Morales, Jhoanna May S.

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Understanding Socrates's "Life of Justice" in

Republic
I.

a. Polemarchus has an attitude of an ambitious young politician whom believes that justice is
“give each what is owed to him.” Polemarchus argues that you owe friends help and you owe
enemies’ harm. He believes that you should never owe bad to friends. Rendering each what is
due and of giving each what is appropriate. It was based on Simonides’ view about Justice
Simonides is a wise and godlike man.

b. Thrasymachus, a sophist believes that justice is unusual limitation on our natural yearning to
have more than what we have today. Justice is an agreement imposed on everyone and it does
not help us to obey it. He thinks that the rational thing to do is to disregard justice. According to
him, “justice is nothing other than what is advantageous for the stronger. Just behavior works to
the benefit of further people, not to the person who behaves justly.

II.

After Polemarchus stated his view on justice, Socrates pointed out that judgements concerning to
friends and enemies are fallible. In my own understanding on Socrates’ statement, it describes it
as weak or biased. Judgements like that will just lead to harm the good people that sometimes
considered as enemies and help the bad people that sometimes considered as friends. He said that
we are not always friends with most virtuous persons, nor are out enemies always the scum of
the society. He also stated that there is incoherence in the idea of impairing people through
justice.

He gave a situation to Polemarchus whereas someone does not give a lender what he is owed by
giving him a gold. He asked Polemarchus if would giving and receiving would be harmful when
he and the lender are friends if this is what Simonides meant? Polemarchus answered yes.
Socrates asked Polemarchus again if one should also give one’s enemy what is owed to them.
For the second time, Polemarchus answered yes, what is in fact owed to them and what an
enemy owes an enemy. He considered something bad. Socrates thinks that Simonides speaking
in riddles. You have to understand what he says carefully because it is a riddle that you have to
think prudently.

Socrates made Thrasymachus admit his views promotes injustice as a virtue because of his
statements, including “rational thing to do is ignore justice entirely”. He has three arguments
from what Thrasymachus said. First, he argues that life is seen as a constant rivalry to get more
than what they already have, in terms of power, wealth, and etc. Whoever has the greatest
number of that is considered as winner or successful in the competition has the greatest virtue. It
made them compete to one another even in smallest details, that sometimes made them stab one
another from behind. The invisible and unspoken competition is what matters the most in them
because it will lead to have more authority. Having authority is a honor to them, they value it the
most.

Subsequent, he argues that understanding justice now as an obedience to rules which allow the
group to act as one. Contrast on what Thrasymachus said, Socrates argues that to adhere the rules
to have reach the goal. Rules are made to be followed, not ignore.

Lastly, he argues that justice is a virtue of a soul, virtue of the soul is the health of the soul. He
said that just people are wiser, while unjust people cannot act together, or was unable to act
together. When they begin in doing unjust things, they will be halfway being corrupted by their
injustice.

III.

If I were to think like a Sophist, I would argue that it is never profitable to be unjust. Being
unjust will just gives you the illusion that you are benefiting from being unjust. Well in reality,
you are not. It was just like drugs; it is a temptation that once it has been started it is hard to stop
doing it. It will make you think that you are being wise and rational, but it will make you
irrational in so many ways.
I think we are still naturally inclined with good; I mean some of us. it is just that some forgotten
the essence of being just, and just choose to be unjust because it will make them more powerful
or wealthier or they think it is more easy to be unjust.