Thrasymachus on Justice, Rulers, and Laws in Republic I
One issue of contention amongst scholars of the Republic is whether Thrasymachus initially espouses a conventionalist account of justice, according to which just actions are merely those which are lawful; required, or at least allowed, by the laws passed by the ruler of the state. A further question...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | deu |
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Universidade de São Paulo (USP)
2020-10-01
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| Series: | Revista de Filosofia Antiga |
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| Online Access: | https://www.revistas.usp.br/filosofiaantiga/article/view/176055 |
| _version_ | 1818889982183473152 |
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| author | Stephen Everson |
| author_facet | Stephen Everson |
| author_sort | Stephen Everson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | One issue of contention amongst scholars of the Republic is whether Thrasymachus initially espouses a conventionalist account of justice, according to which just actions are merely those which are lawful; required, or at least allowed, by the laws passed by the ruler of the state. A further question is then whether his initial conceptions of rulers and laws are positivist ones, such that to be a ruler or law of a state is simply determined by the state’s constitution (or indeed by the ruler’s ability to enforce obedience). At 340c Thrasymachus effectively rejects such positivism by placing a condition on being a ruler that one should be exercising the art of ruling and on being a law that it should work to the ruler’s interest. Some have maintained that this works to clarify his initial account and so shows that he was never a positivist about rulers and laws. In this paper I argue against such an understanding of Thrasymachus’ argument and explore the problems which beset the position he is, on my reading, forced into by Socrates’ objection to his opening claim that justice is what is in the interest of the stronger and the argument he first gives to support it. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T17:17:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-827a414f338143b8837c8a7e5fcd68e0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1981-9471 |
| language | deu |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T17:17:40Z |
| publishDate | 2020-10-01 |
| publisher | Universidade de São Paulo (USP) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Revista de Filosofia Antiga |
| spelling | doaj.art-827a414f338143b8837c8a7e5fcd68e02022-12-21T20:12:50ZdeuUniversidade de São Paulo (USP)Revista de Filosofia Antiga1981-94712020-10-0114210.11606/issn.1981-9471.v14i2p76-98Thrasymachus on Justice, Rulers, and Laws in Republic IStephen Everson0University of York One issue of contention amongst scholars of the Republic is whether Thrasymachus initially espouses a conventionalist account of justice, according to which just actions are merely those which are lawful; required, or at least allowed, by the laws passed by the ruler of the state. A further question is then whether his initial conceptions of rulers and laws are positivist ones, such that to be a ruler or law of a state is simply determined by the state’s constitution (or indeed by the ruler’s ability to enforce obedience). At 340c Thrasymachus effectively rejects such positivism by placing a condition on being a ruler that one should be exercising the art of ruling and on being a law that it should work to the ruler’s interest. Some have maintained that this works to clarify his initial account and so shows that he was never a positivist about rulers and laws. In this paper I argue against such an understanding of Thrasymachus’ argument and explore the problems which beset the position he is, on my reading, forced into by Socrates’ objection to his opening claim that justice is what is in the interest of the stronger and the argument he first gives to support it.https://www.revistas.usp.br/filosofiaantiga/article/view/176055PlatoThrasymachusRepublicjustice |
| spellingShingle | Stephen Everson Thrasymachus on Justice, Rulers, and Laws in Republic I Revista de Filosofia Antiga Plato Thrasymachus Republic justice |
| title | Thrasymachus on Justice, Rulers, and Laws in Republic I |
| title_full | Thrasymachus on Justice, Rulers, and Laws in Republic I |
| title_fullStr | Thrasymachus on Justice, Rulers, and Laws in Republic I |
| title_full_unstemmed | Thrasymachus on Justice, Rulers, and Laws in Republic I |
| title_short | Thrasymachus on Justice, Rulers, and Laws in Republic I |
| title_sort | thrasymachus on justice rulers and laws in republic i |
| topic | Plato Thrasymachus Republic justice |
| url | https://www.revistas.usp.br/filosofiaantiga/article/view/176055 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT stepheneverson thrasymachusonjusticerulersandlawsinrepublici |