PHL100Y1 Lecture Notes - Glaucon, Meritocracy
Document Summary
Justice has been devised as a conventional means to avoid the evil of suffering injustice. As a consequence of weakness: weak unite together to avoid the consequences. Hence, there is no motive to be just if one is powerful enough to not require such conventional protection. Justice is present mainly because of the fear of getting caught: the ring of gyges: the story is meant to show that no one is just willingly, but rather anyone who acts justly doe so under compulsion. In the absence of compulsion or sanction, no one would willingly choose to be just (359b-360d) Finds a ring that makes him invisible. Gets inside the palace to seduce the queen to kill the king. Imagine a totally unjust man who appears to all to be just, and a totally just man who appears to all unjust. This is to sharply distinguish what is due to each in virtue of what.