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Final Problem Set
Question 1: Socrates Case on Non-Just Constitutions
Socrates suggests that an adult human psyche is similar to the political constitution that governs internal and external affairs. Socrates argues that the tyrannical man has lawless desires when one’s rational part of the brain is not on guard. He claims both human psyches with cities are happy aiming systems. The tyrannical constitution provides the most unjust laws than Laconian, oligarchic, and democratic constitutions (Reeve 239). Tyranny leaders have unnecessary appetites and practice injustice in society. The three distinct parts of humans include appetitive (bodily pleasure and pains), spirited (victor and defeat), and reasoning (truth and falsehood). Thus, the human soul is like a beast with a ring of heads with the capability to transform itself. The human psyche focuses on the exterior. The spirited element of a tyrannical leader always aims at winning, dominating, victory, and honor.
However, only a tyrannical man allows irrational desires to emerge when he is asleep. It is unjust for a man to follow his bodily pleasure, material gains, and wealth. Tyrannical leaders have a fallible sense of perception and make inevitable mistakes. A person with a tyrannical psyche is unjust because they focus on occupying power positions and accumulating private property. For instance, unjust leaders enslave their followers and distribute land and houses as private property. Besides, unjust rulers dedicate their energy to war and protecting the workers. The unjust ruling class does not participate in manual labor or farming. However, tyrannical leaders eat communally and devote their time training for war.
Moreover, tyrannical rulers avoid appointing wise leaders and prefer individuals who are more inclined toward war than peace in society. A son of an aristocratic man learns the love of money from their bad mothers and servants. The love of money builds honor-loving men. As the love for wealth grows, tyrannical leaders change the constitution to ensure leadership is based entirely on wealth. The wealthy and elites influence public policies at the expense of ordinary citizens. Reeve (243) argues that tyrannical leaders have an appetite for money and private treasuries to deposit and hide their illegally acquired wealth. Unjust people are stingy with their money and like spending other people’s earnings to satisfy their appetites. Indeed, unjust humans use force and evade law because they neglect the truth and enjoy pleasures in secret. Tyrannical leaders love victories and honors. In other words, electing leaders based on property assessment corrupts society. Unjust people buy poor man’s possessions, contributing to the increase of poor people without means in society. Socrates suggests a city with beggars has thieves who have stolen their fortune (Reeve 248). The lack of education, bad constitution, and bad rearing contributes to tyranny in society.
Unjust men spend money for fame and competition with their limited resources. The primary goal of unjust men is to buy and lend poor people to become richer and honored in society. Additionally, a tyrannical man lives for luxuries, feasts, and girlfriends. When he runs out of money, he begins borrowing or resort to deceit, robbing temples, using force, and finally commits suicide. Thus, a tyrannical man evolves from a democratic one to satisfy his desires (Reeve 270). Lust and greed lead to a tyrannical psyche in society.
Question 2: Aristotle’s Conceptions
Material
Material cause refers to the input used to develop the final product or raw materials used to manufacture finished goods. For instance, orange fruits are the material cause of orange juice. Oranges are transformed into fruit juice in the manufacturing industry for human consumption. The juice is made of oranges as the material cause at the manufacturing firm. In other words, the firm relies on oranges as the primary input to produce the final product.
Formal
The formal cause refers to the formula of essence, shape, arrangement, or appearance. For instance, orange juice’s structure or design refers to the defining characteristics, such as the color, sugar content, and preservatives. In this case, the formal cause is the plan for producing the final product from the oranges.
Efficient
An efficient cause refers to the things apart from the main thing being changed or agents of change. In this case, direct labor in the orange juice manufacturing industry is the efficient cause of the final product. The juice manufacturing industry employs individuals to produce the final product from orange fruits. Workers at the orange juice manufacturing firm use different machines and processes to transforms the oranges into the final product. In other words, they apply expertise to deliver the final product. The firm’s plan for manufacturing the orange juice is the formal cause of the final product.
Final Causation
The final cause or purpose refers to the end product. For instance, orange juice is the final causation from the production process. The final cause is more abstract or the ultimate purpose for orange fruit processing. The manufacturing firms deliver the final cause to the market to meet consumers’ needs.
Works Cited
Reeve, C. D. C. Plato Republic. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 2004.