Short Essay #1

Short Essay #1
Antony Tran
2/16/16

To be perfectly unjust is to have the ability to be just while that person is still unjust. When this person is perfectly unjust, he “must be allowed to do the greatest injustices while having provided himself with the greatest reputation for justice” (pg. 38). This man will have all the benefits of being just, such as having honors, and all the benefits of being unjust, such as having the ability get what they want. However, to be just, is to be “minding of one’s own business and not being a busy body” (pg. 111). This just man will not be willing to take what is theirs. There is a better chance of them getting whipped or bound because a just man will not be able to persuade his way out of trouble (pg. 39).  It is because an unjust man “pursues a thing dependent on truth and does not live in the light of opinion” (pg. 39). The just man will care about how they are seen through the eyes of others while the unjust man decides to do what they need to do in order to get ahead.

 In addition to the benefits of being unjust and seeming just, there is no difference in misfortune to someone who is just or to someone who is unjust. No matter which side a person chooses, “the gods… a lot misfortune and a bad life to many good men too” (pg. 41). If that is the case, then why choose to be just, when one can be seemingly just while having the benefits of being unjust. People are naturally unjust and it is better to be perfectly unjust, however, a perfectly unjust man has the characteristics of a just man when it is necessary. The Ring of Gyges explains how even the most just man becomes unjust when given the opportunity. By using imitation, the unjust man can become perfectly unjust. Also, by using the parts of the soul, calculating, spirited, and desire, one is able to continue to be perfectly unjust while displaying justice in an outward appearance.

Glaucon explains that people are unwillingly just, and that doing injustice is naturally good (pg. 36-37). However, suffering injustice exceeds the good in doing injustice. In order to solve this problem, there must be a way to be unjust while seeming just. The Ring of Gyges is an example that Glaucon uses to show how natural it is for one to be unjust no matter how just they may seem to be. The power of the ring is to make invisible whoever is wearing it. In doing so, they are now able to do whatever they want to do, without fear of being caught or punished for being unjust (pg. 38). The just man would fall for this and end up doing unjust deeds for their own pleasures, while still seeming to be just. People will still praise him and there would be no repercussions to his deceit. However, if it is shown that if he still remained just with the ring, he is said to be “foolish” but still praised to his face. The just man lives in the opinion of others and will not be satisfied knowing that he is foolish and will ultimately commit injustices.

This ring shows how easy it is for someone to do an injustice, no matter how just they seem to be. Without the fear of an injustice being done to themselves, the unjust man receives all of the benefits of being unjust and just. With the Ring of Gyges, neither the just man nor the unjust man will be committed of doing anything and will seem just to everyone else. This appearance of justice makes it easier for it to become perfectly unjust.

In order for one to become perfectly unjust, they must learn it through imitation. Although the unjust man will still do injustices, they have to be able to seem just in some way. In order for that to happen, they must learn how to become seemly just by imitation. “He will imitate the good man most when he is acting steadily and prudently” (pg. 75). If the unjust man is able to imitate well, he will be able to speak persuasively and talk his way out of the punishments of injustice. By imitating a just man, the unjust man can become perfectly unjust. He will be able to reap the benefits of having the greatest reputation for justice and all the benefits for his unjust deeds. However, once the unjust man becomes perfectly unjust, he must find a way to maintain it. In order to do that, he must use the parts of the soul.

In order for the unjust man to use the parts of the soul, he must have been able to imitate a just man well. That way, the perfectly unjust man can seem and act just with the parts of the soul working together. When the perfectly unjust man has to persuade others into thinking he is just, he must be able to control his desiring part with the calculating so that he will not seem unjust. If the unjust man is said to have committed an injustice, then “he is capable both of speaking persuasively and of using force” (pg. 38-39). This means that his spirited part has a need to keep him a perfectly unjust man by protecting and preserving what they have become. The calculated part must work with the spirited part to calm their desires and become just, long enough to fool the people. This way, they can remain perfectly unjust.

It is natural to be unjust. Those who are just “practice it… unwillingly, from an incapacity to do injustice” (pg. 37.) However, once we are able to become perfectly unjust through imitation, it is better to be perfectly unjust. This is because “intemperance and injustice are sweet and easy to acquire… the unjust is for the most part more profitable than the just; both in public and private” (pg. 41).  If an individual seems just, they would receive all of the rewards while being able to do whatever they want. “He rules… because he seems to be just. Then he takes in marriage from whatever station he wants…” (pg. 39). There would be no limitations to what the perfectly unjust man, which makes it easier to live a good life than a just man.