Republic Summary

The main focus of Book 2 is that Glaucon is trying to reinforce what Socrates has been telling the people. He splits up justice into three different groupings. The first group is justice in the things we desire only for their consequences. The second is things we desire for our own happiness and well being. And the third is things we desire for our own happiness as well as what we get from them. Glaucon wants Socrates to prove that the only justice we are willing to follow is one from the third group. Glaucon is saying that the only reason we follow along with justice is for our own personal gain, there is nothing selfless about it. The main focus of Book 3 is the training, mental and physical of the guardians or warriors. Socrates believes that there needs to be a balance between the physical training as well as the training of the soul and mind. He feels that these heroes need to have a blend of music and art along with their military training. Without one or the other these heroes will either become too harsh and vicious or become too soft and unable to do their jobs. Without and equal balance, these heroes will never be considered true heroes and guardians.