Thiavelli Vs Thrasymachus

“It is much safer to be feared than loved, if one has to pick one and the other” (Machiavelli 1532, 66). Thrasymachus’ controversial assertion that justice is “the advantage of the stronger” demonstrates his perception of those who are idealist by illustrating the complexities involved in political life. Niccolo Machiavelli would most likely agree with Thrasymachus’ definition of justice because of their similarities in terms of taking a realist approach on this particular subject. Although Machiavelli and Thrasymachus share similar views on the topic of justice, they also make arguments in favor of being unjust in society. They both recognize that being unjust carries more advantages than disadvantages and therefore should be exercised impetuously.

In this instance, it’s selfishness. Machiavelli constantly acknowledges that humans are selfish and therefore this justifies the prince to be selfish. One of the similarities between both of them is the preservation of the state through some form of leadership. Plato argues that humans are not best fit to rule by themselves and therefore require a philosopher king. He goes as far as saying that “[unless] the philosophers rule as kings…and political power and philosophy coincide in the same place…there is no rest from ills for the cities…nor I think for human kind” (Plato 380 BC, 153). This powerful statement by Plato reflects the constant struggle between balancing freedom and preserving sovereignty of the state. Additionally, Machiavelli also shares similar conceptions of the realities of political life. He, like Plato, warns that humans cannot self-govern because of their inability to put the state first. He justifies this argument by stating that “in adverse times, when the state has need of citizens, then few of them are to be found” (Machiavelli 1532, 42). Both acknowledge the difficulties of self-government by the people and illustrate the political consequences of relying on the people for the preservation of the state. During times of peace, people have no problem staying loyal to the state.

Thrasymachus’ controversial definition of justice demonstrates his perspective on justice which correlates with Machiavelli’s theme of human selfishness in his book, The Prince. He states that a prince must do everything he can to preserve the state by any means necessary. According to Machiavelli, it would be in the best interest for a prince to be unjust since he can expect the same behavior to come from others. Additionally, he argues that morality and ethics should be disregarded since people will do anything that benefits them and therefore it’s foolish to be just. Furthermore, Machiavelli and Plato both share various arguments with respect to political life that justifies their reasoning. Human nature, for example, became a central theme for both of them in terms of recognizing the many problems that come with preserving a state. Although both individuals agreed that humans are incapable of self-government, they did disagree on a multitude of things such as the role of wisdom and knowledge in political affairs. While Machiavelli surrounded himself with intelligent individuals (although he makes sure that he is the final decision maker), Plato takes a different approach with a philosopher king. After a rigorous educational process where he learns about the form of the good, the philosopher king finally achieves knowledge and