Platos Republic Essays - Philosophy, Platonism,

Plato's Republic ?the having and doing of one's own and what belongs to one would be agreed to be justice.? (The Republic 434a) In other words the above statement means that justice, according to Plato, is doing only the tasks assigned to them by nature. This is the fundamental notion for his creation of an ideal city. It is both knowing what true justice is and where one belongs in the city that the ideal can be achieved. What this means to politics in the ideal city is that only a certain class of person has the ability to engage in politics, just as only a certain person has the ability to engage in carpentry. Those who engage in politics would be the philosophers because just as the ideal individual searches for universal truth so must the ideal city. This is a concept that would make sense to a philosopher such as Plato, but it assumes that those who do not or cannot seek the truth, need it, or to be ruled by it in order to live in an idealistic city. It is necessary for Plato to define what true justice means in order for it to be prescribed in his city . Justice in a city, according to him, can be found in an individual as well because it is a concept that is universal; it is found within the individual and outside the individual. Thus, it is essential to the founding of a city. Justice in a city is when a division of labour takes place amongst its residents. As an individual uses his or her minds for thinking and hands for making and fighting, the ideal city classifies people into what they do best. Those with an arete (an excellence) for artistry would be artisans, or money-makers, those that could go beyond mere materialism, those that could seek the truth, would be the rulers. As the ideal individual naturally conducts himself or herself by placing reason as the guide to their conduct, the ideal city will allow those with the most reason- the philosophers- to guide the city's conduct and act in the cities collective interest. A third class, auxiliaries, would be in charge of carrying out what the philosophers, guardians of the city, decided. However, Plato does admit that this system is a hierarchy with the philosophers at the top, but he allows this because they are the only ones who can find universal truths and pass it on to those who cannot see it. To Plato the above is his vision of a justice. Within his idea of justice, Plato also has three other virtues to help categorize those within the city and find justice in the city itself- wisdom, courage, and moderation, all ideals that would sustain the city and nurture it. Wisdom is found in the philosophers, courage in the auxiliaries, and moderation found in all classes. Philosophers need wisdom and the need to know what justice is. The auxiliaries, say soldiers, need courage to protect the interests of the city. Finally, all classes need to demonstrate moderation so as not to develop injustices through excess luxury, the only luxury that a city can have is philosophizing. These virtues, if found in a city, can also help one to distinguish it as a just city. Therefore, within Plato's definition of a division of labour making a city just, he also identifies other components of it. But, for the ideal city to be nurtured, all the divisions listed must be followed to avoid injustice. Plato goes on to discuss examples of how to define this division of labour into what is just and unjust. This he states in 434a-d. If members of the same class, such as a shoemaker and a carpenter, decide to switch titles and tools there is no injustice. However, if a craftsmen tries to become a guardian of the city, this is an injustice. For if he cannot be nurtured to become a guardian or auxiliary through education and the ability to know the truth, his authority as a guardian would be illegitimate and he would bring about the obvious decay of the ideal city. What is at stake in all

The Ancient Egyptian Economy essays

The Ancient Egyptian Economy essays Ancient Egypt had a large range of resources at its disposal varying from food and Cloth to Metals and Gems. A small list of some of Egypts resources are as follows grain, vegetables, fruit, fish, cattle, goats, pigs and fowl were the primary food resources and Flax was also grown to be spun into linen. A large proportion of the grain grown was used for beer production. Natron was also produced for use in embalming but was too expensive for all but a few. The metals of Egypt were quite varied but only a small number were used they included copper, bronze and iron. Gems for the upper classes and the pharaoh and much stone was quarried for the construction of temples and of course the pyramids. The majority of the population more than nine tenths lived on the land in mostly village communities. The land they worked belonged in theory to the gods and in particularly the gods Osiris and Horus and his earthly incarnation or Avatar if you please, the pharaoh. Apart from the tenant peasants a large section of the population worked as farm laborers on the estates of noblemen and of the temples. During the New Kingdom perhaps a third of the land was in the hands of the priesthood with a large number of workers and slaves. Administrators, priests, traders and craftsmen lived mostly in the cities along the Nile, which could be supplied with provisions relatively easily and cheaply by boat. This Pie chart is a rough estimate of the social class of Ancient Egypt and what proportion of the population is in each. Vehicles with spoked wheels came into use during the New Kingdom and served mostly for warfare and sport and horses were introduced soon after but were never a major economic commodity. Poorer people continued to use Stone and wooden tools for most crafts well into the bronze and even Iron Age. The harnessing the Egyptians used on animals were extremely inef ...