Glaucon And Socrates Summary

Glaucon states that all goods can be divided into three classes: things we desire for consequences, like medical treatment; and things that we desire only for our own sake, such as joy; and, the highest class, things we desire both for their own sake and what we can get from them, like knowledge, sight, and health. Glaucon wants Socrates to prove his point that justice is not only desirable, but that it belongs to the highest class of desirable things, that are desired both for their own sake and for their own consequences. Justice is from human weakness and vulnerability, and since we can all suffer from each other’s injustices, we tend to make a social contract agreeing to be just to one another. We suffer the burden of justice because we know that we could suffer worse without it. Justice is not something that is practiced on its own, but something one does out of fear and weakness.” But the badness of suffering is far exceeds the goodness of doing it.”

Glaucon appeals to the thoughts of experiment. Invoking the legend of the ring of Gyges, he asks us to imagine that a just man is given a ring which makes him invisible. Once in possession of this ring, the man can act unjustly with no fear. Glaucon claims,

As far as being able to obtain a lot of materialistic things that they desire and normally wouldn’t be able to get. Like for example in 2014 with the Michael Brown situation, there were so many people rioting and looting for no reason. Many of them only where out there because they saw an opportunity to obtain a few goods. Like the broke into the Nike shoe store, I mean come on if you saw that Nike store doors busted open you’d take advantage. You’re going to go in and see what you can get before the police come. Glaucon said, “Hence, those who have done and suffered injustice and who have tasted both- the ones who lack the power to do it and avoid suffering it.