Gluacon's Argument Analysis

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David Dalfonso Prof. Thomas Teufel Philosophy 1500 BMWA October 22, 2015 In the Republic, by Plato an ancient philosopher. Gluacon presents an argument concerning “the nature and origin of justice.” Gluacon uses the four premises to expand on “justice.” Gluacons argument expresses how justice is conventional and that justice is man made. This paper will discuss and analyze Gluacons explanation of the four premises to give his conclusion on the nature and origin of justice. The nature and origin of justice is broken down by discussing that “nature” is also known as what justice is. Origin is expressed as how did it come about? In The Republic justice, is considered as no one interferes, no one does harm or wrong. Everyone stops where they should. Justice, while being good in itself for its consequences, can be interrupted as good, being a type of …show more content…

44 [358e]) the disadvantage of being harmed out weighs the advantage of harming. This shows that we don’t have a moral character and a perfectly unjust man is good if he doesn’t get caught. Although, if one were to get caught, in argument they wouldn’t feel that what they were doing was wrong as Gluacon thinks that justice is good in itself for its consequences. In the fourth premises Gluacon stated, “so that whenever people treat each other unjustly and get a taste of what its like both to do it and to have it done to them,” (Plato, Apology, p. 45 [359a]) meaning you cant escape being harmed or treated unjustly while you are also treating someone unjustly. Gluacon wants to see that justice is as important as for itself as for its consequences. This fourth premises gives people an insight as to what it feels like to be treated unjust, as in don’t do to others, as others do to you. The feeling you get from being treated unjust feels just as worse as the ones you are being unjust