Plato's Republic

ANG SINGSING NI GYGES (BOOK 2) 

- socrates and glaucon are speaking 

- (plato uses socrates as a character — when socrates is speaking, that’s based on plato’s thoughts) 

- glaucon asks, “talaga ba at totoong gusto mong himukin kami na sa lahat ng paraan ay mas mabuti ang makatarungan kaysa sa di-makatarungan o mukhang nahimok (nappersuade) mo lang kami?” 

• Glaucon is confused between makatarungan vs. di makatarungan 

• Is it really good for a person to be just vs. not just? 

• Because they may have the opportunity to be the “winner” if they aren’t just. Karamihan sa maraming tao na pinipili ang katarungan ay ginagawa ito ng may pagtitiis. For ex. They need to do this to make their image better sa people or because they want to go to heaven 

- others say, well glaucon, the concept of being just  started in the need to makipagsundo sa gumagawa ng hindi makatarungan para hindi dumanas ng kawalang katarungan 

• We won’t do unjust actions so unjust actions won’t be done to us 

- because of this, laws and agreements have been made and tinawag na “makaturgan” 

- aayawan ng isang tao ang paggawa ng di-makatarungan o something unlawful because there is PUNISHMENT for those who do this 

- a person is napipilitan lamang na gumawa ng makatarungan because they don’t want the di-makatarungan experience 

• Relativists say that doing good is not voluntary, it’s forced because we don’t want to be punished 

- because of this, Glaucon made a hypothesis: 

“WALANG TAONG MAKATARUNGAN DAHIL SA SARILI NITO.”

- Glaucon mentioned an experiment to explain this hypothesis 

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Ang singsing ni Gyges

- Ang ninuno ni Gyges ay Lydian. Sabi nila isa siyang pastol na naglilingkod sa hari noon ng Lydia. Dumating ang isang unos (mahabang tagulan etc.)  at isang lindol; at nabiyak ang lupa, at bumuka ito sa pook na pinag pastulan niiya. Nakita niya ito, nagtaka, at nilusong yung crack

- doon, nakakita siya ng maraming kagila-gilalas na bagay sang-ayon sa istorya at partikular ang isang kabayong bakal na hungkang at may mga bintana sa tagiliran, pinasok niya ito at nakakita ng isang bangkay, sa ayos nito, hamak ang lalaki kesa tao at walang kasuotan maliban ang isang ginintuang singsing sa kamay na kinuha niya at saka lumabas 

- nakaugalian ng mga people na magdalos ng buwanang pulong upang iulat sa hari ng kani-kanilang alagang kawan. Dumalo siya sa ganitong pulong na suot ang singsing. Habang nakaupo kasama ng iba, napaglaruan niyang paikutin ang bato ng singing and when it faced him, he became invisible to the people he was talking to and left them. When he turned it away, he became visible. 

- he used this power to become the messenger  of the king and seduce the king’s wife and kill the king and overthrow him. 

- THE QUESTION OF GLAUCON: 

• If there are two rings and each was worn by a just person vs. unjust, none of them can withstand the responsibility of being just. 

• Wala sa kanila makakapagtiis na magpigil para sa ari-arian ng iba at hindi ito pakialaman 

• According to glaucon, this is proof that no one is voluntarily makatarungan. We are all just forced

- socrates responds sa pamamagitan ng pag alam sa kung ano ang pinakaganap na katarungan vs. pinakaganap na di-makatarungan; at di makatarungan na talagang walang bahid ng katarungan (pure just person, unpure unjust person, and pure unjust person?? HUH?)

• According to glaucon, this is proof that no one is voluntarily makatarungan. We are all just forced

- How can be we experts of what is just and unjust? 

