On The Concept of Character

“The clever and suspicious person… appears clever when he associates with those like himself…but when he meets with good people who are older, he is seen to be stupid, distrustful at the wrong time, and ignorant of what a healthy character is…” (409c)

            In Plato’s Republic, Socrates and his companions attempt to define justice, goodness, and the proper way to handle oneself by using the example of a good, well-governed city. At one point, the group is discussing the makings of a judge, and as they are discussing a bad judge, they find themselves on the topic of deceptive injustice. As referenced in the quote above, the deceptively unjust person is found to be well-liked in his own social group, but when he associates with older, wiser people, these elders see through his façade. Perhaps we will be able to take this point, explain it, and apply it to modern situations.

            One of the most interesting points that Socrates makes during this conversation is that judges should be old rather than young; they also should have learned of injustice late in life, so that they know an injustice when they see it but will not be inclined to commit one themselves (409a). Such a point might be difficult for us to understand, as most people have experienced injustice from a young age. However, perhaps Socrates is simply saying that a judge should be someone who does not associate with bad, unjust people until he is much older. He might have seen injustices committed or heard of them from other people, but he must not be a person who has been close with those who are unjust. If he is only associated with such people briefly once he is older, he will know how an unjust person acts but have the wisdom and good sense not to act the same way. Perhaps this is what Socrates means when he tells us that a good judge cannot have known injustice as a young child. In one statement, he points out the following: “It is not possible for a soul to be nurtured among bad souls from childhood” (409a). This might prove the point that good judges cannot have associated closely with injustice during their youth.

            Socrates also states that a good judge will “become aware of [injustice], not as something at home in his own soul, but as an alien thing present in other people’s souls” (409b). This statement seems significant, both in the context of our earlier argument, and also in and of itself. Socrates describes injustice in the heart of a good judge as an “alien thing.” Most often, this frame of mind is found in older, wiser people rather than the youth of our society. Young people tend to be rash and overly quick in their thoughts and decisions, not trusting the sentiments of others and failing to examine their train of thought before coming to a conclusion. As a result, many young people who attempt to judge a situation end up judging it unfairly because of their bias toward their own beliefs. Injustice becomes a part of their own thoughts without them ever necessarily noticing. Elders, however, who have lived longer and seen more, are more open to hearing what others have to say, and will not abide only by their own thoughts but also the thoughts of other wise people. That being said, they also have had plenty of time to understand and develop what they believe, and they will not easily be swayed by harmful opinions. Therefore, injustice becomes something that they have familiarized themselves with in other people, but they have taken every precaution to avoid having that same injustice in their own hearts. That, perhaps, is why Socrates says that older judges are inherently “better” in their judgments upon what is right and what is wrong.

            The final point standing, then, is the point that Socrates makes about the difference between a just and unjust judge. The just judge knows what he believes but also knows when to listen to others; therefore, he makes wise decisions based on the knowledge and wisdom that is provided him. The unjust judge is suspicious, believes only in himself, and will do injustice toward others to ensure that he benefits in the situation. He is clever in his dealings with people, so that his fellow young men, who are not yet wise, think him to be a much wiser person than themselves. But his foolishness and injustice are easily seen through by the older judges who are not corrupted by false reasoning and an overly high self-image. Unlike the unjust man and his foolish friends, the wise, just man sees the true character of the people he comes in contact with and therefore is the best judge in any situation.

            I believe we have an important lesson to learn from Socrates’ analysis of the good and bad judge. As young people, still learning and growing, we may benefit very much from the wisdom of our elders. This means not only “judges,” in the way we define them, but also anyone who has authority over us. Our parents, ministers, professors, employers, and mentors are in their positions because they have learned to be thoughtful, wise leaders and good judges of how they should live their lives. Instead of relying on the approval of our peers, who have just as much to learn as we do, we should look to our elders for judgement and approval, striving in everything to become stronger in character just as they have. When a young person has the approval of someone who has made it so far in life, that young person can rest assured that he is on the right track.

 

WORKS CITED

Plato. Republic. Translated by C.D.C. Reeve, Hackett Publishing, 2004.