1.6: Benefiting Friends and Harming Enemies
- Page ID
- 94416
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)See 334c-336a. Socrates first convinces Polemarchus to change his definition of justice from benefiting friends (apparent friends) and harming enemies (apparent enemies) to benefiting good people (true friends) and harming bad people (true enemies); for the mark of a true friend is goodness, the mark of a true enemy is badness, apparent friends are not always true friends, and apparent enemies are not always true enemies. But he then convinces Polemarchus to drop the part about harming enemies. The argument for this is as follows: Justice is “human virtue” – that which makes us excellent as human beings. And to harm something, to truly harm it, is to damage it with respect to what makes it excellent. So if justice were to involve harming one’s enemies, then it would involve damaging them with respect to what makes them excellent. This would mean that justice involves making people unjust, which seems impossible. Therefore, justice may be a matter of benefiting (making more just) good people (our true friends) but it is not a matter of harming (making less just) bad people (our true enemies).
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Suppose someone were to present the following argument to Socrates: It is just to punish criminals. Punishment causes suffering. Suffering is a kind of harm. Therefore it is sometimes just to harm people. How do you suppose Socrates would reply? (He is going to share his opinion on this matter, in passing, at 380b. For a longer treatment, see 476e-480d in the dialogue Gorgias.)
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Is justice the entirety of human virtue – does it in some way encompass all the human excellences – or is it only a part of virtue?
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Suppose someone were to present the following argument to Socrates: There is much more to excelling as a human being than justice. There is, for instance, being aggressively competitive. This is a character trait that has often been admired in human beings, particularly in men. (The heroes of Homer’s Iliad come to mind.) But this virtue involves in its very nature competing with and triumphing over others. To triumph over someone – be it in warfare, or business, or love – is to harm them. Therefore human virtue is not incompatible with harming people. How do you suppose Socrates would reply?
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The conversation between Polemarchus and Socrates is about to be sharply interrupted. But consider what Polemarchus might have come up with were he to have gone on to revise his definition of justice yet again. Where does their conversation seem to be heading?