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GLAUCON IN PLATOS REPUBLIC II

Anthony Price

A CONTRACT THEORY OF JUSTICE

Glaucon imagine a !air o" agent# o" $hom !re%iouly one $a &ut an' one un&ut# $hoe!o$er i acri(e' on the mo'el o" the myth o" Gyge to a magic ring (eto$ing in%ii(ility) Thino$ tran!ort it !oeor (eyon' human "alli(ility an' in'i%i'ual im!otence* (oth o" them#

&ut an' un&ut ali+e# $ill (e una(le no$ to re"rain "rom (rea+ing the rule o" &utice againta'ultery# mur'er# an' the li+e ,-./(c0) Ringle# $e ha%e reaon to (e &ut# (ut only a a econ'1

(et* a(le to 'o $rong (ut lia(le to (e $ronge'# $e ma+e a ocial contract that 'enie u (oth thea'%antage an' the 'ia'%antage o" in&utice ,-23e1-24a0) 5Jutice6 then (ecome the la(el o"act that are !ermitte' (y the la$7 it o!!oite i the legal category o" "or(i''en $rong'oing or5malum !rohi(itum6)

A PRO89E:

Ho$e%er# there i a 'i""iculty) ;e are tol' ,-23e0 that men ay that it i naturallygoo' to 'o$rong or act un&utly# an' (a' to (e $ronge' or treate' un&utly7 $ith a minor o''ity# theagreement i to "orego both,-24(0) Thu it a!!ear that &utice i an arti"icial %irtue ,a uality that there i reaon to ac>uire an' 'i!lay "rom the agent6 !oint o"%ie$7 it i artificially that &utice (ecome a virtue# that i ,a Socrate an' hi interlocutor

aume0# a tate neceary "or the ha!!ine o" agent)Yet ho$# in a!!lication to act $ithin a tate o" nature# i &utice to (e un'ertoo'# an' it

e=tenion gra!e' a a unity? Perha! Glaucon o""er an im!licit glo that 'e"ine &uticeouti'e the la$* to remain &ut i to a(tain "rom $hat (elong to other ,-./(0) Socrate $ill not'iagree* &utice i neither ha%ing $hat (elong to other# nor (eing 'e!ri%e' o" one6 o$n,@)@--e0) Yet uch remar+ rather mo%e $ithin a moral circle than re'uce the moral to thenatural* it i e>ually a!!oite to ay that $hat i my o$n i that o" $hich it $oul' (e un&ut to'e!ri%e me) ;e may rather u!!oe that $hat e=ite' (e"ore the contract $a not reentment o"in&utice a a uni"ying (ut a(tract "eature o" act o" %ariou +in'# (ut "ear o" a $i'e %ariety o"concrete ty!e o" action that $ere later to (e clai"ie' together# an' !enalie'# a 5un&ut6) I" o#it i retrospectively that ome ty!e o" act !er"orma(le in a tate o" nature are concei%e' o" aun&ut)

P9ATO6S REJECTION OF SUCH AN ACCOUNT

Plato ha t$o groun' "or re&ecting thi a!!roach),B0 It 'oe not $or+* the content o" a %irtue# or the range o" action that accor' $ith it#

cannot (e e=!licate' (y concrete rule o" con'uct# ho$e%er com!le=) Thi $a "irt intimate'$ithin theRepublic$hen Socrate o(&ect to Ce!halu that it i $rong to i'enti"y (eing &ut $ithtelling the truth an' returning $hat one ha (orro$e'# "or thee act are not al$ay &ut ,a $hena (orro$er i a+e' to return ome $ea!on (y a len'er $ho ha gone ma'# B)--Bc'0) A morereilient !artici!ant than Ce!halu might u!!oe that one ha only to try again# (ut the o(&ection"all $ithin a !attern to $hich Socrate later allu'e $hen he 'ecri(e ho$ the young can (e

corru!te' (y counter1e=am!le to attem!t to 'e"ine the &ut or the "ine (y a!!eal to general la$or ma=im ,)2-3c1e0) One $ay out i (y a !ecial +in' o" %aguene* !erha! &utice i gi%ingall men their 'ue ,B)--Be0) 8ut uch !ara!hrae either in%ite the ame o(&ection# or mo%e

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aroun' the moral circle mentione' a(o%e* i" gi%ing all men their 'ue 'oe not re'uce to returning$hat one ha (orro$e' an' the li+e# it may more %aguely (e e>uate' $ith gi%ing them $hat ia!!ro!riate to them ,--Be1--Dc0 11 that i# gi%ing them $hat they &utly 'eer%e) Glaucon6account "are (etter# (ut not $ell) That $hat i &ut coinci'e $ith $hat the la$ !recri(e or

!ermit ,D)-24a0 i only !laui(le i" the la$ ue term ,li+e 5mur'er6 an' 5a'ultery60 $hoea!!lication 'e!en' u!on a hare' ene o" &utice)

