Thrasymachus Response To Plato's Republic

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Plato’s Republic was written by Plato, based off of Socrates’s conversations. In book I Socrates is confronted by Thrasymachus, who claims that “Justice is nothing other than the advantage of the stronger” (338c). Socrates refutes Thrasymachus’s claim with the elenchus, doing so by analyzing the ambiguity of his words, questioning Thrasymachus, and exhibiting Thrasymachus’s contradictions. Socrates challenges Thrasymachus’s claim with the elenchus. Thrasymachus’s response was more of a political position on justice than it was a definition. As a result Socrates had to analyze the meaning of the statement before refuting it, in order to eliminate ambiguity. The issue Socrates has with Thrasymachus’s wording is that he uses “of the stronger” when defining justice, instead this defines what gives some an advantage. Socrates asks Thrasymachus if it is just for one to obey the rulers, to which he replies that he does believe this. Socrates further reasons with Thrasymachus that the rulers are able to err, and that the rulers make some laws…show more content…
Socrates explains to him that he previously agreed that the rulers are liable to error. Thrasymachus continues to argue that the ruler is no longer a ruler if he errs, “it’s when his knowledge fails him that he makes an error, and in regard to that error he is no craftsmen” (340e). Thrasymachus is essentially stating that “the stronger” are not strong when they err, similarity doctors, and others that err are no longer craftsman. Socrates in return, questions Thrasymachus about the nature of art and craftsman ship. Socrates comes to the conclusion that there is no err because every craft is an art, and “no other craft seeks its own advantage-for it has no further needs-but the advantage of that which is the craft,” (342b). Thrasymachus agrees hesitantly, and Socrates details that it is crucial to keep exactness, and precision when
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