• Kailangang hubaran siya ng lahat maliban sa katarungan at itanghal na kasalungat ng nauna 

• Hindi nakakagawa ng anumang kamalian, ibigay sa kanya ang pinagkadakilang posibleng reputasyon sa kawalang katarungan upang masuboks iya para sa katarungan bagaman hindi napanlambot ng pagkasira ng pangalan at lahat ng kaakibat nito 

• Kaya bayaan siyang magpatuloy ng hindi nagbabago hanggang kamatayan, pinaniniwalang di makatarungan sa kaniyang buong buhay bagaman siya ay makatarungan 

• At para kapuwa sila umabot sa kasukdulan, isa sa katarungan at isa sa kawalang-katarungan at nang mahatulan kung alin sa kanila ang mas maligaya at mas masuwerte 

- for plato and socrates, we are naturally good. But are we really? 

- Glaucon asks Socrates ano bang klase ng buhay ang nahihintay sa taong makatarungan at sa taong di makatarungan? Who is lucky? Who is respected? Who is praised? Who has power? 

Reputation by Adeimantus 

- the brother of Glaucon discusses the concept of reputation 

- a lot of people ay gumagawa ng mabuti para sa reputasyon at hindi para sa kabutihan mismo 

- adeimantos mentions the study from “mararangal na makatang sina Hesiod at Homer”: pinagpala daw ng mga diyos ang people who are just. In contrast, the true reason why being just was created is because of the “gift” or “prize” that one will get from this OR because they fear punishment 

- according to Adeimantos, being unjust is more practical and beneficial for a person (ex. Rich corrupt people, politicians, etc.) 

- sometimes, the Lord uses temptation to test those who are good 

- the road towards being good is hard especially of temptation 

- according to people, being good has no benefit. Its only effect is pagkalugi, pagod, at problema. However, if I get called just or good despite being neither of those, people say that i will go to heaven 

Bakit kailangang maging matwid? Bakit kailangang sundin ang makatwiran? 

- if we listen to plato, he’ll ask in return, “bakit kailangang may kontrol sa sarili sa halip na maging alipit ng ibang pagnanasa? (desire)” 

- mas gugustuhin mo bang maging victor ang evil sa loob mo? 

- if Plato answers this question, he’ll say that it's pointless because humans are innately good. We just forgot it. 

• We have to remember that we’re good 

• ANAMNESIS = remembering 

• This can be done through the socratic method, discussion

Bakit nga ba mas pinipili ang masama?

- according to plato, all of us are inclined to do good 

- but we make mistakes in estimating to do what is good 

• We have different views on what is good

• Sometimes this can be misinterpreted / altered

- no one chooses to do evil knowingly 

- even the most evil person is inclined to do good because they still have the concept of what is good (well, according to plato) 

- pano nga ba maliliwanagan sa totoong mabuti? (BOOK 7!) 

THE ALLEGORY OF YUNGIB (BOOK 7)

- in the story, there is a group of prisoners who have their necks and hands tied so that they’ll only see one part of the cell 

- at their back, is a group of people who are showing them different statues of people and animals using the light of the fire 

- however, hindi nakikita ng mga prisoners ang apoy at artificial stuff. They only see the statues and for them, this is the reality 

- hypothetically, if there is a prisoner who escaped. 

• At first, he won’t understand na nakakasilaw ang liwanag ng apoy. Masakit sa mata! (truth hurts) 

• He will think and believe what is familiar to him 

• But a time will come where he will understand this level of truth and he’ll understand more things instead of what he believed initially 

• And he will feel bad for the other prisoners whose knowledge are limited 

• If he tells others his newfound knowledge, he might be put endangered, be treated as a deviant, or someone crazy because their beliefs are different 

- plato showcases the true perspective of a person 

- we believe what we see, what everyone believes 

- if we don’t dig deeper, we might fall fail into the phenomenon 

- we need to use our minds to understand better 

- plato wakes us up from our delusion and warns us about the dangerous life of believing only in one thing 

- when we are enlightened, it is our responsibility to share this light with others

• A person who does not want to share this “light,” has not truly understood the truth