Book IX Summary
Tyrannical Character
- Book IX starts with a detailed depiction of the tyrannical individual, emphasizing psychological accuracy.
- Socrates then addresses Glaucon's challenge from Book II through three arguments.
Argument 1: Five Cities and Character Types
- Philosopher-kings are happiest and most just.
- The ranking of virtue and happiness goes: timocrat, oligarch, democrat, and finally, tyrant (most unjust and wretched).
Argument 2: Tripartition of the Soul
- Philosophers can better assess the pleasantness of their lives compared to those who love money or honor.
Argument 3: Metaphysical Theory of Pleasure
- Philosophers experience truer and purer pleasures than those driven by money or honor.
- The book concludes with a vivid portrayal of the unjust soul.
Desires
- Some unnecessary pleasures and desires are lawless, typically suppressed by laws and reason but can emerge strongly in sleep.
- Healthy individuals engage their rational side before sleep, moderating appetites and soothing their spirited part to grasp the truth better.
Evolution of a Tyrannical Man
- A democratic man, influenced by sophisticated but immoral desires, balances between thrift and indulgence.
- If this man's son is exposed to extreme lawlessness, he may develop an intense erotic love, leading to madness and tyranny.
- This love destroys moderation, filling him with imported madness.
Characteristics of a Tyrannical Man
- Driven by erotic love, he pursues feasts, luxuries, and girlfriends, leading to financial ruin and violence.
- He will steal and use force against his parents, and disregard traditional values.
- He is controlled by anarchy and lawlessness, driven by erotic love to sustain himself and his unruly desires.
Tyranny in a City
- If only a few tyrannical men exist, they may become mercenaries or bodyguards for other tyrants.
- If numerous, they create a tyrant, the most tyrannical of all, enslaving his fatherland and seeking constant obedience.
The Tyrant's Nature
- A tyrannical person lacks true friends, is always a master or a slave, and is untrustworthy and unjust.
- His life is a continuous nightmare, becoming more wretched the longer he rules.
Tyrant vs. King
- A city ruled by a tyrant is the worst, while one ruled by a king is the best.
- A tyrant's soul is enslaved, unable to do what it wants, filled with disorder and regret.
- Tyrants are fearful, poor, and given to lamentation.
The Actual Tyrant
- The tyrant who gains actual power is even more wretched than the private man.
- He is like a prisoner, unable to travel or enjoy freedom, constantly surrounded by enemies.
- The tyrant is a slave to his desires, envious, unjust, and friendless.
Ranking of Rulers
- The king is the best, most just, and happiest, while the tyrant is the worst, most unjust, and most wretched.
Three Parts of the Soul
- Corresponding to the three parts of the soul (learning, spirit, appetite) are three types of people: philosophic, victory-loving, and profit-loving, each with distinct pleasures.
- Philosophers have the most experience of all pleasures and are the finest judges.
True vs. Untrue Pleasures
- Pleasures apart from those of a knowledgeable person are untrue and impure, like shadow paintings.
- The absence of pain isn't pleasure and vice versa; calm is intermediate.
- Most bodily pleasures are relief from pain.
- Those inexperienced in truth hold unsound opinions and are deceived by comparing pain to painlessness.
Care of the Soul vs. Body
- Fillings of the soul are superior to those of the body.
- Those without reason or virtue are stuck in a cycle of mixed pleasures and pains, like cattle.
The Philosophic Soul
- Desires following knowledge and reason attain the truest pleasures.
- When the philosophic part leads the soul, there is justice and true pleasure.
- The tyrannical desires are furthest from reason, making the tyrant's life most unpleasant.
Comparison of King and Tyrant
- A tyrant is three times three times removed from true pleasure (image of tyrannical pleasure is a plane figure).
- A king lives 729 times more pleasantly and a tyrant the same amount more wretched.
Image of the Soul
- The soul is portrayed with: a multi-headed beast, a lion, and a human.
- Injustice makes the beast and lion strong, while starving the human; justice ensures the human rules, domesticating the beast and befriending the lion.
Justice vs. Injustice
- Justice ensures the human within has the most control. Praisers of justice speak truly regarding pleasure, reputation, and advantage.
Conventions of Fine and Shameful
- Fine actions subordinate beastlike parts to the human/divine; shameful enslave the gentle to the savage.
- Unjustly acquired wealth enslaves the best part of oneself to the most vicious.
Harmony of the Soul and Body
- A person of understanding values studies producing a harmonious soul.
- Harmony of the body is cultivated for the sake of the soul.
- Both increase and expenditure of wealth is regulated by the constitution within.
Politics
- Such a person participates willingly in politics of a city based on theory.
- The aim is to be a citizen of a heavenly city, regardless of its existence on earth.