Thrasymachus Quotes
Thrasymachus of Chalcedon was a Greek sophist of late fifth-century BC Athens and one of the most celebrated rhetoricians of his generation. His own writings on rhetoric and politics survive only in fragments, but he is best known as the spokesman of the famous thesis, presented in the first book of Plato's Republic, that justice is nothing other than the advantage of the stronger. The quotes below are attributed to Thrasymachus, organized by topic.
Thrasymachus on Justice
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Attributed to Thrasymachus:
“Justice is the advantage of the stronger.”
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Attributed to Thrasymachus:
“The strong rule and call it just.”
Thrasymachus on Politics
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Attributed to Thrasymachus:
“Each form of government makes laws for its own benefit.”
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Attributed to Thrasymachus:
“Most people obey the laws because they cannot break them.”
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Attributed to Thrasymachus:
“Rhetoric well used is the gateway to political power.”