Essay Sample on Thrasymachus' Views on Justice

In 2020, fifty-five of the largest corporations in America paid no federal corporate income taxes in their most recent fiscal year despite enjoying profits in the United States (Institution on Taxation and Economic Policy). Another example of the rich getting richer. Anyone can question where taxes go after the U.S. taxpayer pays, but it does not take an economist to know taxes overall help upgrade cities and help improve the grand scheme of things. When looking at companies that make the most money, it would be the most logical if the richest companies would pay their taxes to benefit the system where they are making such great profits, but they end up not paying anything in taxes year after year. In my opinion, this is indeed unjust, but the unjust are the ones who remain in power for this very reason; doing the unjust. Some people argue that the richest of society not paying taxes is just, as the government allows for this to happen. Former United States President Donald Trump even stated it “makes [him] smart” when referring to not paying taxes. However, you must realize the government that made these laws, to allow the rich to not pay taxes, are a part of the rich. And if you are making the laws, why would you want your buddies to pay taxes? In book one of The Republic, Thrasymachus argues that the unjust are advantageous, and the ones who follow the rules and are just are the obeyers in the world. His argument of justice and injustice has changed my view on the matter and I completely agree with his point. The unjust will always be at an advantage while the just, the rule followers, will be disadvantaged. All and all, this paper will be focused on breaking down Thrasymachus’ argument and proving why his argument has been correct throughout history.

In any case, to break down Thrasymachus’ argument we must start at the beginning of the story. As Socrates retreats home after a musical festival, he meets Polemarchus and accompanies him to his father Cephalus’ house. As Socrates and Cephalus begin to talk about life at old age, the argument slowly gets into the topic of justice through the conversation of wealth. As they are debating about justice, Cephalus leaves for a sacrifice of the Gods and the argument gets handed over to Polemarchus and eventually turns the argument between Socrates and Thrasymachus. Thrasymachus gives an account of his argument, and his argument can be broken down into two main points. His first argument can be found when he states “ I say Justice is nothing than what is advantageous for the stronger (Introductory Readings in Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy pg. 154).” Thrasymachus’ claim can be summarized that acting unjustly is advantageous while being just is disadvantageous. With this claim, Thrasymachus is stating that those who behave unjustly naturally gain power and become rulers and strong people in society while weak people who behave under justice, become disadvantaged, and allow the strong to have an advantage. With this argument, Thrasymachus may be seen siding with tyrants or other people of power, but in reality, he is applauding them for putting themselves in positions to be unjust and advantageous. The second argument that Thrasymachus makes in his argument with Socrates is “that justice is really the good of another, what is advantageous for the stronger and the ruler, and harmful to the one who obeys and serves. Injustice is the opposite, it rules those simpleminded— for that is what they really are— just people, and the ones it rules do what is advantageous for the other who is stronger (pg 157).” This second rebuttal argument against Socrates shows that justice benefits the rulers and tyrants of the world, but is unfavorable for the middle or lower classes of the world. Thrasymachus also mentions that injustice causes the rulers to become advantageous and stronger while it rules over the middle and lower classes. This argument essentially establishes that justice is obedience to laws that will keep the middle and lower classes at a disadvantage, while injustice will forever put those who are unjust higher than the just. Through these arguments, Thrasymachus shows his beliefs in that the strong rule over the weak, and justice is the good of another and incompatible with the pursuit of one’s self-interest. Overall, Thrasymachus makes these two main points in his debate with Socrates over justice and injustice in the world.

To continue with justice, I believe Thrasymachus’ argument is correct in stating that the unjust are at an advantage while the just are at a disadvantage in the world. If we look throughout history, and some of the most influential rulers, many if not all have performed acts of injustice to get to the very top. At the end of the day, the winners write history and the winners are almost always the ones who perform unjust actions. An example of a person performing injustice to seize control can be seen with former Chilean leader, Augusto Pinochet. On September 11, 1973, General Pinochet, being backed by the United States CIA, performed a coup d’etat on the Chilean government that would change the history of the country. General Pinochet and his US backing ordered fighter jets to fire rockets on the presidential palace, and eventually stormed the building with his soldiers forcing the president, Salvador Allende, to commit suicide. This led Augusto Pinochet into power in Chile, and once he declared himself the president of Chile, he spent the next few weeks torturing and executing without trialing any supporters of the former president. This was an act of injustice, and yet it shows how injustice lands you into positions of power, giving you the advantage that the rule follower will never have. I find it astonishing that the CIA, a part of the United States government, whose mission statement is to “leverage the power of information to keep [The United States] safe”, can perform acts of injustice to control who they want in power in parts of the world. This is a clear example of a person, with the backing of a government, performing injustice to be at an advantage, a clear example that Thrasymachus’ argument was correct. Overall, this example shows that every big government, whether the United States or China, controls through acts of injustice to put themselves in an advantageous position.

In addition, several laws have been created by governments, the people who are in charge, that show injustice to keep the ones in power so powerful. An obvious example of this can be slavery, which was made legal to keep the rich get richer by free labor after purchasing another human being. The rich even made a law to prohibit anyone to escape slavery, to truly show that the poor were disadvantaged in the law. This was legal, and as we can see in the twenty-first century that this is complete injustice. However, this shows how the unjust were made advantageous, in the sense they could buy any person to stay in the higher classes, while the majority were forced to work themselves to survive. Another example of the unjust getting ahead of the just can be seen with the 2008 market crash that affected people all over the world. As the market crashed, which was caused by bankers cheating the system, affecting every person in the world. However, the men and women of Wall Street, who were responsible for this great imbalance on the market, got away scot-free while the hard-working people of the world had to fend for themselves. Only one man ever went to prison for the financial crisis, and he ended up only serving two years after a payout to the United States Security and Exchange Commission. This financial crisis was caused by the greed of the rich to get richer, and it was a clear moment of injustice that helped the rich gain and hurt the masses. This crisis proves that the unjust are always the ones who gain, while the middle classes struggle. While the just people follow all laws, they are the ones who are disadvantaged in the grand scheme of things. To be unjust gives you power, and being just will disadvantage you throughout your life. I believe it is a great flaw in the system that the rich only get richer, while the poor must deal with the mistakes of the rich, but it is completely true to say the unjust are at an advantage. 

Consequently, almost every moment throughout history has been an advantage of the rich, and this advantage has almost always been gained through injustice. If you look at any civilization, any political system, there is always someone who is at the top, who has all the power that the masses do not have. This power comes from injustice, and it is the reason why we remember all the presidents, but none of the hardest workers in history. Injustice causes the greatest advantage, and being just will lead you to live a life of mediocrity. Thrasymachus’ argument shows that justice is how the rulers want you to behave, for the improvement of humanity. Yet, the rulers know that causing the masses to be just will always keep the leaders, the unjust, on top of the pyramid. A moment has never come in history where being just has caused a man to rule over empires, and it will never be the case. Injustice is the driving force behind power, and Thrasymachus’ argument has summarized all of history after him, and it will for all of the future ahead of me.