In Plato’s Republic, Thrasymachus and Socrates fall on opposite sides of the debate over whether leading a life of justice or injustice results in happiness. Thrasymachus argues justice in and of itself has no intrinsic value, but it is the appearance of justice that benefits the individual. Socrates, on the other hand, insists appearance alone is not enough but being truly just leads to an inner life of peace and balance. The unjust person experiences a turbulent internal existence, which leads to a life of misery and despair. I will argue that Socrates, despite making a strong case for the just city, fails in his argument for the happy life of just person.
Thrasymachus’ argument hinges on how we go about determining if a person is just or …show more content…
The corresponding three parts in the individual are reason, spirit and appetite. Reason rules over the whole of the individual as the deliberative rules over the whole of the city. As in the case of the just city, each part of the soul must remain in its proper place and perform its duty well. Justice in the individual is less about “…someone’s doing his own externally, but with what is inside him…” and “does not allow any part of himself to do the work of another part…” (Republic 443d …show more content…
The corresponding three parts in the individual are reason, spirit and appetite. Reason rules over the whole of the individual as the deliberative rules over the whole of the city. As in the case of the just city, each part of the soul must remain in its proper place and perform its duty well. Justice in the individual is less about “…someone’s doing his own externally, but with what is inside him…” and “does not allow any part of himself to do the work of another part…” (Republic 443d
Thrasymachus’ argument hinges on how we go about determining if a person is just or …show more content…
The corresponding three parts in the individual are reason, spirit and appetite. Reason rules over the whole of the individual as the deliberative rules over the whole of the city. As in the case of the just city, each part of the soul must remain in its proper place and perform its duty well. Justice in the individual is less about “…someone’s doing his own externally, but with what is inside him…” and “does not allow any part of himself to do the work of another part…” (Republic 443d …show more content…
The corresponding three parts in the individual are reason, spirit and appetite. Reason rules over the whole of the individual as the deliberative rules over the whole of the city. As in the case of the just city, each part of the soul must remain in its proper place and perform its duty well. Justice in the individual is less about “…someone’s doing his own externally, but with what is inside him…” and “does not allow any part of himself to do the work of another part…” (Republic 443d