After looking at the piece from Plato in class, and the piece we started reading in class and finished reading at home, please point to a passage that you think tries to get at a universal truth and tries to establish the ground for something absolute. You can also point out if that passage succeeds or fails to establish a metaphysical truth.
Due MONDAY (not Friday as previously stated).
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From Plato's "The Republic" I think the last few sentences on page 6 point to a universal truth. "Now, the man who finds many unjust deeds in his life often even wakes up from his sleep in a fright as children do, and lives in anticipation of evil. To the man who is conscious in himself of no unjust deed, sweet and good hope is ever beside him- a nurse of his old age, as Pinda puts it." These two sentences do not discuss race, religion, or the specifics of what right and wrong are defined as, but rather what a man (or woman even) might feel if they are racked with guilt over something. However, the man who knows himself and has lived a life of justice will be able to grow old happily with good hope. This universal truth can apply to any time, or any person without making exceptions, save for the person who does not feel guilt.
In the portion of "The Republic" that we read in class, Plato pontificates on the fact that there is both bad and good in the world. He states that both of these exist inside each man, as a part of his nature, and that man must let the rational part of his mind run him, lest he become non-virtuous. If he does take the path of injustice, he will end up an "unhealthy" of sorts, causing a deterioration of his soul. In this, Plato proves the universal truth of virtue, by assessing it as a part of human nature and existence.
Further on in "The Republic", Plato takes this part of our nature, and tries to assess what is just and unjust to all. On page fourteen, he assess that all people are good by nature, that bad men exist because good men "make other bad men by virtue". According to this quote and the information surrounding it, all that exists in the world is justice, and the men are not bad, but simply made to look less virtuous by those of stronger morals. Men do not have the intention to harm each other, but instead are simply trying to help others. This reinforces idea of the good nature of men, which is another universal truth.
By proving that the true nature of man is good that can either be shown up or corrupted, Plato has proven that man himself has a universal truth inside of him. Our nature as human beings is to be virtuous and to help others, and so we, in ourselves, are the truth of justice and virtue.
In Plato'S "The Republic" he discusses how virtue is a universal truth. He explains that since ther is bad and good in all men,and by living a concious, rational life a person will be virtous. He states bad virtue is an illusion for a person of great virtue can make a person of lesser virtue appear bad. To obtain virtue one needs to practice justice. It is the morals and standards humans live by that create the universal truth of vritue and justice.
In Plato's "The Republic", justice is considered a virtue in which every individual possesses this. Justice is doing good to your friends and bad to your enemies, but theres a difference between pure good and pure bad. Those you love are those you distinguish as good and those you hate are your enemies. It is an art in which people steal for the benefits of their friends and harm their enemies. Though Plato suggests that the good are their enemies for which humans fail to determine their real enemies and friends due to their finite perceptions.
The truth behind justice is hard to distinguish. Justice, though a virtue, and which people do it for reasons only for themselves., it causes conflicts. You are not doing it for the good of itself, for someting that is greater than just you.
In "The Republic," Plato discusses virtue and truth through healthiness and unhealthiness. He talks about the soul and that through truth and right and just actions lead to a healthy soul, while wrongdoings lead to a poisoned soul. This rotten soul then makes life pointless and insignificant because after you do unjust actions, the Truth can never be found. Life without truth, to Plato, is not life and makes you a worthless person.
This passage does not establish a metaphorical truth, but does explain how one reaches a metaphorical truth. Because there is no actual solid Truth, there is no written way to discover the truth.
Justice is the basis of life. According to Plato, only through justice can you attain the Truth and live a complete and good life. Being unjust removes the possibility of attaining the truth and makes your life pointless and meaningless. The whole goal of life is to get to the Truth and if you are only moving away from it was is the point of living. It is justice that will save the soul, otherwise guilt, pain, and jealousy will grip you.
From page 8 to 9 in Plato's republic, the passage discusses how "The just man will do good to friends and harm to enemies." This could be considered a universal truth because the man will do good deeds to people who are nice or respect a certain man will receive kindness and good from that man while enemies will receive neglect and hate from this certain man. However, is being mean to an enemy being mean to someone else's friend and being nice to someone to a friend being nice to another man's enemy? Friends can be considered enemies and enemies can be considered friends and this a metaphysical Truth.
