“Chicago cop cleared in unarmed woman’s shooting death”. Headlines just like this are becoming common in today’s society and the main question that the community asks is “when will justice be served?” Living in a time where the black community keeps getting shot by the police and no consequences occur, we have no choice but to question, what is justice? Similar to the modern society, the one Plato lived in confronted this same question of justice. In this paper I will attempt to explain the view that Plato places before us through Socrates in The Republic as to what is justice and does it “pay” better than injustice in society. Though Plato and I are of two different communities, I still believe that I can agree with the definition of justice that he presents. In The Republic by Plato, tells of a time that Socrates and his community were searching for a clear consensus or definition of justice. Many individuals gave their examples and ideas to the question, but Socrates shot those down because he could sense flaws in each of them. Even though Socrates does not give his own definition of what justice truly is, he does make it clear that he thinks it is something good and desirable by society. That is one of the main points that he attempts to prove through his conversation with the others of his community. He sees justice as a group interest instead of an individuals’ which means that justice would be of a majority decision. Socrates is clearly defending the notion that justice is going to “pay” better than injustice because he believes in a harmonious and good society.
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He seems to understand that what makes moral sense to others is going to be the more desirable option that the community is going to follow and what the majority deems as “just” is the direction that community is going to agree with overall over something deemed “wrong” or ultimately unjust. Socrates also states that justice trumps injustice because he believes that it is a human virtue, which is the foundation and dispositions to perform good acts. Justice and the well-being of a community is achieved when those individuals of a society are living to fulfill their humanly virtues. As stated before, the majority will take more interest in an issue that is morally just over something that is not. Based on Socrates idea that justice will pay better than injustice is apparent in today’s society. I can say for a fact that the young and black community will agree with the definition that justice is something good which benefits the majority of that community and societal well-being. Most recently, black people are being shot by police officers and no consequences are seen for these unjust actions. I believe that actions like these are being looked at in and around my community as the core definition of injustice. When things happen like this to people who look like just like me, and nothing happens to these officers, I become hurt and angry at the situation that occurred. When injustice happens, people begin to feel the same way as myself and that goes against what society wants and that is to live in a harmonious society. An example like this would prove that injustice is unfair to those of the community who want to live a world where the “right” things happen. In situations like these, the
He seems to understand that what makes moral sense to others is going to be the more desirable option that the community is going to follow and what the majority deems as “just” is the direction that community is going to agree with overall over something deemed “wrong” or ultimately unjust. Socrates also states that justice trumps injustice because he believes that it is a human virtue, which is the foundation and dispositions to perform good acts. Justice and the well-being of a community is achieved when those individuals of a society are living to fulfill their humanly virtues. As stated before, the majority will take more interest in an issue that is morally just over something that is not. Based on Socrates idea that justice will pay better than injustice is apparent in today’s society. I can say for a fact that the young and black community will agree with the definition that justice is something good which benefits the majority of that community and societal well-being. Most recently, black people are being shot by police officers and no consequences are seen for these unjust actions. I believe that actions like these are being looked at in and around my community as the core definition of injustice. When things happen like this to people who look like just like me, and nothing happens to these officers, I become hurt and angry at the situation that occurred. When injustice happens, people begin to feel the same way as myself and that goes against what society wants and that is to live in a harmonious society. An example like this would prove that injustice is unfair to those of the community who want to live a world where the “right” things happen. In situations like these, the