GUIDE TO THE PHILOSOPHY 1938 - 1947.pdf - Rare Books at ...

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24 ETHICS AND POLITICS: THE GREfcKS
This does not mean that they reverence morality and hate
immorality, but simply that they prefer tlic consequences
which attend the former to those with which society has
taken care to discourage the latter. Thus, morality is
honoured not for itself, but for its rewards. Compare
justice and injustice as they are in themselves, stripped,
that is to say, of their consequences; nay, more, visit the
just man with the consequences which usually attend
upon injustice, and give him the reputation of being unjust
into the bargain, and who would wish to be just?
Is it, in the face of these arguments, possible to prove
that justice is intrinsically superior to injustice, that moral-
ity, in other words, is in itself better than immorality?
If it is possible, say Glaucon and Adeimantus in effect, will
you please, Socrates, to prove it?
A Political Answer to an Ethical Question. The
case is a formidable one, and the remainder of! Plato's
Republic either directly or by implication, is devoted to
answering it With the details of Socrates's1 answer we
are not at the moment concerned. What concerns our
present purpose is to point out that though the question
is an ethical one is morality in itself superior to immorality
and, if so, why? the answer to it takes a political form.
For, in order to answer it, Socrates proceeds to the construction
of an ideal State.
Reasons for Construction of the Ideal State. The
ostensible reason which Socrates gives for adopting this
course is that, ifwe are in search of the principle of morality
(a principle which in the Republic is called the principle of
justice) in order that, having found out what it really is
in itself, we may be in a position to decide whether it
1 Socrates is the leading character of the Republic and, indeed, of most
of Plato** Dialogues. There is controversy as to whether the Socrates
of the Dialogues is closely modelled on the historical personage; or
is merely a dramatic character invented as a mouthpiece for Plato's
ideas. The weight of opinion at present inclines to the former ,
view, at any rale in regard to the Socrates of the earlier Dialogues.