Morality and Happiness: Book IV of Plato's Republic

Abstract

Book IV of the Republic offers a pioneering argument for the value of morality in its own right and as such stands at the head of an important strand of our moral tradition. Plato's Socrates argues that the human psyche has three “parts”: reason, a spirited part, and an irrational appetitive part. Each part seeks its own goods: primarily food, drink, and sex for appetite; victory, achievement, recognition and the like for the spirited part. Reason's wisdom is required, however, to correct for the shortsightedness of appetite and the blindness of ambition in seeking their respective goods Under reason's wise rule, the three together can form a just unity, a psychological commonwealth in which each part receives its just due. Their concerted action leads to treating others justly as well. Such justice in the soul, such psychic harmony, is worth more than any material advantage that might be gained by committing injustice.