Justice In Plato's The Republic

In The Republic by Plato, a meta-ethical question is raised “What is justice?” The meaning of justice may mean almost anything in today’s society. During Plato’s time, however, justice is intimately connected with fairness. It is the idea that people should get what they deserve. Benevolence and mercy may lead us to give people more than they deserve but justice insists on them getting all and only what they deserve: nothing more, nothing less. In his infamous passage where Thrasymachus argues that Justice is whatever is in the interest of the stronger, Socrates particularly portrays that injustices not be done, that people be treated according to the law and not according to the whims or desires of leaders or people in general. To further
(Plato, 380 BC, para. 28)
“The Stronger” in this case is clearly the “established government” which has control of the society and the ability to impose punishment on those who do not follow the rules. Justice is then applied through power by people in power. These people, or “the established government”, in power make the laws, the weaker party are then supposed to obey such laws. That is justice in the eyes of Thrasymachu. Obedience to laws made by the rulers in the interest of the rulers. Socrates, then, refutes this position by pointing out that rulers of a society make mistakes. Through a series of questions, he achieves admittance from Thrasymachu that “rulers may be mistaken about their own interest in what they command, and also that to obey them is justice” (Plato, 380 BC, para. 45). Rulers are, as humans, bound to make mistakes then and to confuse their disadvantage with their advantage on occasion. In this case, just obedience to laws would work to the rulers’