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Jenny Song
Professor Rodeheffer
Great Books 1
4 December, 2013
The Walk through the Inaccessible and Shadowy Road
In The Republic, by Plato, Socrates guides the continually inquisitive Glaucon through
the discussion of justice and good. Delighted by Glaucon’s persistent curiosity and thirst for truth,
Socrates leads Glaucon’s soul with the dialectic method, using numerous examples and images
along the way. Socrates hopes that with this discussion, Glaucon will begin to grasp what justice
and good are and pursue those things, because they will help him in his current life and in the
afterlife. One may reasonably question however, whether Socrates’ careful dialectic has reached
Glaucon. He is much more enlightened at the end of the discussion, but Glaucon still struggles
with seeing justice and good in their pure form; he needs images to understand. Even with his
incomplete knowledge however, it seems plausible that Glaucon will succeed in life and afterlife.
Socrates appears to have satisfied Glaucon’s philosophical nature that strives for truth, and one
can assume that Glaucon’s journey through knowledge will continue on. So does Socrates
succeed in leading Glaucon to the path that will help him live a life and afterlife shaped by good
and justice, or is Glaucon’s understanding too rudimentary for it to bring about a true change in
character? Although Glaucon does not achieve an “active insight” of the good and justice, his
continuous desire to learn and his developing understanding of the truth signify that in both life
and in afterlife, “[he] will do well” (621D).
Although it is a long and arduous process, Socrates takes on the challenge of guiding
Glaucon’s soul with the hope of him “not only… being happy here but also [in] his journey from

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here to there and back again” (619E). The road to understanding justice “‘sure does look like an
inaccessible and shadowy one… at any rate it’s dark and hard to scout through. But still,
[Socrates] needs to go on’” (432D) because if he succeeds in persuading Glaucon, he will
“‘always keep to the higher road and pursue justice with good sense in every way’” (621C). This
discussion is arguably a life changing one for Glaucon. By making the effort to “‘[turn] the eye
of [Glaucon’s] soul around’” (533D), Socrates not only gives him valuable knowledge and
enlightenment, but also a chance to do well “‘both here and in the thousand-year journey’”
(621D).
Initially, Glaucon is very disillusioned by justice and good, and it seems to him that “‘no
one is just willingly, but only when forced to be… because every man assumes that injustice is
much more profitable to him privately than justice’” (360D). In order to help Glaucon grasp what
justice is and why he should pursue it, Socrates gradually leads him through the dialectical
process. With the discussion of the ideal city and person, Socrates allows Glaucon to examine
what justice is in first “‘the bigger [,] [and then] in the look of the smaller’” (369A), and
establishes that justice is “‘doing what’s properly one’s own’” (433B). Socrates then emphasizes
the importance of the good in understanding true justice by revealing that like the sun that sheds
light, the look of the good “‘endows the things known with truth, and gives that which knows
them its power’” (508E). The following illustration of the line furthers the point. Socrates
organizes the four kinds of experiences in the soul, broken up into the intelligible and visible
realm that respectively have “‘active insight for the highest and thinking for the second…[then]
trust to the third and imagination to the last’” (511E). Like the prisoners in the cave, when one
has passed from the visible realm to the intelligible realm, it is his duty to go back and govern
those who are ignorant because he “[sees] thousands of times better than the people there… from

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having seen the truth’” (520C). So when taking all of this into consideration, one should pursue
justice because it is more profitable to be “‘adjusting the attunement of his body in the service of
the harmony in his soul’” (591D), than to be allowing “the most divine part of himself a slave to
the most godforsaken and polluted part’” (589E-590A) with unjust actions. With Socrates’
dialectical method, Glaucon succeeds in escaping the cave of ignorance and seeing some light,
although the extent of his enlightenment and the outcome is a matter of interpretation.
Even after Socrates’ thorough discussion, one may argue that Glaucon will not do well in
his life and afterlife because he is not yet qualified to have a complete grasp of justice and good.
Socrates does not deem Glaucon ready to tackle the topics, and leads Glaucon using images,
since Glaucon cannot “‘see [justice and good themselves], by [themselves], in [their] own realm,
and contemplate [them] the way [they are]’” (516B). Although there is a “‘longer and more
rigorous road… for [Glaucon], at the present anyway” (435D), Socrates believes the images to
be sufficient, and even necessary. When Glaucon asks Socrates to fully explain the dialectic to
him because “‘it would be [this] that [leads] to that place that would give the one who reached it
a rest from the road and an end to his journey,’” (532E), Socrates is very hesitant. If Socrates is
to give an exhaustive explanation of the dialectic, Glaucon will “‘no longer be able to follow….
[He’ll] no longer see any image of what [they are] talking about, but only the truth itself’”
(533A). Although Glaucon recognizes that “‘there is some such thing to see’” (533A), he has not
yet “‘[experienced] the things [they are] just going over’” (533A), or has had the “‘eye of [his]
soul’” (533A) sufficiently turned around to the point where he can see the pure truth. For the
moment, Glaucon is “‘[getting] accustomed to [the light]… to have sight of the things above’”
(516A), and he, like Socrates says, will have to be satisfied with “[looking] into the image of [the
good] more closely’” (509A) for now.

