Socrates Definition Of Justice In Plato's Republic
Ian Malone
Socrates Defines Justice
Socrates attempts to define the true meaning of justice by critiquing the ideas of other philosophers. In book 1 of Plato’s Republic the debate among Socrates and his colleagues begins with Cephalus, who first defines justice as simply being honest and repaying one’s debts. Cephalus is a wealthy, elderly man who acquired much of his fortune through inheritance as Socrates points out. Socrates divulges this to explain that those who come from money are not as fond of it as those who are self-made men. This is because self-made men love their wealth as a creation of oneself much like a craftsman loves their art or a father loves his son. Cephalus then explains that the greatest function of wealth, for those of good character, is to be able to repay debts and to avoid defrauding people and lying to them. Thus his definition of justice is derived from the importance of money.
The problem with this definition that Socrates points out immediately is that simply repaying debts as they are due does not always constitute just action. Socrates gives the example of borrowing weapons from a man who was once sane but it is now …show more content…
He points out several examples involving distribution of wealth where the just man pays more in taxes and levies and the unjust man does not. The greatest example he gives of true injustice prevailing is the advent of tyranny—taking of other’s possessions. He explains that on the smallest scale people who are thieves, grave robbers, and temple raiders are condemned and punished for their acts by the state. But those who commit it on the largest scale (kings who enslave entire populations) are commended for their actions and haled by their citizens. The ultimate conclusion of Thrasymachus is “that justice is in fact what is good for the stronger, whereas injustice is what is profitable and good for
Socrates Defines Justice
Socrates attempts to define the true meaning of justice by critiquing the ideas of other philosophers. In book 1 of Plato’s Republic the debate among Socrates and his colleagues begins with Cephalus, who first defines justice as simply being honest and repaying one’s debts. Cephalus is a wealthy, elderly man who acquired much of his fortune through inheritance as Socrates points out. Socrates divulges this to explain that those who come from money are not as fond of it as those who are self-made men. This is because self-made men love their wealth as a creation of oneself much like a craftsman loves their art or a father loves his son. Cephalus then explains that the greatest function of wealth, for those of good character, is to be able to repay debts and to avoid defrauding people and lying to them. Thus his definition of justice is derived from the importance of money.
The problem with this definition that Socrates points out immediately is that simply repaying debts as they are due does not always constitute just action. Socrates gives the example of borrowing weapons from a man who was once sane but it is now …show more content…
He points out several examples involving distribution of wealth where the just man pays more in taxes and levies and the unjust man does not. The greatest example he gives of true injustice prevailing is the advent of tyranny—taking of other’s possessions. He explains that on the smallest scale people who are thieves, grave robbers, and temple raiders are condemned and punished for their acts by the state. But those who commit it on the largest scale (kings who enslave entire populations) are commended for their actions and haled by their citizens. The ultimate conclusion of Thrasymachus is “that justice is in fact what is good for the stronger, whereas injustice is what is profitable and good for