Week Seven: PLATO
Thrasymachus: The Attack on Justice, and Socrates’ Response
October 24, 8 PM -9:30 pm
Just as Achilles’ faith in justice (and his way of life) is severely shaken, so too does Plato’s Republic challenge our faith in justice, in the form of an angry attack by a popular teacher of rhetoric, Thrasymachus. He criticizes Socrates both for hypocrisy and naivete. What governs the world, according to Thrasymachus, is the “advantage of the stronger.” He denies that justice is good for the doer of justice, but is only his (naïve or foolish) sacrifice and selflessness—and another’s good (343b). Isn’t injustice “taking advantage” of others—that is, getting more for oneself and profiting? Then the person who has the most for himself would be the man of “perfect injustice,” the tyrant, who alone is envied and called happy (344a-c). “Justice” would only be a system of exploitation or deception by the stronger, those who make the laws and rule. How does Socrates defeat Thrasymachus, at least to cause him to blush (350d)? Does Socrates defend selflessness as good (345a, 347d)? if not, how can he defend justice? Does Thrasymachus simply defend selfishness (e.g., at 350a)? What are the implications of Thrasymachus’ concession that injustice is fair and mighty, and has all the qualities that people ordinarily attribute to justice and virtue (348c-349a)? Socrates defeats Thrasymachus, but do his arguments prove that justice is better than injustice?