The Gymnasium

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Plato's Republic III

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Plato's Republic III

Taking account of the established order

Underground University
Apr 21, 2023
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Plato's Republic III

undergrounduniversity.substack.com

“A moment later Polemarchus comes along with Adeimantus, Glaucon’s brother, Niceratus, son of Nicias, and some others – apparently from the procession. Polemarchus said. ‘Socrates, I guess you two are hurrying to get away to town.’ ‘That’s not a bad guess,’ I said. ‘Well,’ he said, ‘do you see how many of us there are?’ ‘Of course.’ ‘Well, then,’ he said, ‘either prove stronger then these men or stay here.’ ‘Isn’t there still one other possibility …,’ I said, ‘our persuading you that you must let us go?’ ‘Could you really persuade,’ he said, ‘if we don’t listen?’ ‘There’s no way,’ said Glaucon. ‘Well, then, think it over, bearing in mind we won’t listen.’”

Polemarchus explicitly raised three possibilities: either prove stronger or stay or persuade those who won’t listen to let you go. Is there another option? What ends up happening in the dialogue?

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