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Although one can recognize Glaucon’s intellectual growth throughout the discussion, his
struggles with seeing good and justice as they are with an active insight indicate “‘that beautiful
things are [indeed] difficult’” (435C). It is, therefore, questionable if they have truly brought
about changes in character that will help Glaucon succeed in life and afterlife. Glaucon often has
problems understanding, and gets lost in Socrates’ images, “‘[attempting] to learn… from
perceptible things… [when] knowledge has nothing to with things of that sort’” (529B). Because
of his limited insight, Glaucon often overlooks the important point of the discussion, admitting
“‘that [has slipped] [his] mind’” (520A) or “‘it does seem that way… at least now that [he’s]
listening to [Socrates]’” (530B). It is possible that with his eyes still “‘fixed on something mixed
with darkness’” (508D), Glaucon is incapable of “‘distinguishing a worthwhile life from a
worthless one’” (618C), and that Socrates hope may not come to pass with Glaucon’s current
insight. Although it is admittedly “‘a difficult matter, to begin to have confidence that in these
studies… alone is truth seen’” (527D-527E), even at the end of the discussion, Glaucon seems to
be “‘a follower who’s capable of seeing what’s pointed out to him’” (432C) and nothing more.
One can be confident however, that even with his inadequate understanding, Glaucon
will “‘pursue justice with good sense in every way’” (621C) because of his inquisitive nature that
is not easily satisfied. Glaucon is relentless in his curiosity, and “[he] is always most courageous
in confronting everything” (357A). When Socrates hesitates to begin his discussion of the
“waves,” Glaucon tenaciously affirms his desire to hear what Socrates has to say, even rather
cheekily commanding, “‘just see that you don’t get tired in any way of going all through the way
it seems to you about the things we’re asking’” (450B-C). Glaucon spurs Socrates on throughout
the discussion, always asking him to “‘speak… with that assurance’” (451B), to not “‘skip over
any little bit’” (509C), and to “‘tell [him] more clearly what [he] meant just now’” (528D). Even

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though Glaucon does not acquire all the knowledge, he persistently “‘[discusses justice and good]
and [asks] and [answers] questions mostly for [his] own benefit’” (528A) with a desire to have a
better understanding. Regardless of his lacking knowledge, it appears that this curiosity will
indeed do Glaucon well as it will motivate him to continue to go down the path that Socrates has
laid out for him.
Although Glaucon is initially skeptical of justice and good, the fact that his nature
appears to naturally gravitate towards them further supports the argument that Glaucon will “do
well” even with his incomplete understanding. When Thrasymachus leaves the scene completely
humbled by Socrates’ reasoning, Glaucon jumps in, “‘not persuaded’” (348A) by
Thrasymachus’s argument that “‘what’s just is what’s advantageous for the stronger’” (347E),
and not satisfied by Socrates argument that “‘injustice is never more profitable than justice’”
(354A). Telling the story of Gyges the Lydian, Glaucon illustrates his point that there is no one
so just that he will “‘have the fortitude to hold back and not lay a hand on things belonging to
others’” (360B) when he has the opportunity to. Glaucon then gives an example of an unjust man
with the reputation for justice and a just man with the reputation for injustice, and “‘relentlessly
[scrubs] [the examples] pure, like a statue’” (361D). Surprisingly, although Glaucon’s puts
considerable thought into his belief that injustice is more profitable than justice, he intuitively
seems to realize that it is not right, and “‘[wants] to hear [justice] itself by itself praised’” (358D)
from Socrates. As Socrates says, Glaucon “‘[has] experienced something godlike if [he hasn’t]
been persuaded that injustice is better than justice, though [he has] the power to speak that way
on behalf of it’” (368A). It seems that even before his discussion with Socrates, Glaucon has
been pondering about justice, and “‘though [he’s] stumped as [his] ears are talked death when
[he listens] to Thrasymachus and tens of thousands of other people’” (358A-358C), he yearns to

