After reading the excerpts about Antiphon, I realized that the majority of Plato's writings about Justice, especially his conversations in The Republic about the nature of Justice, were constructed on the foundation that Antiphon provided.
First of all, Antiphon posits that Justice is following what the nomoi prescribe when there are witnesses present, and following the decrees of phusis when witnesses are not present. After a little research, I discovered that that the numoi/nomos are laws, lawmakers, having to do with societal law, etc., and that phusis is essentially the law of nature, or that natural conscience you have within you. Essentially, Antiphon says that following the phusis are necessary, while the numoi are simply extra laws that everyone has agreed upon. Thus, when one is in private, one need only follow the phusis, but in public or in society you must follow the agreed upon laws. To do this is Justice.
Now, he goes on to prove that being Just is best, or leads to the most happiness, which Plato also argues in the Republic. He says that though the numoi may seem to be in conflict with phusis, and may seem to cause discomfort or pain, or at times seem not adequately just, it is better to live in communion with others and heed the numos rather than to abide in nature and live by the phusis. Thus, Hobbes' saying "human nature is nasty, brutish..." seems also to be an echo of Antiphon. He argues that nomos is grounded in phusis.
Antiphon also lays down the foundation for the idea that only the person who is Just in private as well as in public is the truly Just person (Ring of Gyges and all that...).
He then moves on to talk about eunomia and anomia, eunomia meaning proper order and right conduct, and anomia meaning the opposite (I think basically Justice and injustice). Antiphon argues that tyranny springs from "nothing else but anomia". He says that this only happens when nomoi and justice dissipates.
Thus, the groundwork is laid for Plato's Just city in The Republic
That would make a really great paper. Dissertation even.
ReplyDeleteGood connection. Since nomos is grounded in phusis, I wonder whether Antiphon thinks nomos must be consistent with phusis and only requires obedience so long as it is so consistent.
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