POSC 201 FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
What are the two question plato brings up in the republic? - answers - 1. What is
justice?
2. What is more advantageous; justice or injustice?
Socrates-politics is not essentially about _____ - answers - socrates-politics is not
essentially about power
How does socrates define justice? - answers - there are three parts of the soul
(appetitive, spirited, reason) and justice is the harmony of all three working for the
rational element of the soul
Justice is best for the whole community, not just the stronger
Bronze: producers and distributers, appetitive/desire part of soul, temperance and self-
mastery
Silver:warriors, spirited part of soul, courage and bravery
Gold: philosopher rulers, reason part of soul, wisdom
What is the parable of the true captain? - answers - the people are the shipowners
The city is the ship
The crew are the sophists and the politicians
The captains are the philosophers
The sophists and politicians try to gain control of the ship
What is the dye and wool analogy? - answers - when dyeing wool, it first must be
perfectly groomed in order for the dye to look best.
Soldiers must be trained the same way so they are perfectly prepared
What is the simile of the large and powerful animal? - answers - sophists teach opinion
and call it wisdom
The keeper believes that he is in control of the beast, however he is enslaved to the
beast's desires like the sophists to the people
The sophists do whatever to please the people and be liked
In the republic, what is the divided line? - answers - the visible world versus the
intelligible world
The visible includes: belief, perception, and image making
The intelligible includes: understanding, reason, and thinking
What is the simile of the sun? - answers - the sun is the good
It provides visibility of objects and also nurtures them
,What is the allegory of the cave? - answers - story of a man chained to rock with light
and shadows on the rock wall in front of him. All he knew were the shadows. Then one
day he is freed and when he walks into the light it is a whole new world. The chained
man seeing shadows is society. The new world is heaven or how we should interpret the
world.
What we think is real is only a small part of reality
Thrasymachus and sophists are still in the cave
Only philosophers leave the cave.
What are the cardinal virtues? - answers - wisdom, courage, temperance, justice
What is plato's theory of forms? - answers - plato's theory of forms maintains that there
are two distinct levels of reality - the visible world and the intelligible world. The theory of
forms differentiates the abstract world of thought from the world of the senses.
Perfect form exists only in the mind, imperfect forms exist in reality
Who are the guardians? - answers - they are the philosopher-rulers of the city
What causes the city to be feverish? And what is the cure for the fever? - answers -
injustice and luxurious needs are the fever and politicians are the cure
Why is socrates definition of justice different from the rest of the men? - answers -
because it seems to be that he believes justice is good for everybody, the rest of the
men seem to think it is the good for individuals
What is the myth of gyges - answers - plato's story which considers the question, "why
be moral?"
A just man is given a ring to be invisible. He can now act unjustly with no fear of reprisal.
Glaucon claims that everyone would act unjustly in this situation. This shows that justice
is not desirable in itself but people act justly because they are afraid of punishment
What is the myth of the metals? - answers - three metals (bronze, silver, and gold)
represent low to high classes respectively.
What are the proposed reforms by socrates for the polis - answers - 1. Guardians do not
possess private property
2. Women and men share power
3. No private families
4. Philosophers rule
What is the form of the polis? - answers - ideal city is based on needs and not
unnecessary desires.
People do what they are best at and their social place corresponds with their soul.
, What are platos lessons regarding politics (based off of socrates' proposed reform -
answers - 1. Political power and private wealth are separate
2. Superficial differences are irrelevant
3. Public good and private interest are separate
4. Reason must guide power
What are the three imperfect cities and their characteristics?
Rulers/reason/wisdom/pursuit of justice - answers - timocracy/timocratic
persons/spirited/honor and victory
Oligarchy/oligarchs/appetitive/wealth
Democracy/democratic persons/appetitive/love of unnecessary needs
What are the perfect and second best cities? - answers - perfect/intelligible: city in
theory, philosopher-rulers, rational rules, wisdom, pursuit of justice for the sake of the
good
Second best city: city that substitutes the form of the polis: wealth and power must be
separated, wealth and politics have no influence on one another. Mixed regime of
monarchy and liberty/democracy.
What is the worst form of government according to aristotle - answers - tyranny
What is aristotle's opinion of the 2 types of goods - answers - 1. Qualified good -
secondary good, pleasure
2. Unqualified good - primary, intrinsic good in itself, happiness
What objection does socrates raise regarding gorgias concept of teaching rhetoric? -
answers - rhetoric is simply persuasion
Who thinks that man by nature is a political animal? - answers - aristotle
What does socrates say about right and wrong in gorgias? - answers - rhetoric can not
be used for instruction of right and wrong
Who is callicles in gorgias and what is his purpose in the debate ?
And what is the leaky jar analogy - answers - callicles argues that man have large
appetites and that justice is the advantage of the stronger (leaky jar analogy)
Leaky jar is the insatiable appetite and the sealed jar represents temperance
What is eudaimonia? - answers - happiness, flourishing
What is arete - answers - virtue
What are the two question plato brings up in the republic? - answers - 1. What is
justice?
