Socrates: What did you just do young lady?
Me: This man stole my painting ideas, which he used to paint the famous painting in the
Courts in Athens. I have proof the shows that the original version of the painting was
mine, here, look!
Socrates: So what did you just do?
Me: I taught the man a lesson he will never forget, I chopped off his fingers so he will
never have to draw again. That is what he deserves!
Socrates: Are you satisfied that what you did is good and justified?
Me: Yes, I served justice, justice that was denied to me by the courts, justice that no one
else could see but me, justice that no one else deserved but me, justice that no one else
could serve but me.
Socrates: What is justice young man?
Me: Justice is doing to the bad people wrong and the good people right. Justice is harming
the bad people and rewarding the good people.
Socrates: And who are the good people and the bad people?
Me: Good people are people who do good deeds, while bad people are people who do wrong.
Socrates: You seem to be overwhelmed by anger that you forget your senses. We cannot use
our own subjective judgment to identify which people are good and which are bad.
Using this infallible judgment will make us do bad to good persons, and good to the
bad persons, therefore, failing to uphold the concept of justice. There are many good
people out there, highly virtuous, but with who we are not friends. At the same time,
there are many bad people out there, quite lacking in virtue, but with whom we are
friends. It, therefore, is not justified that we harm people as a way of seeking justice.
Do you see my point?
Me: But sir, we can easily identify bad people by their deeds as they always do bad things.
Socrates: Good is an inherent virtue amongst everyone subconsciously. Knowledge is good, and
knowledge leads to good. Good brings happiness to the soul, fulfilling everyone’s
nature. There is a bit of good in every one of us, it is the desire and unconscious pursuit
within our souls. Justice is good, and good is justice.
Me: You know sir, I do not even understand what you are talking about. You want to know
what I think is justice? Justice is in the advantage and benefit of the strong. The
stronger you are, the more justly you will be served, and if I overpowered this man and
chopped off his fingers, then to me, that is justice for myself. Your so-called justice is
nothing but a restraint to the human desire to have more and become better, and
adhering to this will not benefit man at all.
Socrates: Your view, as i see, promotes and seeks to legitimize and glorify injustice. As I said
earlier, if justice is good, then injustice is bad and bad can never be good. Justice is
wise and injustice is contrary to wisdom. A wise man skilled in an art does not seek
to compete or out do others skilled in the same art. He seeks to share with them, to
learn from them, and to help them become even better. If you believed that the
painting this man painted was originally yours; you should have painted your painting
and presented it as well, and if his was accepted in the courts, yours would have been
accepted in the temples. You should…