Rousseau, Plato, Aristotle: Justice, Power, and Politics

Rousseau: Social Contract, Book I, Chapter III

1. Rousseau on Might and Right

   According to Rousseau, the use of force always seeks the appearance of right to justify itself. However, if force itself creates right, then the duty to obey such force exists only as long as the force prevails. If a stronger force replaces the first, the right also shifts. Therefore, one can disobey with impunity and legitimacy when no longer compelled by force.

2. Rousseau's View on Hobbes's Theory of Power

   Rousseau would likely disagree with Hobbes's theory. Hobbes holds a pessimistic view of human nature, contrary to Rousseau. This is shown in Hobbes's statement: "if you have not established a power or not big enough for our security, each will rely only, and may lawfully, on his own strength and skill." Rousseau, in contrast, suggests that if a force isn't strong enough, it will simply be replaced by a more capable one, implying might doesn't inherently create lasting right.

3. Analysis: "If one is no longer forced to obey..."

   This phrase relates to another: "To yield to force is an act of necessity, not of will." Therefore, if one is no longer forced to obey, the obligation ceases because the obedience was based on compulsion (necessity), not on a moral duty or will.

Plato: Republic, 338c-d & 343b

1. Thrasymachus' Conception of Justice

   Thrasymachus holds a self-interested view of justice, defining it as whatever is advantageous to the stronger party. He uses the example of different city governments, where rulers enact laws that benefit themselves and apply these to the citizens of the city.

2. Comparing Plato and Thrasymachus on Justice

   For Plato, justice is not merely what rulers decide for their own benefit. Instead, it is a fundamental condition for the happiness of the individual and the city. A person needs justice to be happy, and Plato argues that in an ideal city-state, justice must reign supreme.

Aristotle: Politics, Book I, Chapter 2

1. Aristotle's Definition of Virtue

   For Aristotle, virtue is a quality that enables the person possessing it to live well within society. It distinguishes humans from animals, preventing them from being merely gluttonous, lewd, or wild.

2. Meaning of the Civil Community

   Aristotle's affirmation is based on his belief that man is inherently a 'political animal' (zoon politikon). He argues that the concept of the city, symbolizing society and the state, has always been intrinsic to human nature, even if its physical form developed over time.

3. Why Justice Belongs to the City

   Why isn't justice primarily a matter of the family or village? Because justice is characteristic and essential to the city (polis). Justice is responsible for maintaining civil order within the larger political society. This differs from the family or village, where survival and basic community needs might dictate actions more directly.

4. Who is Not a Member of the City?

   According to Aristotle, who is not a member of the city? Someone who is self-sufficient and capable of surviving entirely on their own, or conversely, someone unable to live in society. Such a being is either "a beast or a god."