After Socrates, the protagonist in Plato’s Republic, refutes a description of justice similar to the traditional poetic view of justice made by a man named Cephalus, Thrasymachus, a well-known sophist, enters into the discussion of justice with Socrates. Thrasymachus asserts, “I proclaim that justice is nothing else than the interest of the stronger” (Plato, Republic I, 338 C). For Thrasymachus, justice is only revealed through the interests of the stronger party. Whatever the stronger party dictates as being good for itself, the stronger party, is what justice is. To further elaborate on his claim, Thrasymachus uses examples of cities governed by different ruling bodies.…
Socrates attaches virtue, good, and morality to justice in a way to make it seem like it is good for its own sake. The entire Republic is made to reason why justice is good for its own sake—that there is something intrinsically good about it. Within book I of the Republic, Socrates and Thrasymachus have come to an agreement that there are certain virtues that allow things to work well for the better, a vice being the opposite and causing anything to make something preform for the worse. In the end of book I’s dialogue, both Socrates and Thrasymachus have some to agree that justice is allows a person to be more profitable and live well (Plato, 353c-354b). This is important in the foundation of the Republic.…
Starting The Republic, Book I, Socrates goes down to Piraeus (Plato 327a, p1). He is stopped by Polemarchus and begins the debate on what justice is with Cephalus (329a, p3). Cephalus explains his view of justice which Socrates shows is incorrect. Polemarchus, then, picks up where his father left off and looks to explain what justice is. However, unlike his father, Polemarchus explains justice as “friends owe something good to their friends, never something bad” (Plato, 332 a10, p6).…
While attempting to find the correct meaning of the word justice, Socrates refutes several of Thrasymachus's arguments pertaining to his personal perception of the definition. Furthermore, Socrates counters Thrasymachus's belief that one should be unjust, with the conviction that justice is a trait which one should possess. This particular area of the discussion shows a contrast between the ideas of Socrates and Thrasymachus regarding the term. One of Thrasymachus's arguments that Socrates takes issue with is that in which he states that unjust rulers and cities are the strongest, making justice something that the less powerful and the unwise should aspire to obtain.…
In The Republic, as recorded by Plato, a teacher named Thrasymachus argues with a philosopher named Socrates that justice is the advantage of the stronger. Later, he declares that a person who is good at their job, for example a good teacher, will exhibit both knowledge and care for the person they assist. These statements are contradicting. A good, strong teacher would show care for his students, and refrain from taking advantage of them. Thrasymachus’s definition of justice cannot be true if his statement of a good teacher is true.…
Justice can have many meanings when put into different perspectives. Throughout Crito, by Plato, Socrates has to determine whether to escape prison or stay. Socrates was initially charged with corrupting the youth and not believing in gods. He argued his case in jury and did not choose the alternate punishment, exile, which could have saved his life. He was then given a death sentence and he was imprisoned until his execution.…
In the reading, The Republic, by Plato, Thrasymachus states what his own definition of justice is. His definition of justice is, “what is advantageous for the stronger”. What Thrasymachus means by this is that it is just forever whatever the ruling party must do to make sure that things are in their best interest. It is just for the ruling party to act in their own advantage. If a party is democratic, they will make laws that are in the best interests of democrats, if the party is tyrannical, they will make laws that are in the best interest of them.…
Socrates gets invited to a festival in Piraeus with his companion Polemarchus, The character Cephalus who is Glaucon brother, confronts Socrates as he is about to leave. They make small talk on why Socrates is leaving. After a while the conversation gets to the topic about justice. Socrates than, discusses with Cephalus the points about what is not justice.…
Socrates expresses that,“…is it because of the spirited part…that we call a single individual courageous (Plato 99).” It can be found if one has courage in the spirited part. In the state, the soldiers represent courage. They fight and defend for their city.…
To prove Justice is best and not a compromise, Socrates must find a definition of Justice that nobody has ever heard…
Connor Young 11/20/17 PHL-150-D080 Philosophy Test 3 Question 1: While Socrates and Cephalus discuss the merits of old age, the conversation quickly evolves into a discussion of what it means to be just. Cephalus argues that justice solely means always being honest and living up to your legal obligations . Socrates argues against this stating that it would be wrong to return a weapon to a mentally-ill man because while it indeed legally belongs to him it would be putting others lives at jeopardy.…
The opposing view of justice in the podcast and Plato’s Republic is given by Thrasymachus, who claimed justice belonged to those with power as they have the strength to break the rules, exploiting the weaker. Breaking the law is more just than…
At the end of Book IV of the Republic, Socrates offers a response to Glaucon 's question, “What is justice?” Socrates states his answer through various forms of metaphors and images. To the naked eye, his response is rather contradictory and baffling. Yet, through thorough reading, discussion, and bearing a perplexed eagerness to explore such classic ambiguity, one can only then begin to understand Socrates claim as to what consists of justice. Socrates himself identifies that his outlook is, indeed, much or unconventional therefore he adds his own parables and metaphors to ease this quaint contradictory declarations.…
In Plato’s Republic, the images of justice are perceived differently between several characters in this novel. Cephalus, Polemarchus, and Thrasymachus, all present contrasting ideals of justice compared to the one envisioned by Socrates. Using the art of rhetoric, Socrates utilizes argumentation to identify the faults in each individual’s vision of justice, and how his unconventional perception of justices can change their entire society. The first vision of justice discussed in The Republic was Cephalus. Cephalus describes justice as honesty.…
Plato’s “Republic” is centered around the notion of justice and how it is beneficial to individuals. The main purpose of the book is to bring forth the conception of what is referred to as “just state.” The book is written in a dialogue form where Plato writes about the different arguments Socrates makes in regards to justice. As humans, we have strong intuitions when we are dealing with matters relating to justice and moral uprightness. Intuitions are influential in what we consider to be justice or unjust as also influences how we judge the actions of others.…