Equality For All

For Aristotle, polis is the association of households and clans in a good life. He also said that the polis itself is prior to everything else. Aristotle compared this with the whole being necessity prior to the part, so the state is by nature clearly prior to the family and to the individual. But in order to have a good polis, you must consider your family too. And it is by human nature that we consider our families first before anything else. How do we resolve these opposing statements?

Justice, for him, is the bond of men in states. The administration of justice, which is the determination of what is just, is the principle of order in political society. But he also said, “justice means equality but only for those who are equal and not for all.” Who are then those who belong to his “equal” classification? Isn't it that everyone should deserve equality?

Queries on The Republic

The Republic is a book written by Plato. The book actually talked on philosophy and political theory. I have some questions with regard to the book:

It has been clearly emphasized more than once that "justice is performing one's function in the community for which nature best suited him.” Should the definition of justice be limited to this? Does this explain the whole concept of justice? Now from this definition of justice, can we say tht the laws that we have now are just and fair?

Plato wanted to abolish familial concepts, yet he also believed that children with defects be taken away and reared differently. Also, he mentioned that woman and men are equal though women are always weaker in some aspects. How are these?

It was also mentioned in the book that "minding one's own business and not meddling with other men's concerns is justice." Does this statement mean to say that helping others is a manifestation of injustice? What does “minding one's own business” mean?