On page 8 of "The Republic" Plato says "Does this mean that justice is doing good to friends and harm to enemies?" in response to "If the answer has to be consistent with what preceded, Socrates, the one that gives benefits and harms to friends and enemies." Plato is trying so hard to find just what makes a "just man". He finds analogies and metaphors, but fails to see what could be in front of him. Although Platonics and Sophists are two different kinds of people, they are very much alike in the sense that they overlook much of what is around them, lacking sight of what they have. Plato himself could be a "just man" and he would never know due to his lifelong search, which is an inevitable fail.
On pages 8-9 of "The Republic" Plato talks about doing good to friends and harm to enemies. I definitely think this is a universal truth. If someone is treated with respect, they will treat others with respect. If someone is treated poorly, they won't treat others kindly. Altough we are taught to treat everyone with respect, we tend to treat people how they treat us. This shows that even "Just" men have flaws and that there is good and bad in everyone.
Passage D on pg.20 of the piece we had in class tries to establish a base for a metaphysical truth and/or justice. This passage states that even when you do injustice to benifit yourself, you are still ultimately harming yourself by making yourself more vicious.
In Plato's "The Republic" he speaks about good Vs. bad, justice, and many other things. On page six he says "when a man comes near to the realization that he will be making an end, fear and care enter him for things to which he gave no thought before." I think this is one of several truths. A lot of people seem not to care about certain things during their life, like religion for example. However once that man is on his death bed, often he worries and prays to God that he will live a happy after life, or that he'll go to Heaven and not Hell. The things he used to not worry about are now being worried about and feared because the end is near.
"The just man will do good to friends and harm to enemies." is stated on page 8 of our copy of Plato's The Republic. Personally i believe that this statment is incorrect due to the loopholes that can be drawn around it. Praising the goods of a FRIEND and putting down the evils of an ENEMY sounds like a complete truth about Justice. However, (as pointed out in class) Some Friends are another person's Enemy, while some Enemys are another person's Friend. Hence causing a slip in the truth about this quote.
In what many see as Plato's greatest work, "The Republic", Plato makes many references to what is the Universal Truth and what is not. On page 8 Socrates, trying to understand what has been said, asks "Does he mean that justice is doing good to friends and harm to enemies?" This quote is debated throughout the entire passage and has been debated throughout history. This is thought by some to be a Universal Truth, but many are unaware that this truth has too many exceptions. If someone is confused to whether someone is their friend or enemy, who is to be the final judge? How can you tell know if to harm someone or do good to them if they are nor your friend or enemy? Once there is one exception in the statement, is can no longer be a Universal Truth. A Universal Truth can only be defined as one truth, with no exceptions. This truth has an exception, so it can therefore no longer be a Universal Truth. There may in fact be some truth in the statement, but not a metaphysical truth.
From Socrates- when a man comes near to the realization that he will be making and end, fear and care enter hem for things to which he gave no thought before. this quote is universal and is true
In Plato's "The Republic" he states that virtue is a universal truth. Saying that all man has good and bad in them. That the both good and bad are indeed in every man, that the rational part of the man must run their lives.
in platos republic he says that all people have good and bad in them, and its there consience that controls them. every one is born with good and bad but they have to figure out which one they are in control of.
In Plato's "The Republic", Plato said that virtue is a universal truth. Which means that everyone has both good and bad in them but that only means that we should put the rational or conscious part of our mind in charge.
In Plato's "The Republic" Plato says that there is bad and good in the world. he says that every man has this. he discusses how virtue is a universal truth. and that since every man has good and bad that they will have a concious. It will tell them what to do and if it is right or wrong. Plato discusses the different races and religions in the world, and that there is no right or wrong type that you can be. Also he says that if you have a concious then if you choose the wrong one, then you will feel guilty afterwards. Plato says that there is a justification for everything. i agre with him because you always have a reason for what you have done.
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