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. He explains that cities ruled by tyranny, democracy, aristocracy, or other forms of government create laws that are advantageous for its rulers; democracies establish democratic laws and the others follow the same pattern. By doing so, a ruling body declares what is just for its citizens is what is advantageous for itself, the ruling class, and punishes those who break the law. According to Thrasymachus, it is disadvantageous to live by the traditional standards of justice for justice represents the interests of the stronger and the interests of the stronger often are not advantageous to the
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. He explains that cities ruled by tyranny, democracy, aristocracy, or other forms of government create laws that are advantageous for its rulers; democracies establish democratic laws and the others follow the same pattern. By doing so, a ruling body declares what is just for its citizens is what is advantageous for itself, the ruling class, and punishes those who break the law. According to Thrasymachus, it is disadvantageous to live by the traditional standards of justice for justice represents the interests of the stronger and the interests of the stronger often are not advantageous to the