Justice as Patriotism in Plato's Republic

• In Event: Authority and Legitimacy in Ancient Greek Thought

Abstract

Patriotism is criticized today as incompatible with justice, but the definition of justice articulated by Polemarchus in the Republic might well be called justice as patriotism. With an eye to contemporary debates about the legitimacy of patriotism in our globalized world, this paper will provide a detailed analysis of the conversation between Socrates and Polemarchus in the Republic. It will aim to articulate the strengths and weaknesses of this conception of justice, and may offer comparisons between it and contemporary alternatives. 

Author

• William Higgins, Boston College