Philosophy 103
Study Questions: Republic,
Book Two (to 368a)
1. Early in Book II, Glaucon distinguishes between different
classes
of good things. How does
he describe these classes? What are some
examples
of each class of good?
2. Glaucon then turns to the good of justice. In
which
of the above classes does he
think most people place justice
as
a good? Why?
3. Glaucon uses as an example the story of Gyges. What are
the
basic details of this story?
What is the story meant to prove
about
the nature of justice? (And how does it prove that?)
4. A bit later, Glaucon asks Socrates to compare the fate of a
truly
just man to that of a truly
unjust man. How does
Glaucon
develop this comparison? What is it meant to prove
regarding the nature of justice?