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Thrasymachus Ideas Of Justice In Plato's The Republic

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In Plato’s The Republic” written in 380 BC, Plato introduces two characters Polemarchus and Thrasymachus who hold two separate opinions on Justice. They both are made to give their own opinions on Justice by Socrates. Both standpoints accurately represent Justice in sirtain situations. The word justice can be represented in many ways because it holds a broad meaning. They are covering two completely different aspects of Justice. The first definition of Justice that is introduced Is by Thrasymachus. In the Republic, Thrasymachus and Polemarchus get into an intense argument on Justice. Before he spoke on his standpoint on Justice he demanded money. Thrasymachus states, “I say that Justice or right is simply what is in the interest …show more content…

Polemarchus’ idea of justice, “By defining a friend as one who both seems and is an honest man: while the man who seems, but is not, and honest man seems a friend, but really is not. And similarly for an enemy” (335a). What Polemarchus is trying to say is that do good for friends and harm for enemies for justice. To go more in depth into what he is saying, Polemarchus believes you must first determine who is your ally to do good by him and also determine who your enemies are thus to do “harm” by him. On receiving this point of view based on Justice Plato went further to decipher Polemarchus’ idea. He referred to the analogy of the friend and sword, along with many other analogies countering in what he believes to be a ridiculous claim Polemarchus made. Each claim Polemarchus made to further convey his opinion Socrates made a counter analogy. Each showing the wrong doers and/or right doers. Current time Justice has not been followed by these standards. The world is living in a time where Thrasymachus definition of injustice is present. Justice has been overtaken by the “stronger party” as Thrasymachus would say. Rightful repercussions and/or has not been taken against people that have Since it is defined by both of these definitions alone. A perfect example that connects Thrasymachus to current times would be police brutality. As stated in the

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