,D0 Glaucon6 "rame$or+ !ro%i'e %irtue $ith the $rong +in' o" &uti"ication) To ho$ $hathe $oul' !re"er# he o""er Socrate an e=hauti%e trichotomy o" goo'* ,a0 goo' that $e $elcome"or their o$n a+e an' not "or their cone>uence# uch a en&oyment# an' harmle !leaure thatonly (ring en&oyment7 ,(0 goo' that $e $elcome (oth "or their o$n a+e an' "or theircone>uence# uch a un'ertan'ing# ight# an' health7 ,c0 goo' that $e $elcome only "or theircone>uence# uch a e=ercie# (eing heale'# an' 'octoring or other money1ma+ing ,-2('0)Socrate re!lie that he $oul' !lace &utice in cla ,(0# $hich i the 5"inet6 category ,-23a0)Other$ie# a oon (ecome e=!licit# the %alue o" &utice (ecome %aria(le an' contingent* getyourel" a magic ring# an' it e%a!orate)

;HAT G9AUCON ;ANTS IN ITS P9ACE

Justice as an internal state*Glaucon a!!ear to hi"t "rom &utice a a !ractice to &utice a atate o" oul* he $ihe to hear $hat &utice an' in&utice are# an' $hat !o$er each !oee inan' o" itel" $hen it i !reent in the oul ,(@1.# c") -..e0) It (ecome e=!licit that he i hi"tinghi "ocu "rom it e=ternal to it internal o!eration $hen he a+ ho$ it act u!on it !oeor,-.(# e0) The hi"t i moti%ate' (y hi concern $hether it i a goo' thing "or an agent to be&ut)It uit Plato more !articularly# (oth antici!ating $hat i to come# an' recalling the mot !regnant

!aage o" 8oo+ B* in&utice occurring $ithin an in'i%i'ual 'oe not loe it !o$er# (ut here too!ro'uce "action an' enmity ,B)-2Be1-2Da0) Irre!ecti%e o" $hether the "ocu (e internal ore=ternal# thi tal+ o" ho$ a tate act u!on a thing 5in an' o" itel"6 can eem a contra'iction interm# a+ing a(out cone>uence e%en a it e=clu'e cone>uence# an' ha !ro%o+e' much'icuion) One uggetion ha (een that Glaucon $ant to et ai'e not natural (ut arti"icialcone>uence# e=clu'ing re$ar' an' !enaltie that are attache' to the a!!earance ,D)-.'0 (utnot !ychological e""ect that attach to the reality7 (ut thi "ail to "it# "or trength an' health arenatural e""ect o" ta+ing e=ercie an' recei%ing treatment# $hich are !lace' $ithin category ,c0);e mut rather u!!oe that in&utice an' enmity# &utice an' "rien'hi!# tan' in an internal an'neceary relation that hel! to contitute $hat &utice an' in&utice really are ,in a manner in$hich trength 'oe not 'e"ine $hat it i to $retle# nor health $hat it i to 'iet0) irtue an'%ice ha%e real nature an' not &ut %er(al 'e"inition7 a true un'ertan'ing ,a !re1re>uiite o" a

!ro!er &uti"ication# ee -2@(0 $ill re%eal $hat it i "or them to ta+e e""ect $ithin a oul)

An apparent inconsistency*It may eem inconitent o" Glaucon to a+ Socrate to !raie &uticein an' o" itel" ,-23'B1D0# to o""er to !raie in&utice in the manner in $hich he $ihe to hear the'i!raie o" in&utice an' the !raie o" &utice ,-23'0# an' then to !ea+ at length ,$ithin the"antay o" Gyge6 or an ancetor6 ring0 a(out the cone>uence o" in&utice# e)g) $inning theo!!oite re!utation# !reuma(ly through 'ece!tion or other !loy that !ile in&utice on in&utice,-.Ba(0) Ho$e%er# he mut mean not that it i a!!ro!riate to !raie &utice an' in&utice in theame $ay# (ut that he $ihe them (oth to (e !raie' a!!ro!riately* he $ill !lay atrecommen'ing in&utice intrumentally a emanci!ation "rom a negati%e contraint# $hileSocrate mut uccee' in recommen'ing &utice intrinically a a !oiti%e i'eal) The un&ut re"ueto let &utice tan' (et$een themel%e an' $hat they $ant7 the &ut $ant to (e &ut)Turning the screw*Glaucon inteni"ie the contrat* he !ro!oe that they com!are the intrinic%alue o" &utice $ith the ma=imal intrumental (ene"it o" in&utice# imagining that the un&utagent recei%e all the re$ar' merite' (y &utice# an' the &ut agent all the !enaltie merite' (yin&utice ,-./e1-.Dc0) In u!!oing that it i (etter to (e &ut (ut im!ale' than un&ut an're!ecte'# he im!licitly ma+e a "urther re>uirement o" the moti%ation o" &ut agent* they mutnot only %alue &utice "or it o$n a+e# (ut ta+e it %alue to trumpall !oi(ly con"licting %alue#

in the ene that in cae o" con"lict it ecli!e or ilence them) Other$ie the 'eman' o" &utice$oul' (e (oun' to (e out$eighe' on occaion# ho$e%er rarely# (y other coni'eration) I" it inever to (e a'%ia(le to act un&utly ,e%en# ay# to a%oi' (eing cruci"ie'0# in&utice mut (e it

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o$n $ort !unihment# an' the e%eret !unihment there coul' !oi(ly (e) 8ut to ma+e thiout# at leat $ithin thi $orl'# i a tall or'er# an' ri+ in%iting more than a $hi"" o" inincerity#in'ee' o" alemanhi!)

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