David 1
Last Name 2
Peter David
Professor Mesing
Philosophy
February 5, 2018
Short Paper (Pair #2)
What is justice? The dictionary definition of this word says that it is the legal or philosophical theory by which fairness is administered. However, in Plato’s book “The Republic”, two characters named Glaucon and Thrasymachus have their own version of what this word exactly means to them. In this essay, I am going to thoroughly analyze and make a conclusion about one of the quotes that were said between these two characters and also determine whether or not the quotes contribute to the same argument.
The pair of statements that I am going to choose is pair two (prompt). In book II of “The Republic”, we are introduced to Glaucon, who is a philosopher concerned with how and why justice is valued. To begin with, Glaucon’s statements says, “The best is to do injustice without paying the penalty; the worst is to suffer it without being able to take revenge (359a). When I think of this, I think it means that Glaucon is telling us that it is ok to do the wrong thing under the condition that no one finds out about it, and you get away with it. In the text, Glaucon proceeds to strengthen this point when he tells a story where a just man finds a ring that can make him invisible. Having no consequences for doing wrong, he delves into his inhibitions and is as immoral as he pleases (359d-360b). Glaucon makes another point in which he argues that “the life of an unjust person is, they say is much better than that of a just one. Glaucon’s example is about a just man that goes through a rough life of poverty and humiliation, but on the other hand, an unjust man can gain more and more power and wealth which enabled him to “buy” the title of a just man. Glaucon then tries to eliminate ...
