The Republic of Plato

punishment is that he who refuses to rule is liable to be ruled by one who is worse than himself.

the just does not desire more than his like but more than his unlike, whereas the unjust desires more than both his like and his unlike?

is not life to be reckoned among the ends of the soul?

Three heads of the argument:—1. The nature of justice: 2. Justice a necessity, but not a good: 3. The reasonableness of this notion.

order that rulers may be willing to rule, they must be paid in one of three modes of payment, money, or honour, or a penalty for refusing.

Justice an art of theft to be practised for the good of friends and the harm of enemies. But who are friends and enemies?

harm men is to injure them; and to injure them is to make them unjust. But justice cannot produce injustice. When horses are injured, are they improved or deteriorated?

just is always a loser in comparison with the unjust. First of all, in private contracts: wherever the unjust is the partner of the just you will find that, when the partnership is dissolved, the unjust man has always more and the just less. Secondly, in their dealings with the State: when there is an income-tax, the just man will pay more and the unjust less on the same amount of income

The definition of Thrasymachus: ‘Justice is the interest of the stronger or ruler.’

mind bears witness to herself