The Defense of Justice and the Teleology of Action
This chapter discusses Socrates’ defense of justice in Republic 4, which draws upon Plato’s functional teleology of action. The activity of engaging in partnerships is the function linked to just actions, as the just person acts with the intention of maintaining harmony and friendship between the three parts of the soul. David Sachs’ claim that Socrates attempts to reconcile psychic justice and conventional justice is criticized. Socrates does not attempt to show that acting from psychic justice will lead to conventional justice. For Socrates the typical result of just action is maintaining just partnerships with other citizens in a political community and thus promoting the good of others. Socrates’ just person does not act with the intention of promoting the good of others, but this is one end of her actions in the sense specified by the functional teleology of action.