Justice Is Justified By Plato s The Republic - 1689 Words

For centuries, people have been asking the question, what is justice? Although justice is not sincerely defined in Plato’s The Republic, both Socrates and Thrasymachus enter into a deep discussion over what justice truly is. After Socrates disproves Cephalus and Polemarchus explanations of justice, Thrasymachus declares that justice is â€Å"simply what is in the interest of the stronger party† (338c). Furthermore, he debunks justice altogether, arguing that justice is the strong exploiting the weak and that the unjust lifestyle is better than the just lifestyle. The two elements that this paper will break down is Thrasymachus’s idea of justice and how he thinks that being unjust is better than being just. Initially, Thrasymachus’s sentiment of justice is â€Å"simply what is in the interest of the stronger party† (338c). This causes Socrates to question Thrasymachus on what Thrasymachus means when he says â€Å"interest†. Socrates wants Thra symachus to simplify what he means by â€Å"interest† because everybody has different interests. For example, a bartender has the interest of making drinks to satisfy his customers, while a computer programmer has the interest of making programs to create advances in technology. As a result, Thrasymachus categorizes the interest limited to only rulers and answers Socrates’s question that interest is what is â€Å"right†, â€Å"each type of government enacts laws that are in its own interest, a democracy democratic laws, a tyranny tyrannical ones and so on; and inShow MoreRelatedPlato Vs. Rhetoric : Plato And Rhetoric2524 Words   |  11 PagesPlato and Rhetoric Plato is one of the greatest philosophers in history. Often his words and sayings resonate to this day. But, considering all what Plato has done, what is most peculiar about him is his condemnation of poets and sophists. Plato is in a constant fight to see that the way of true philosophy replaces these false arts. 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