Similarities Between Thrasymachus And Socrates

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. Initially, wisdom, cleverness, and goodness were some of the key terms that were applied to the definition of justice by those within the conversation. However, Thrasymachus later states that he also believes that those who are able to successfully control large amounts of people or entire …show more content…
However, it is understandable to an extent why Thrasymachus may have thought the way he did before he was forced to look deeper into his statements. For example, many rulers may be thought of as being unjust, but are able to remain in power. This ability to maintain one’s grasp over a population could easily be confused with wisdom, or cleverness. It would be reasonable for him to believe that a ruler or city that has been known to behave in an unjust manner to be unjust, leading him to view injustice as something able to be found alongside strength and power. Thinking along these lines, Thrasymachus could have associated unjust power with cleverness or knowledge. Furthermore, while those who practice justice may be stronger in the end, it is seemingly possible for the unjust to meet some of the same goals, just in a more difficult manner, with a weaker