Preview

Developing a Definition of Justice

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1097 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Developing a Definition of Justice
Developing a Definition of Justice In Book I of Plato 's The Republic a definition of justice begins to develop in Socrates ' conversations with Cephalus, Polemarchus and Thrasymachus. Through these conversations we, as readers, come closer to a definition of justice.Three definitions of justice are presented: argued by Cephalus and Polemarchus, justice is speaking the truth and paying ones debts; Thrasymachus insists that justice is the advantage of the stronger; Socrates suggests that justice is a craft like such as aiding the sick or being a captain of a chip. Through speculation Socrates disproves the later definitions. Also, through said speculation certain defining characteristics evolve. Socrates disproves his company 's arguments of what justice is through the use of analogies and syllogisms. The syllogisms lead us closer to the definition of justice as two definitions are eliminated by Socrates and only his proposed definition survives the scrutiny of the mens argument. Socrates finds many flaws in Cephalus ' and Polemarchus ' definition of Justice as speaking the truth and paying ones debts. The conversation about justice arises when Socrates questions Cephalus about the greatest good his wealth had brought to him. Cephalus replies that wealth aids one to live a just life by saving one from having to cheat and deceive in order to have life 's necessities. Wealth helps to insure that no sacrifices or money is left owed at the end of ones life, therefore, one can die a just person without fear of Hates. Socrates discredits Cephalus ' account of justice by suggesting a situation where speaking the truth and paying ones debts would not be just: " . . . if a sane man lends a weapon to his friend and then asks for it back when he is out of his mind, the friend shouldn 't return them, and wouldn 't be acting justly if he did.
Nor should someone be willing to tell the whole truth to someone


Cited: Grube, G.M.A., Reeve,C.D.E. Plato:Republic. Indianapolis/Cambridge: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. 1992.
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Analyzing Cheryl Mahaffy's Article 'Face To Face'
    • 1091 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Analyzing Cheryl Mahaffy's Article 'Face To Face'

    supporting the use of restorative justice in our society. “It’s hard to face your victim and…

    • 1091 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Just And Unjust In Plato's Republic
    • 183 Words
    • 1 Page

    Just And Unjust In Plato's Republic

    In many societies, including our own, we labeled the meaning of the word “justice” for the sole purpose of maintaining social and political stability and order for the good of many instead of the few. However, what we believe to be just and unjust in regards to what Plato’s Republic explains about what is actually just and unjust are inadvertently blurred from a somewhat conflicting (if not unintended biased) perspective. These concepts of thought originate in a hierarchical group of knowledge: understanding, thought, belief, and imagination (Socrates 511e); most of which we use for measuring the ideal implementation of practical and critical forms of theory. What we portray justice in the United States today mostly consists of both opinionated…

    • 183 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Comparing Plato's Thrasymachus And Glaucon
    • 1372 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Comparing Plato's Thrasymachus And Glaucon

    Looking up in the Merriam Webster dictionary justice is defined as "the maintenance or administration of what is just especially by the impartial adjustment of conflicting claims or the assignment of merited rewards or punishments". The fact that the word itself is being used for its definition explains how ambiguous the concept of justice can get. It is because of the very same reason that some time between the years of 470 to 399 BC a very well-known argument took place in Piraeus. The mentioned years are the time period that Socrates lived, the argument evolves mainly on the concept of justice and the goal is to come to an operational account for it. Throughout this argument lots of accounts are given by different participants, which all get opposed by Socrates. Two of these contributors are Thrasymachus and Glaucon. The former argues that "justice is the advantage of the stronger" while the latter argues that justice is not something practiced for its own sake (intrinsic good) but something one engages in out of fear of its consequences (extrinsic good). As seen in book one and two of Republic, Plato's…

    • 1372 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Glaucon vs. Thrasymachus Essay Example
    • 1831 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Glaucon vs. Thrasymachus Essay Example

    Let us map out Thrasymachus' first presentation of justice. Thrasymachus argues in 338e that "… each ruling group sets down laws for its own advantage… everywhere justice is the same thing, the advantage of the stronger." Thrasymachus seems to conclude that…

    • 1831 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Plato Justice And Injustice Analysis
    • 962 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Plato Justice And Injustice Analysis

    What is justice is a question that has plagued philosophers since the time of Plato when he wrote The Republic to present day. In the book, Plato uses the dialectic, between Socrates and other Athenians like Polemarchus, Cephalus, and Glacuon, to try and find the definition of justice. Through the voice of Glaucon, Plato defines justice as a compromise of sorts between advantage and fear, and injustice as the things that we wouldn’t…

    • 962 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Justice In Plato's The Republic
    • 627 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Justice In Plato's The Republic

