POL200Y5 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Cardinal Virtues, Thrasymachus, Noble Lie
Document Summary
The best life is the life of a tyrant. Doing the right thing will get you nowhere, if you want to be happy, be unjust, being unjust thus has an advantage. Connecting happiness and injustice vs unhappiness and justice: the power of thrasymachus" position: justice is defined by those who are powerful enough (persuasive). Justice is defined as the product of power. Problem: best way to get ahead in life is to cheat. Happiness (most important: thrasymachus said unjust man is more intelligent. Socrates counters, unjust man tries to outdo others in their craft and therefore he is ignorant: for strength he says: complete injustice is a source of chaos and disunity. Being unjust creates a disunity, there needs to be some honor amongst thieves. Justice is a source of strength: thrasymachus claims that injustice brings happiness. Socrates counters by claim of virtue: socrates: everything has a function.