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learn more and hear the other side of the argument. There appears to be something in Glaucon
that is driving him to “[attune]… his body in the service of the harmony in his soul’” (591D),
and intuitively aspire for justice and good. The Republic does end with Glaucon still possessing
an incomplete insight into justice and good. One can optimistically assume however that the
Glaucon that “‘[begs] [Socrates] in every way to help out and not give up the argument’” (386C)
will continue his search for truth with or without Socrates, and “‘carry off the rewards for it like
[an athlete] on [his] victory [lap]’” (621D).
Regardless of the extent of Glaucon’s understanding of justice and good, it is obvious
that he has been persuaded by Socrates, and this assurance is the most compelling evidence that
Glaucon “‘stands a good chance’” (619E). By the end of the discussion, the Glaucon who has
initially accused Socrates of not “‘truly persuading [him] that in every way it’s better to be just
than unjust’” (357A) is content, and “‘it is clear… and it seems to [him] that precisely what
[Socrates is] asking has reached its end’” (541B). Like the people in the cave, Glaucon had been
staring at the wall, believing the “‘shadows of artificial things’” (515C) to be justice and good.
With Socrates’ dialectical method however, Glaucon is gradually “‘[getting] accustomed to [the
look of the good]’” (516A) by observing its reflection and by looking at the images it that it
sheds light upon. Understandingly, with his soul finally beginning to see the light, Glaucon is
shocked when Socrates says that it is “‘necessary for [the enlightened] to in turn go down to the
communal dwelling’” (520C) and cries, “‘What? ... Are we going to do them an injustice and
make them live worse when it’s possible for them to live better?’” (VII. 519D). Although
Glaucon’s resistance may indicate his deficient understanding of justice and good, it also
suggests that Glaucon has begun to develop a conscious desire for these things and has been
persuaded by them. Glaucon has seen the light, and he wants to continue to pursue it. The

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Glaucon that had argued injustice is more profitable than justice is now convinced that “‘the
sorts of prizes and wages and gifts that come to a just person during his life… in addition to the
good things that justice itself [provides]’” (613E-614A) are “‘very beautiful and reliable’”
(614A). Glaucon’s last words to Socrates at the end of their discussion radiate his absolute
respect and trust in the afterlife of a just man: “‘you should tell [the story of afterlife]… since
there aren’t many other things anyone could hear with more pleasure’” (614B). He has come to
peace with justice and good, and one can expect that with Socrates’ final advice of the afterlife as
well as with the images given before, “‘both here and in the thousand-year journey… [Glaucon]
will do well’” (621D).
There may still be skepticism however, of the stability Glaucon’s conviction about justice
and good, and whether Glaucon’s nature can lead him to pursue those things, because Glaucon
has been educated about them mostly through images and examples. Can Glaucon truly live a
life of justice and good when Socrates still “‘[leaves] out scads of things’” (509A) because he
believes that Glaucon will not be able to follow? Nevertheless, one is confident that Glaucon will
do well. Socrates method of guidance is effective not because it is “‘an art of implanting sight in
[Glaucon], but [because]… [it contrives] that for someone who has sight, but doesn’t have [his
sight] turned the right way or looking at what [he] needs to’” (518D). Rather than forcing his
knowledge onto someone who is not ready, Socrates gives Glaucon a start in “‘[turning]
around… the whole soul… from what’ fleeting’” (518C), and turns over the responsibility of
discovering “‘a beauty hard to conceive’” (509A) to Glaucon. The fact the Glaucon is aware of
Socrates “‘[skipping] over a lot’” (509C) and that he realizes that “‘[he is] not sufficiently able at
present to contribute anything about the sorts of things [he needs] to say’” (389C) is enough for
now. The road to truth is “an inaccessible and shadowy one’” (432D), but like Socrates who

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“‘[has] always admired the nature of Glaucon’” (368A), one can be assured that one’s faith in
Glaucon will not be a wasted one.
Although Glaucon’s journey on the shadowy road is incomplete, it is evident that
Socrates has succeeded in guiding his soul to a path that will lead to a rewarding life and afterlife.
Glaucon’s always curious nature will ensure that this budding understanding of justice and good
does not remain idle. With the tool of the dialectical method Socrates has given him, Glaucon
will continually pursue a more active insight. Even though he does not comprehend everything,
Glaucon has been persuaded well enough to live a life of justice and good.

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Works Cited
Plato. Republic. Trans. Joe Sachs. Newburyport, MA: Focus Pub., 2007.