2. What is more advantageous; justice or injustice?
Socrates-politics is not essentially about _____ - answers - socrates-politics is not
essentially about power
How does socrates define justice? - answers - there are three parts of the soul
(appetitive, spirited, reason) and justice is the harmony of all three working for the
rational element of the soul
Justice is best for the whole community, not just the stronger
Bronze: producers and distributers, appetitive/desire part of soul, temperance and self-
mastery
Silver:warriors, spirited part of soul, courage and bravery
Gold: philosopher rulers, reason part of soul, wisdom
What is the parable of the true captain? - answers - the people are the shipowners
The city is the ship
The crew are the sophists and the politicians
The captains are the philosophers
The sophists and politicians try to gain control of the ship
What is the dye and wool analogy? - answers - when dyeing wool, it first must be
perfectly groomed in order for the dye to look best.
Soldiers must be trained the same way so they are perfectly prepared
What is the simile of the large and powerful animal? - answers - sophists teach opinion
and call it wisdom
The keeper believes that he is in control of the beast, however he is enslaved to the
beast's desires like the sophists to the people
The sophists do whatever to please the people and be liked
In the republic, what is the divided line? - answers - the visible world versus the
intelligible world
The visible includes: belief, perception, and image making
The intelligible includes: understanding, reason, and thinking
What is the simile of the sun? - answers - the sun is the good
It provides visibility of objects and also nurtures them
,What is the allegory of the cave? - answers - story of a man chained to rock with light
and shadows on the rock wall in front of him. All he knew were the shadows. Then one
day he is freed and when he walks into the light it is a whole new world. The chained
man seeing shadows is society. The new world is heaven or how we should interpret the
world.
What we think is real is only a small part of reality
Thrasymachus and sophists are still in the cave
Only philosophers leave the cave.
What are the cardinal virtues? - answers - wisdom, courage, temperance, justice
What is plato's theory of forms? - answers - plato's theory of forms maintains that there
are two distinct levels of reality - the visible world and the intelligible world. The theory of
forms differentiates the abstract world of thought from the world of the senses.
Perfect form exists only in the mind, imperfect forms exist in reality
Who are the guardians? - answers - they are the philosopher-rulers of the city
What causes the city to be feverish? And what is the cure for the fever? - answers -
injustice and luxurious needs are the fever and politicians are the cure
Why is socrates definition of justice different from the rest of the men? - answers -
because it seems to be that he believes justice is good for everybody, the rest of the
men seem to think it is the good for individuals
What is the myth of gyges - answers - plato's story which considers the question, "why
be moral?"
A just man is given a ring to be invisible. He can now act unjustly with no fear of reprisal.
Glaucon claims that everyone would act unjustly in this situation. This shows that justice
is not desirable in itself but people act justly because they are afraid of punishment
What is the myth of the metals? - answers - three metals (bronze, silver, and gold)
represent low to high classes respectively.
What are the proposed reforms by socrates for the polis - answers - 1. Guardians do not
possess private property
2. Women and men share power
3. No private families
4. Philosophers rule
What is the form of the polis? - answers - ideal city is based on needs and not
unnecessary desires.
People do what they are best at and their social place corresponds with their soul.
, What are platos lessons regarding politics (based off of socrates' proposed reform -
answers - 1. Political power and private wealth are separate
2. Superficial differences are irrelevant
3. Public good and private interest are separate
4. Reason must guide power
What are the three imperfect cities and their characteristics?
Rulers/reason/wisdom/pursuit of justice - answers - timocracy/timocratic
persons/spirited/honor and victory
Oligarchy/oligarchs/appetitive/wealth
Democracy/democratic persons/appetitive/love of unnecessary needs
What are the perfect and second best cities? - answers - perfect/intelligible: city in
theory, philosopher-rulers, rational rules, wisdom, pursuit of justice for the sake of the
good
Second best city: city that substitutes the form of the polis: wealth and power must be
separated, wealth and politics have no influence on one another. Mixed regime of
monarchy and liberty/democracy.
What is the worst form of government according to aristotle - answers - tyranny
What is aristotle's opinion of the 2 types of goods - answers - 1. Qualified good -
secondary good, pleasure
2. Unqualified good - primary, intrinsic good in itself, happiness
What objection does socrates raise regarding gorgias concept of teaching rhetoric? -
answers - rhetoric is simply persuasion
Who thinks that man by nature is a political animal? - answers - aristotle
What does socrates say about right and wrong in gorgias? - answers - rhetoric can not
be used for instruction of right and wrong
Who is callicles in gorgias and what is his purpose in the debate ?
And what is the leaky jar analogy - answers - callicles argues that man have large
appetites and that justice is the advantage of the stronger (leaky jar analogy)
Leaky jar is the insatiable appetite and the sealed jar represents temperance
What is eudaimonia? - answers - happiness, flourishing
What is arete - answers - virtue
