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Sem. Romeo M. Macali Jr.

Political Philosophy
March 07, 2023
UBUNTU
Plato once said, "Justice in the life and conduct of the State is possible only as first it
resides in the hearts and souls of the citizens." By this, justice aims to provide man with a
harmonious and prosperous society, to make man’s life in order and peaceful. Putting this in the
seminary context, if one seminarian made a mistake, when caught by the father prefect or father
principal, why is the rest being involved or punished by the mistake of the other? Is it an
injustice to the person who does not commit a mistake?

Man would use Plato’s philosophy in answering these questions also by using his primary
source, which is the book “The Republic.” ‘The Republic opens in Book I with a question about
justice: namely, what justice is and whether it is better to be just or unjust. Socrates quickly
establishes that conventional, popular opinions about justice have important flaws.’1

In the book, the central challenge to Socrates (Plato’s mouthpiece in the Republic) is
posed by the fearsome, bellowing Thrasymachus. Thrasymachus argues both that a) “justice” is
the advantage of the stronger and b) it is better and wiser to be unjust than just. Argument a)
portrays “justice” as an ideology established by the rulers (whoever they are) that both defines
what justice is and shape people's very vocabulary for thinking about justice. If this argument is
correct, it follows that the seminarian who adheres to “justice” in the seminary will be acting in a
way that benefits not themselves but someone else. Those who follow justice are either dupes, or
too weak to be able to act unjustly in a profitable way. That seminarian follows the rules because
they are afraid of the formator or they will gain something (thinking they will not be punished)
but when the formator is not around they can do anything, that’s why there is tendency that they
become unjust. These will give temporary just society but later on injustice will comes out.

Which later on, Socrates explains that it is better to be just than unjust. Socrates will
show then, that justice is a good in itself. ‘Specifically, Socrates will show just person who had
none of the practical benefits justice is thought to bring (i.e., positive reputation) should be
regarded as happier than a perfectly unjust person who was unanimously praised as just and
enjoyed the reputational benefits normally associated with justice.’2 To succeed, Socrates show

1
Cf. Plato (2004), The Republic, Trans. C.D.C. Reeve. 398 T. Williamson / The Leadership Quarterly 19
(2008) 331-336
2
Cf. Ibid. 336
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that justice, in itself, is so closely linked to happiness that no just person would trade places with
an unjust person, even if doing so would make one richer, more comfortable, more powerful and
more highly thought of. Happiness of the other is the happiness of society. This happiness flow
from goodness. That’s why the decision of a formator to punish the rest is not unjust.

For example, a seminarian uses a laptop during class hours in the classroom together with
the presence of his classmate doing anything; such as reading books, talking with another
seminarian, and etc. Suddenly a formator appeared and see the seminarian using laptop, and then
the formator would say that the whole batch is banned to use laptop. Then suddenly a seminarian
who is reading a book would say “Father, it is unjust because I didn’t use laptop.” The formator
then would answer back “simply because you didn’t use laptop did you became just?” No,
because as a seminarian who knows the unspoken rules here inside the seminary, each
seminarian is the “brother’s keeper” of each other. That’s why all of the seminarian is being
punished not simply because they do bad thing but they did not do what they supposed to do.
Which they have the moral obligation to correct their brothers, in that way they become unjust
that causes them to be punished also. As Plato said, “Justice is a social consciousness that makes
society internally harmonious and good.” Seminarians must then act justly not only for their own
benefits but also for the other, in order for the happiness that flows from goodness, which will
later on make the society harmonious and peaceful. As Bishop Alminaza said, “Ubuntu” which
means you are because we are.

To add on, later on Plato would present the class system which is philosopher–rulers,
auxiliaries (soldiers), and workers (money-makers). In the just city, the philosophers will rule on
behalf of the other two groups, with the auxiliaries playing a helping role. Which means that as s
ruler the formator has the authority to punished as long that it is just act. As Plato define justice
in the society as that everyone is minding their own business. That is why a seminarian when he
ask the priest his kind of ruling he is their then that he is not minding his own business but rather
minding the formator business.

To conclude, that being just does not mean that man is doing his part but rather being just
also is being the moral navigator of the other, that which supposed man to do too other. Which
will later, on contribute to the happiness of the society that flows from the goodness of
individual, that will lead to a harmonious and peaceful society. UBUNTU.