Passage
“That’s because you are a liar who misrepresents things in arguments, Socrates. To start with, do you call someone who’s completely mistaken about sick people a doctor on account of that very thing he is mistaken about? Or call someone skilled at arithmetic who makes a mistake in doing arithmetic, at the time when he’s making it, on account of this mistake? I imagine instead that we talk that way in a manner of speaking, saying that the doctor made a mistake, or the one skilled at arithmetic made a mistake…But I assume that each of these, to the extent that this is what we address him as, never makes a mistake, so that in precise speech…no skilled worker makes a mistake. For it’s by being deficient in the knowledge that the one who makes a mistake makes it, in respect to which he is not a skilled worker. So no one who’s a skilled worker or wise or a ruler makes a mistake at the time when he is a ruler…But the most precise way of speaking is exactly this, that the one who rules, to the extent that he is a ruler does not make mistakes, and in not making a mistake he sets up what is best for himself, and this needs to be done by the one who is ruled. And so I say the very thing I’ve been saying from the beginning is just, to do what is advantageous to the stronger.”
Introduction
Plato was one of the most prolific philosophers of the twentieth century. His arguments and philosophies are extensively employed in the modern society to explain various issues. Plato is depicted as a highly knowledgeable individual in all of his works since he employs logical and critical thinking in his arguments. Furthermore, Plato’s philosophies are well-known due to the quality of his arguments. The paper conducts an analysis of the quality of Plato’s arguments that doing what is advantageous to the stronger, is just.
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Exposition of the Context in which the Passage Occurs
The passage can be traced back to the Republic, in which Thrasymachus plays the role of Plato in the text. The argument takes place in a setting comprised of other philosophers such as Socrates. Additionally, the philosophers are arguing on the issue of what is just, each presenting their own views p persuade the other of the quality of their claims.
Philosophical Significance of the Passage
The Author’s Claims
The author claims that what is just is that which is advantageous to the most powerful individuals. The primary focus of the text is just actions. Thrasymachus argues that justice is concealed, not only through visible actions but the inner functioning of an individual’s soul. Thrasymachus’s arguments conflict with those of Socrates. Socrates argues that justice is achieved when a person tells the truth and gives back he/she owes to another. The author puts across the fact that justice is that which is good for another, who in this case has more power. “ And so I say the very thing I’ve been saying from the beginning is just, to do what is advantageous to the stronger ( Sachs, 2006) .” The quote is significant in demonstrating the fact that people only act in a just way when their actions are beneficial to other superior individuals, as opposed to themselves. In his attempt to properly define justice, Plato implicitly brings out the concept of injustice.
The speaker also attempts to emphasize on some critical points in order to persuade other philosophers in the text, as well as the readers of his claims. Nonetheless, this is done by demeaning the arguments of Socrates, another great philosopher. For instance, he claims that Socrates is a liar who has a tendency of misinterpreting things in his arguments. “ do you call someone who’s completely mistaken about sick people a doctor on account of that very thing he is mistaken about ( Sachs, 2006 )? ” in this quote, Plato argues that a person who makes a mistake about sick people cannot be called a doctor based on the very thing that he has mistaken about. The argument displays a high order level of thinking. Doctors are perceived to be experts in what they do. Concurrently, they have immense knowledge on the sick, since this is their area of specialty. As a result, a person who makes mistakes about the sick cannot be referred to as a doctor.
Furthermore, the speaker also argues that a person cannot be referred to as a skilled arithmetic if the same individual makes calculation errors in mathematics. The passage is important in bringing into light, the significance of professionalism in the eradication of errors.
People who have the required skills and knowledge in various areas cannot make mistakes, and they are given certain titles such as Doctor, due to their exemplary performance. “For it’s by being deficient in the knowledge that the one who makes a mistake makes it, in respect to which he is not a skilled worker ( Sachs, 2006),” this quote is significant since it attributes errors to a deficiency in critical knowledge, which a well-thought-out argument. He further argues that skilled workers do not make mistakes, which is true since they have the knowledge and expertise required to perform various tasks. The main argument that the author puts across is the fact that people act justly when their action is advantageous to people who have more power than them.