    Socrates meets with some of his friends and begins discussing the meaning of justice and whether the just life is better than the unjust life. First, they contemplate the meaning of justice. Cephalus stated that justice is as simple as telling the truth and returning what you receive, Polemarchus stated that justice is giving each his due, and Thrasymachus stated that justice is the advantage of the stronger. Socrates proves each of them wrong and embarks on a discussion to find out what true justice is, and to find out whether the just man is truly happier than the unjust man, or vice versa.…

    • 627 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Wannabe Philosopher King
    • 772 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Wannabe Philosopher King

    Plato’s Republic begins with a debate on the subject of morality. One by one, Cephalus, Polymarchus, and Thrasymachus put forth their definitions of morality and one by one, they come up short. None survive the merciless scrutiny of the author’s mentor, Socrates.…

    • 772 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Applying Ethical Framework In Practice
    • 1113 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Applying Ethical Framework In Practice

    * Justice refers to the theory that everyone is entitled to a fair and equal share of resources regardless of who they are or how much they have contributed. (ANA, n.d.)…

    • 1113 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Socrates: A True Champion Of Democracy
    • 698 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Socrates: A True Champion Of Democracy

    He must do this regardless of the opinion of the majority or possible consequences for himself; he must act only in accordance to the opinion of the few wise, knowledgeable men who understand what is justice, and the laws of the State. Unfortunately, in all of the dialogues the author of this essay has read5, Socrates never clearly explains what ‘the laws’ really are — they remain a sort of abstraction, a divine essence of justice. However, this does not invalidate our definition of a champion of…

    • 698 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Socrates vs Thrasymachus
    • 1668 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Socrates vs Thrasymachus

    Any argument relies upon some fundamental agreement about the issue being discussed. However great the divide in opinion may be, there must exist at least some similarity in the participants’ manner of viewing the issue if a solution is ever to be reached. Book One of Plato’s Republic features a disagreement between Socrates and Thrasymachus about the nature of justice. The disaccord between their views of the subject is extremely pronounced, but there are certain underlying agreements which guide the course of the debate. One way to evaluate the validity of the arguments involved is to examine whether the assumptions at the root of the argument are in accord with this common ground. By my reading of the dialogue, Socrates’ reply to the first part of Thrasymachus’ definition of justice rests safely upon this common ground, whereas his answer to Thrasymachus’ second definition moves away from this mutually acceptable base, and is injured as a result. In exploring this topic, I intend to examine briefly Thrasymachus’ two-part definition of justice. For each of these parts I will evaluate one Socratic response and discuss it from the perspective of the “craftsman analogy” – an analogy which is initially used by common consent, but which Socrates adapts until its original usage almost disappears.…

    • 1668 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Role Of Justice In The Republic
    • 465 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Role Of Justice In The Republic

    Justice is a concept that has changed and developed throughout history. The foundation of the modern justice system in the western world began in Athens just over two thousand years ago. Many philosophers had their own conceptions about what justice truly is, however, Plato proved to be the most influential. Before Plato, many men shared Polemarchus’ belief that justice meant giving good to friends and evil to enemies. In his book, The Republic, Plato sets out to define the true definition of justice. Plato states that justice is when men to put aside irrational desires for the greater good of society. If civilization were to follow Polemarchus’ view of justice, society would become anarchy. People would punish those that have wronged them…

    • 465 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Philosopher King
    • 656 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Philosopher King

    What is Socrates definition of justice – someone who is good and just and does good things…

    • 656 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Certainty as the Standard of Knowledge
    • 325 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Certainty as the Standard of Knowledge

    and knowledge in order to pursue it; the explication of the concept of justice, and its…

    • 325 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Socrates Unjust
    • 551 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Socrates Unjust

    This establishes that whether or not Socrates originally believes his punishment is right, by staying in Athens his entire life, he made a commitment to follow the law-being just-therefore, if he is accused of breaking the law and is convicted by the courts of Athens, which represent the law, then he must complete his sentence, or else he is only becoming more unjust. Socrates later decides that although he could escape, it is better to try and do the right thing, despite having done unjust things in the past, and ultimately decides to carry out his punishment. This passage also further examines the gray area within the idea of just and unjust by saying that following the laws is just; however, the people of the court who determine which acts are within the bounds the laws and which acts are not, are also biased according to their own personal perceptions, meaning no human truly knows the intransigent definitions of what is just and what is unjust.…

    • 551 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Theories Of Justice: Utilitarianism, Retribution And Restitution
    • 176 Words
    • 1 Page

    Theories Of Justice: Utilitarianism, Retribution And Restitution

    Aristotle once said, “It is in justice that the ordering of society is centered”. In our society there are theories of justice, which is Retribution, Utilitarianism and Restitution. These forms have similarities and differences and are use in many different social groups every day.…

    • 176 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics