When I read Thrasymachus in my philosophy class, I was interested in Thrasymachus definition of justice. Thrasymachus defines "justice" as "what is it to the interest of the stronger party." I strongly disagree with Thrasymachus's definiton of justice. I disagree with him because he is not only wrong but also confusing people by saying that. To me justice means to be fair and right. I don't think that neither the stronger party or weaker party have to do with the meaning of justice. In the Supreme Court, the judge and the juries don't support any party either it's strong or weak. The judge and the juries only say whose guilty or not with the evidence and argument that seems be right or just. Socrates was right that Thrasymachus has no idea what he is talking about. I think Socrates was right about this because Thrasymachus doesn't have reasons or facts to say that the interest of the stronger party is the weaker party. He didn't make any sense to anyone because I don't think that justice always goes to the weaker party. It doesn't matter who the stronger party or weaker party are. If the weaker party are a bunch of crooks and they wanted to kill rich people for their money, does that make them just? I don't think so because justice means that everybody should be treated with equal rights and fair by the law, not the strong or the weak.
Thrasymachus
By tvbpug - Posted on October 4th, 2009
Your definition of justice substitutes one vague term for several others: "justice" for you becomes what is "right" and "fair." I believe Thrasymachus' point in The Republic is that the strong determine what is right (for them) and what is fair (for them) and therefore what they say is just, is just.
In the case of a "fair" court, the stronger party could certainly intimidate or bribe judges and juries. Or they could use perfectly legal means of getting their way- for example, celebrities accused of crimes often get off because they can afford "all-star" defense lawyers. This would be an example of the stronger (as in richer, more famous, etc) having "justice" served the way they like it.
Justice is a far more complicated concept than simply what is "right," especially since one person or group consider different things right and wrong. And while I don't agree with Thrasymachus either, I think he makes a disturbingly accurate observation about the nature of justice- all too often, the rich and powerful get their way.