The Significance of the Passage
The passage is significant since the arguments contained in it can be applied to the contemporary world. Thrasymachus emphasizes the fact that justice is a luxury in which those who are deficient in power cannot access. Furthermore, only those who hold the most prominent positions have justice, since it is based on what is beneficial to them, and not the rest of the people. The arguments of Thrasymachus’s symbolize the lack of justice in the modern world. For instance, in each state globally, only the strong occupy leadership positions. addition, what is just, is what they say is so. Justice is achieved when people conform to the will of the powerful ones in the society and do that which is beneficial to these prominent individuals. Furthermore, it is powerful leaders who establish and implement the law. Moreover, these leaders also declare the set laws as just for everyone else in the community. Justice is when people obey the laws set by their superiors. Therefore, going against what is dictated by the superiors is what is defined as injustice, based on this argument. Consequently, justice works to the advantage of the powerful nationwide.
The main significance of the selected passage is to illustrate the prevalence of injustice today. The ones who have no power conform to the set laws, while those with power go against their own rules without any repercussions. In the contemporary world, leaders make use of agents such as the police, to enforce the set laws. Nonetheless, these people do not initiate the reforms on themselves. Similarly, they deviate from the norms, as well as their own rules. Moreover, they foster a system that persecutes the weak and gives the rulers even more power, which is the main reason why poverty and corruption are extremely prevalent in the society.
The primary way that the weak can acquire power is through unity since strength is achieved in numbers. Through bravery and humility, strength and unity are achieved. Consequently, through this unification, people obtain greater power, as compared to those individuals who are already in power. Consequently, the weak become the most powerful, and can, therefore, dictate what is just, since justice is that which is beneficial to the strong. The passage is important since it demonstrates that the immoral use of individual power is the primary cause of corruption, and corrupt acts are committed by those who have power. This is because they have the first say on what is just and that which is not. No standard of justice that goes beyond the advantage of the most powerful can be attained until wisdom is acquired by those in power.
The overall project of this passage is bringing into light, the reasons why injustice, corruption, and poverty, are prevalent in the contemporary world. The main relation between this passage and the whole of the text is to demonstrate the quality of Plato’s arguments, as compared to those of other philosophers, such as Socrates.
The Logic Employed by the Author
The author employs quality, logical, and critical thinking skills in his arguments. The author does not simply rely on the universal definition of justice; he develops his own effective definition of what is just. The main premise of the argument is that justice is that which is to the benefit of those in power, “ And so I say the very thing I’ve been saying from the beginning is just, to do what is advantageous to the stronger ( Sachs, 2006 ).” Furthermore, the weak in the have no justice since they act to benefit the most powerful individuals in their society.
“But the most precise way of speaking is exactly this, that the one who rules, to the extent that he is a ruler does not make mistakes, and in not making a mistake he sets up what is best for himself, and this needs to be done by the one who is ruled. And so I say the very thing I’ve been saying from the beginning is just, to do what is advantageous to the stronger ( Sachs, 2006 ),” this quote is significant in depicting the logical flow of ideas since the conclusion follows the premises in a logical manner. The author emphasizes that those in power do what is best for themselves, which is what they consider as just. The author then concludes by laying his main argument at the end of the passage, in a logical and systematic manner.
Conclusion
Justice is a difficult term to define. Apart from the universal definition of justice as a behavior that is in accordance with what is ethically right and fair; many philosophers have attempted to give an effective definition of just actions. For instance, Socrates defines these terms as telling the truth and the ability of an individual to give back what is owed. Nonetheless, Plato goes beyond the surface meaning of what justice is, effectively defining it as that which is to the advantage of the powerful. A proper analysis of the definition displays the density of those words. Plato brings to light the fact that justice is a luxury that is extended to the strong and advantaged since they have the power to dictate what just entails. Thrasymachus gives a logical and effective definition of what is just in the passage.
References
Sachs, J., (2006). Plato’s Republic. Focus Philosophy Library, 1 st Edition, Kindle Edition.
