Plato Ethics

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Introduction to Ethics
Plato’s Gorgias
Analysis of Socrates Argument with Polus

Socrates Main Thesis:

If something is wanted (P) for oneself then one must think that it (P) would be good for oneself. So, wanting something [P] (for oneself) requires one to think that [P] will be good (for oneself). Thus, it is a necessary condition for wanting something [P] for oneself, that [P] is good for oneself. Using this as his main thesis Socrates shows that tyrants do not have great power since they do not do what they want. In addition, they do what they want because they do not know what is good, and so they frequently do what is bad for themselves.

Socrates Main Premises and Conclusion

Polus: Tyrants and Orators have great power.
Socrates: Tyrants do not have great power since they do not do what they want. And they do what they want because they lack knowledge of their good, and so frequently do what is bad for themselves.

P1 = If one does something [ Z ] for the sake of some other end[ J ], then it is that end [ J ] one wants, and not [ Z ] the doing of an act itself. Simply: if one does [Z] in order to get (or for the sake of) [ J ]then ----* one wants [J], not [Z].

P2 = However, one only does anything [ Z ] for the sake of [ J ]obtaining good things for oneself. If one does something, then he does it for the sake of obtaining a good thing for himself.

P3 = Therefore, one only wants to obtain good things for oneself.

P4 = If one can only wants what is good for oneself, then he cannot want things that are bad for oneself. [Negation of Premise 3]

Conclusion: [1] Therefore it anyone who does something that is bad for himself or herself, may not be doing what they want. [2] One is not doing what one wants if one does things that are bad for oneself. So, tyrants or orators who do things that are bad for themselves, do not do what they want.








A Closer Look at the Logical Procession of the Argu...