Living My Best Life

Socrates believed that a world where people lived utilizing their natural abilities and talents would be a just world. Such a society would entail three classes of people, those who govern, those who help in the ruling like police and soldiers, and the ordinary people who would be the workers, merchants and the farmers. The third class of people would be the only ones allowed to own property or have families. According to Socrates, such a world would automatically be a just community (Bloom, 317).

In this case, there still would be fear of punishment subjected to the people by the second class of people (Plato). Different forms of feared punishments in religion and legally are discussed in the paper.

Socrates was accused of being unjust for not believing in the gods as his fellow citizens did. He was questions why he did not believe in the gods like the other people and instead of answering, he questioned the real meaning of justice.

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To understand whether or not people can portray justice in the absence of fear of punishment, it is necessary to understand the real meaning of justice. During Socrates times, people believed that abiding by the governing law and in the gods made one good. However, Socrates breaks it down to the fact that justice cannot be defined in believing in the set rules or regulations.

Rather, justice is defined in how one treats his fellow people. In this case, people would not wish to treat others how they wouldn’t wish to be treated.

They will hence treat others good at all times. People can, therefore, behave in a justice manner due to a fact as small as willing to treat others how they would wish to be treated, rather not due to fear of punishment. The different forms of justice perceived by the population are not necessarily right. Plato, therefore believed in justice as defined not by his accusers but by his own beliefs of real justice. He believes that the authorities should be banished that he may begin a critical examination of how justice has been elaborated by the ancestors (Plato 328b). Relating justice to punishment is therefore not a fact according to Socrates who believes that judging whether an individual is just should be based on the right understanding of justice.

Socrates explanation of political regimes and their purpose explains why political regimes cannot portray justice. The only way they can achieve justice is if they let the wise rule, and divide people into three classes, each class with their responsibilities (Plato). In such a community, justice would be an individual’s choice but not due to the community’s regulations or laws. Socrates believed that being just is out of personal interest. He believed that a just man was a happy man. In this case, happiness and punishment do not relate. Justice, in this case, can be achieved through an artistic nature rather than materialistic nature. People are just because it makes them feel good or happy. On the other hand, being just to avoid punishment is being materialistic, which Socrates did not believe in.

Today, most people relate justice to religion and yet have the same believes people had in the times of Socrates. Christians are just for they fear what the unjust will face in hell. According to various teachings in the Bible, there are conducts that if broken, one would meet eternal fire in hell after death. The bible mentions many curses for breaking set rules in life, especially in the old testament, and frequent mentions of hell in the new testament. In this set of beliefs, millions of Christians in the world do good to avoid punishment from God. Also, the government uses prison as a form of punishing crime and injustices. Police and other law enforcer are meant to bring order to the country by using pre-set rules, like the constitution, to punish people who break the rules. According to Reilly et al., crime rates are reduced by the fear of getting caught and sentenced to a jail term (Bloom, 380). In most cases, police stations are opened in some neighborhoods to reduce the crime rates by making the criminals fear the presence of law enforcers who impose punishment (Reilly et al., 18).

The world is led right due to fear of punishment. All people have a form of punishment fear for specific actions. Christians live right due to fear of getting burnt in hell for eternity and missing out the reward, which is heaven. The government uses prisons as a form of punishment for crimes. People, therefore, fear to participate in crime to avoid getting into jail. Children have to be to be disciplined using the right forms of punishments to grow up into self-disciplined people. However, people can live a just life based on the definition of justice, and other factors, including the fact that justice makes the soul happy.