The perfectly just life, as defined by Plato in The Republic II, comprises a number of different factors. The author’s primary point about the just life is that it requires ultimate respect for those around the person. The just man is one that adheres to the implied social contract, doing the things that respect the dignity of the men and women around him. The author also has a primary point about the unjust life through his examples of the unjust man. The unjust man, according to Plato, is one who indulges in selfishness. He is one who puts wealth and the chase of wealth above the needs of the people around him. In this way, the unjust man is one who indulges the pleasures of the world rather than indulging the goodness that he is designed for.
In addition, the author makes the point that the just life is one that is enjoyed for its own sake rather than for the things that come when one lives a just life. A person living in a just way is doing so because he gains some rewards from the act of living justly. The unjust life might be one that seeks to take advantage of the benefits of the just life, but it is not necessarily one that a person engages in because it is right.
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"Perfectly Just Life".
The author’s takes here are both informative and ground-breaking from an ethical perspective. He presents a picture of justice that makes the reader think about what category justice might fall into. Is justice something that is noble for its own sake, like health or sight? Or is it just something that is good because of what it provides, like safety and societal continuity? These arguments are compelling for their ability to make the reader think, and they properly identify the constraints that make justice a difficult topic.
- Lavelle, Marianne and Jeff Smith, Why Are China and Japan Sparring Over Eight Tiny, Uninhabited Islands?, National Geographic, Oct. 25, 2012.
