Plato's The Republic: philosophical foundations and political theory

Plato and Descartes

Cephalus defines morality and justice as praying to the gods in the correct manner. However, Socrates argues that, rather than an active practice of goodness or justice, Cephalus is merely trying to morally shield himself from ill consequences of his acts, acting out of fear rather than justice or virtue.

Q2.Thrasymachus defines justice as might making right, namely that justice is merely determined by whomever is stronger in the society at a particular point in time, against which Socrates argues that to argue for such a self-serving manner of government would be as to argue that a physician exists merely to serve his own health, rather than the health of a patient.

Q3. A thing may be good in reason, spirit, and appetite -- a distinction made by Socrates to set up the need for a threefold caste system in the ideal society.

Q4.For Glaucon, it would be foolish for a stronger person to enter into a social contract, and for a weaker person to refuse the protections of civil society.

Q5. The three divisions of the soul, of reason, spirit and appetite mimic the ideal social classes of the ideal society. The guardians or philosophers represent reason and are thus the ruling classes, followed by the military auxiliaries who are representative of spirit and protect the guardians, and the human appetite are represented by those who work with their hands like farmers, artisans and people of trade.