who was thrasymachus? course hero

Who is Thrasymachus?

Thrasymachus, true to his name, breaches the perimeter of the dialogue with all the abandon of some sort of comic glorious soldier ( miles gloriosus ), and Socrates gleefully skewers this rash fighter.

When did Thrasymachus start teaching in Athens?

A precise reference date for Thrasymachus’ life is provided by Aristophanes, who makes fun of him in his first play Banqueters. That play was performed in 427, and we can conclude therefore that he must have been teaching in Athens for several years before that.

Was Thrasymachus a cynical realist?

In political theory, Thrasymachus has often been seen as a spokesperson for a cynical realism that contends that might makes right. This view frequently associates Thrasymachus with the arguments Thucydides attributes to the Athenians in their negotiations with the island of Melos ( History of the Peloponnesian War, Chapter XVII).

How does Thrasymachus display his character in the debate?

Thrasymachus displays his character as a sophist in the entirety of his contribution to the debate.

Why is Thrasymachus important?

Thrasymachus’ lasting importance is due to his memorable place in the first book of Plato ‘s Republic. Although it is not quite clear whether the views Plato attributes to Thrasymachus are indeed the views the historical person held, Thrasymachus’ critique of justice has been of considerable importance, and seems to represent moral ...

Where was Thrasymachus born?

We know that Thrasymachus was born in Chalcedon, a colony of Megara in Bithynia, and that he had distinguished himself as a teacher of rhetoric and speechwriter in Athens by the year 427. Beyond this, relatively little is known about his life and works.

What does Thrasymachus claim about justice?

He claims that ‘injustice, if it is on a large enough scale, is stronger, freer, and more masterly than justice’ (344c). In the course of arguing for this conclusion, Thrasymachus makes three central claims about justice. Justice is nothing but the advantage of the stronger (338c) Justice is obedience to laws (339b)

What is Thrasymachus's view of morality?

Thrasymachus’ insistence that justice is nothing but the advantage of the stronger seems to support the view that moral values are socially constructed and are nothing but the reflection of the interests of particular political communities. Thrasymachus can thus be read as a foreshadowing of Nietzsche, who argues as well that moral values need to be understood as socially constructed entities. In political theory, Thrasymachus has often been seen as a spokesperson for a cynical realism that contends that might makes right. This view frequently associates Thrasymachus with the arguments Thucydides attributes to the Athenians in their negotiations with the island of Melos ( History of the Peloponnesian War, Chapter XVII). Thrasymachus is therefore frequently portrayed as an early version of Machiavelli who argues in The Prince that the true statesman does not recognize any moral constrains in his pursuit of power. In the scholarship on Socrates, Thrasymachus is sometimes seen as an interlocutor who shows the limits of the Socratic elenchus. C.D.C. Reeve (1988) argues, for instance, that the conversation between Socrates and Thrasymachus illustrates that Socratic questioning cannot benefit a person like Thrasymachus, who categorically denies that justice is a virtue. Reeve contends that this limit of the elenctic method provided the impetus why Plato proceeded to modify Socrates’ ethical principles in the remaining books of the Republic.

What are the most interesting fragments of Thrasymachus' writings?

The most interesting fragment is DK 85b8. It contains the claim that the gods do not care about human affairs since they do not seem to enforce justice. Scholars have, however, been divided whether this claim is compatible with the position Plato attributes to Thrasymachus in the first book of the Republic. Plato’s account there is by far the most detailed, though perhaps historically suspect, evidence for Thrasymachus’ philosophical ideas.

What is the purpose of Thrasymachus' project?

Taylor 1960, and Burnet 1964) who read Thrasymachus as an ethical nihilist. According to this view, Thrasymachus’ project is to show that justice does not exist.

What does Thrasymachus' insistence that justice is nothing but the advantage of the stronger mean?

Thrasymachus’ insistence that justice is nothing but the advantage of the stronger seems to support the view that moral values are socially constructed and are nothing but the reflection of the interests of particular political communities.

How does Thrasymachus end his conversation with Socrates?

Thrasymachus ends his participation in the conversation by meanly congratulating Socrates on his "victory," and advising Socrates to "feast on his triumph" as though a supposed mutual effort at defining the philosophical question of justice were some sort of gladiatorial contest. Previous Socrates. Next Adeimantus.

Who is the comic glorious soldier in the dialogue?

Thrasymachus, true to his name, breaches the perimeter of the dialogue with all the abandon of some sort of comic glorious soldier ( miles gloriosus ), and Socrates gleefully skewers this rash fighter.

Is Thrasymachus a sophist?

As a sophist, Thrasymachus seems to serve as a kind of adversarial "straw-man" to Socrates' probing philosophy, but a fair analysis does show him to be a typical sophist. When we analyze his argument and his general way of comporting himself in debate, we can appreciate why the ancient Greeks so disdained the sophists.