates to come with them but plays it off like a friendly
discussion (Polemarchus is the son of Cephalus)
• Ariston is Plato’s father, Glaucon and Adeimantus were his brothers; Lysias is a
classic orator who plays a role in overthrow of tyrants and restoration of
democracy; Thrasymachus taught rhetoric; Cephalus is not Athenian and lacks civil
rights but pays taxes
• Socrates eager to what it is like to become old, what it is like at “the threshold
of old age” (right before death)
• Cephalus says that many believe they reminisce about pleasures of youth and
bewail the abuse of old people
• Cephalus believes that old age brings great peace, freedom, relaxation; the
feeling about old age is in the character of the being rather than age itself
• Cephalus agrees that most don’t believe him because he is wealthy but he
argues that decency and wealth not just wealth determine how old age is
• Socrates asks if Cephalus made his money (he did) because Socrates notices he
is not overly fond of it whereas most money-makers treasure their money
• For Cephalus the best part about having wealth is that he could live an honest
life and be happy in old age instead of worried about Hades
• The dialogue opens with Socrates considering what justice is: by Simonedes
general definition it is the repayment of one’s debts
○ Socrates questions how giving back weapons to someone who is crazy
could be considered just
• Socrates and Polemarchus suggest the definition is giving back what one
deserves/ what is fitting
• Polemarchus says justice is giving good to friends and harm to enemeies
○ Socrates uses the example of a doctor as best able to give health to
friends and bad to enemies
○ Polemarchus suggests that just man makes allies with friends and war
with enemies
○ Socrates contends that when there is no sickness a doctor is useless so
with no war is the just man useless?
• Polemarchus contends that justice is useful in peacetime to make
contracts/partnerships
○ Socrates argues that the just man is worse than the craftsman in matters
relating to craftsmanship
○ Polemarchus says the just man is useful in money matters
Socrates contends that experts with money are more useful than
just men
○ Polemarchus says that just men are useful for keeping money safe
Socrates says that when treasure is not used, the just man is useful;
justice is useful when things are not in use and useless when they
are
• Socrates asserts that those best at causing one thing should be best at
preventing it
• Polemarchus believes that justice is helping who one thinks is good and
harming who one thinks is bad
○ Soc says that some people may actually help enemies and harm friends
as a result
As a result it would be in some cases just to help enemies and harm
friends
○ Polemarchus revises the definition of friend and enemy; friends are good
and enemies are bad (not just seem)
• Polemarchus allows that it is just to harm the bad and the enemy
○ Socrates says this will make the enemy worse (i.e. more unjust)
○ Since justice cant create injustice, injustice must create injustice
Thus, it is never just to harm anyone because this would create
injustice