en asks
Socrates in which of the three classes he would place justice. In the
second class, replies Socrates, among goods desirable for themselves and
also for their results. 'Then the world in general are of another mind,
for they say that justice belongs to the troublesome class of goods
which are desirable for their results only. Socrates answers that this
is the doctrine of Thrasymachus which he rejects. Glaucon thinks that
Thrasymachus was too ready to listen to the voice of the charmer, and
proposes to consider the nature of justice and injustice in themselves
and apart from the results and rewards of them which the world is always
dinning in his ears. He will first of all speak of the nature and origin
of justice; secondly, of the manner in which men view justice as a
necessity and not a good; and thirdly, he will prove the reasonableness
of this view.

'To do injustice is said to be a good; to suffer injustice an evil. As
the evil is discovered by experience to be greater than the good, the
sufferers, who cannot also be doers, make a compact that they will have
neither, and this compact or mean is called justice, but is really the
impossibility of doing injustice. No one would observe such a compact
if he were not obliged. Let us suppose that the just and unjust have
two rings, like that of Gyges in the well-known story, which make them
invisible, and then no difference will appear in them, for every one
will do evil if he can. And he who abstains will be regarded by the
world as a fool for his pains. Men may praise him in public out of
fear for themselves, but they will laugh at him in their hearts (Cp.
Gorgias.)

'And now let us frame an ideal of the just and unjust. Imagine the
unjust man to be master of his craft, seldom making mistakes and easily
correcting them; having gifts of money, speech, strength--the greatest
villain bearing the highest character: and at his side let us place the
just in his nobleness and simplicity--being, not seeming--without name
or reward--clothed in his justice only--the best of men who is thought
to be the worst, and let him die as he has lived. I might add (but
I would rather put the rest into the mouth of the panegyrists of
injustice--they will tell you) that the just man will be scourged,
racked, bound, will have his eyes put out, and will at last be crucified
(literally impaled)--and all this because he ought to have preferred
seeming to being. How different is the case o