POL 004 Midterm Prof. Taylor EXAM
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
DETAILED ANSWERS WITH
RATIONALES
Sophist BOOK I - CORRECT ANSWERS professional, generally itinerant instructors
of rhetoric, whose services were vital in a litigious direct democracy like Athens, where forensic skills
were at a premium in court and assembly
elanchus BOOK I - CORRECT ANSWERS progressive questioning technique in
which the subject is confronted with the existence of tensions or conflicts within your own belief system
monument valley metaphor BOOK I - CORRECT ANSWERS elenchas is a giant
erosive force that eliminate all false beliefs. At the end of the process, there are a few beliefs that are
still standing. We have tried to disprove them, but we cannot. This does not mean that they are
definitely true, but they are at least not obviously false.
craft analogy BOOK I - CORRECT ANSWERS virtues are like crafts
artete BOOK I - CORRECT ANSWERS English word virtuosity. meaning excellence
of function or performance of function. One can be an excellent human being where the distinct
function of humans is morality. Socrates compares being a good Shepard to being a good ruler because
these are both types of excellence.
aphoria BOOK I - CORRECT ANSWERS coming out of an elenchic interrogation
with unsure beliefs. Often the characters end the debate with socrates admitting they do not know the
Maning of the terms. Aporia is admitting you are unsure so you can start to find the true meaning.
doctrines BOOK I - CORRECT ANSWERS things left standing after elencha
arguments
,"Virtue is knowledge" BOOK I - CORRECT ANSWERS implying that the pursuit of
evil can only be the result of ignorance, not akrasia (weakness of will); nobody does evil willingly.
cephalus' argument BOOK I - CORRECT ANSWERS The seemingly honorable and
just man who has come to such a state, not via philosophy, but rather an experience. From the producer
class, stating that everyone should follow laws.
Socrates shoots him down by arguing that if you always followed the laws, then if a mad man has a
weapon, you shouldn't take it from him because stealing is illegal. If you did not take his weapon away,
he would hurt people, but you also cannot take it because that would be stealing.
Polemarchus' argument BOOK I - CORRECT ANSWERS From the guardian class. He
says that a just man will be an ally to a friend and harm the enemies in battle.
Socrates argues against him, saying that harming someone will make them worse, but justice is about
making people better so this cannot be the true definition of justice. He also states you also cannot see
the difference between a friend and an enemy because you might be fooled by people, so who do you
know got harm?
Polemarchus realizes that he should not harm his friends or enemies because it'll make them worse. You
should interact with people in a way to bring them up instead of make them worse.
Thrasymachus' argument BOOK I - CORRECT ANSWERS 1. A sophist who does not
fall into Socrates tricks. He states that the ruling class will do things for its benefit, even the people who
are in the class will realize it and go along with it. Powerful exploiting and dominating powerless.
2. Socrates exploits the craft analogy. To be a good horse breeder is to make horses better, which means
to be a good ruler you need to make your citizens better. Justice is the art of ruling for the benefit of
those you are ruling, not for the benefit of those who rule.
, 3. Thrasymachus argues that people do not practice a craft for the benefit of the "object" but they do it
for themselves. Sheepherders herd sheep to eat, not for the benefit of the sheep
4. Socrates says that there is a wage earners art, but it is distinguished from the actual craft art. The
actual art is to benefit the craft itself. Socrates refutes his own argument because the wage earners art
is to make you better, not the craft. You cannot help the money in the situation, the money is used to
help you.
5. Failure of elenchus- Thrasymachus gives up by stating that although Socrates is a better arguer, he has
not convinced anyone. He is strictly a better sophist and has not arrived at the truth.
pure intrinsic goods BOOK II - CORRECT ANSWERS the goods that that we do
because we desire them, not because of any consequences that come from it. Ex: happiness
intrinsic and instrumental goods BOOK II - CORRECT ANSWERS things that we
enjoy for its own sake and for what comes out of it. Ex: health
Throughout the entire republic (books II- X) Socrates is trying to prove how justice is intrinsically good
and then revisits in book X how justice is also instrumentally good, which completes his argument that
justice is a category two good.
purely instrumental goods BOOK II - CORRECT ANSWERS things that we do not
want out of desire, but we do want for their consequences. Ex: going to the dentist
Glaucon's argument BOOK II - CORRECT ANSWERS Glaucon argues that justice
has no intrinsic value, but it is rather a mean between what's best for you and what's worst for you.
Best: being unjust, doing whatever you want and getting away with it without consequences
Worst: suffering injustice without getting revenge.
