The End Of Plato s Republic Book I - 2029 Words

In the end of Plato’s Republic Book I, Socrates and Thrasymachus who had just finished a set of vigorous arguments on what the definition for justice is and whether the just or the unjust life is the best life to live, come to a conclusion. Regarding the true definition of justice, at the end of Book I, Socrates mentions that their discussion have not led them to the true definition of justice (Republic 354b). On the other hand, their discussion on which life is more profitable does come to a conclusion, â€Å"So the just man is happy and the unjust man is miserable†¦but being miserable is not profitable, whereas being happy is† (Rep. 354a) Socrates says, indicating the just life tends to be more profitable than the unjust life. Following their†¦show more content†¦In order to question and reassess Thrasymachus’ view of justice, in this essay, I will first bring up cases for Thrasymachus being accused of being contradictory and inconsistent in his v iew for justice. For the second part of the essay, I will provide a counterargument in order to prove Thrasymachus’ consistency followed by a discussion on Socrates’ own contradiction in regards to his account of the city. First, throughout Book I, Plato seems to portray Thrasymachus as a vigorous character who wants to overcome and achieve rhetorical victory over Socrates. As Plato illustrates, â€Å"Even in the middle of our conversation Thrasymachus had repeatedly tried to take control of the discussion† (Plato, 336b) and as soon as Socrates ends his discussion in finding the true definition of justice with Polemarchus, â€Å"he gathered himself and sprang at us, like a wild beast at its prey† and enters into the discussion (Rep. 336b). However, unlike his zeal to achieve victory over Socrates, Thrasymachus is continuously rebutted by Socrates which views Thrasymachus’ arguments inconsistent and self-contradictory for his definition of justice. Initiating his discussion with Socrates, Thrasymachus brings up his account of justice. Thrasymachus insists, â€Å"I say that justice is simply what is good for the stronger† (Rep. 338c). Also, later on in his discussion with Socrates, he provides another claim for his view of justice, that â€Å"justice and the