Plato on justice as virtue - a safeguard against a static metaphysics of being and a postmodern meaning-relativism?

Abstract

Die kontemporêre wetenskaplike klimaat vertoon die beeld van toenemende disintegrasie - 'n fragmentasie wat sekerlik nie los te maak is van die modernisme/postmodernisme debat nie. Alhoewel Plato se soeke na die vermeende (bo-sinnelike) statiese wese van dinge gevoed is deur 'n spekulatiewe metafisika wat langs antropologiese weg selfs 'n fundering wou bied vir sy siening van die ideale staat, berus sy wysgerige refleksie op belangrike insigte wat dwarsdeur die geskiedenis van die filosofie 'n rigtinggewende rol sou bly speel. Veral sy kennisteoretiese insig dat konstansie die basis vorm van veranderlikheid moet vermeld word; indien die "eie wese" van iets inherent veranderlik (d.w.s. nié konstant nie) was, sou dit onkenbaar wees. In hierdie bydrae word ingegaan op die onderliggende Eleatiese agtergrond van Plato se ideëleer alvorens daar oorgegaan word tot 'n herwaardering van sy siening van geregtigheid as een van Plato se deugde. In hierdie konteks word enersyds aangetoon dat Plato in laaste instansie bloot 'n konstitutiewe regsopvatting ontwikkel (regsharmoniëring en die wering van juridiese eksesse) en andersyds geargumenteer dat die kern-insig in die aard van konstansie as basis van verandering 'n moontlikheid open om die ankerlose relativisme van 'n gefragmenteerde postmodernistiese aanpak te bowe te kom.

One can compare the position Plato occupies within Greek philosophy with that of Thomas Aquinas in Medieval philosophy and Immanuel Kant in modern philosophy. While there is a growing reaction against a traditional search for universal essences in what is nowadays referred to as postmodernism it is striking that those who embrace this postmodern climate of fragmentation find themselves "united "(!) in their urge to point out that the hegemony of "universal reason" with its "metanarratives" (Leotard) no longer illuminates the way ahead. Appleby et. al distinguishes three metanarratives as targets of postmodernism: (i) "the subject or rational human agent," (ii) "the notion of secular salvation or progress," and (iii) "science in its broadest sense, including an entire constellation of philosophical and metaphysical foundations" (Appleby, 1996:387). Although what is mentioned here is a reaction to what became known as the modernism of the Enlightenment, key elements of the latter show continuity with the thought of Plato. In order to highlight this we have to start with Plato's epistemology.