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
DETAILED ANSWERS WITH
RATIONALES
Sophist BOOK I - CORRECT ANSWERS professional, generally itinerant instructors
of rhetoric, whose services were vital in a litigious direct democracy like Athens, where forensic skills
were at a premium in court and assembly
elanchus BOOK I - CORRECT ANSWERS progressive questioning technique in
which the subject is confronted with the existence of tensions or conflicts within your own belief system
monument valley metaphor BOOK I - CORRECT ANSWERS elenchas is a giant
erosive force that eliminate all false beliefs. At the end of the process, there are a few beliefs that are
still standing. We have tried to disprove them, but we cannot. This does not mean that they are
definitely true, but they are at least not obviously false.
craft analogy BOOK I - CORRECT ANSWERS virtues are like crafts
artete BOOK I - CORRECT ANSWERS English word virtuosity. meaning excellence
of function or performance of function. One can be an excellent human being where the distinct
function of humans is morality. Socrates compares being a good Shepard to being a good ruler because
these are both types of excellence.
aphoria BOOK I - CORRECT ANSWERS coming out of an elenchic interrogation
with unsure beliefs. Often the characters end the debate with socrates admitting they do not know the
Maning of the terms. Aporia is admitting you are unsure so you can start to find the true meaning.
doctrines BOOK I - CORRECT ANSWERS things left standing after elencha
arguments
,"Virtue is knowledge" BOOK I - CORRECT ANSWERS implying that the pursuit of
evil can only be the result of ignorance, not akrasia (weakness of will); nobody does evil willingly.
cephalus' argument BOOK I - CORRECT ANSWERS The seemingly honorable and
just man who has come to such a state, not via philosophy, but rather an experience. From the producer
class, stating that everyone should follow laws.
Socrates shoots him down by arguing that if you always followed the laws, then if a mad man has a
weapon, you shouldn't take it from him because stealing is illegal. If you did not take his weapon away,
he would hurt people, but you also cannot take it because that would be stealing.
Polemarchus' argument BOOK I - CORRECT ANSWERS From the guardian class. He
says that a just man will be an ally to a friend and harm the enemies in battle.
Socrates argues against him, saying that harming someone will make them worse, but justice is about
making people better so this cannot be the true definition of justice. He also states you also cannot see
the difference between a friend and an enemy because you might be fooled by people, so who do you
know got harm?
Polemarchus realizes that he should not harm his friends or enemies because it'll make them worse. You
should interact with people in a way to bring them up instead of make them worse.
Thrasymachus' argument BOOK I - CORRECT ANSWERS 1. A sophist who does not
fall into Socrates tricks. He states that the ruling class will do things for its benefit, even the people who
are in the class will realize it and go along with it. Powerful exploiting and dominating powerless.
2. Socrates exploits the craft analogy. To be a good horse breeder is to make horses better, which means
to be a good ruler you need to make your citizens better. Justice is the art of ruling for the benefit of
those you are ruling, not for the benefit of those who rule.
, 3. Thrasymachus argues that people do not practice a craft for the benefit of the "object" but they do it
for themselves. Sheepherders herd sheep to eat, not for the benefit of the sheep
4. Socrates says that there is a wage earners art, but it is distinguished from the actual craft art. The
actual art is to benefit the craft itself. Socrates refutes his own argument because the wage earners art
is to make you better, not the craft. You cannot help the money in the situation, the money is used to
help you.
5. Failure of elenchus- Thrasymachus gives up by stating that although Socrates is a better arguer, he has
not convinced anyone. He is strictly a better sophist and has not arrived at the truth.
pure intrinsic goods BOOK II - CORRECT ANSWERS the goods that that we do
because we desire them, not because of any consequences that come from it. Ex: happiness
intrinsic and instrumental goods BOOK II - CORRECT ANSWERS things that we
enjoy for its own sake and for what comes out of it. Ex: health
Throughout the entire republic (books II- X) Socrates is trying to prove how justice is intrinsically good
and then revisits in book X how justice is also instrumentally good, which completes his argument that
justice is a category two good.
purely instrumental goods BOOK II - CORRECT ANSWERS things that we do not
want out of desire, but we do want for their consequences. Ex: going to the dentist
Glaucon's argument BOOK II - CORRECT ANSWERS Glaucon argues that justice
has no intrinsic value, but it is rather a mean between what's best for you and what's worst for you.
Best: being unjust, doing whatever you want and getting away with it without consequences
Worst: suffering injustice without getting revenge.
