" (336 C).
Socrates, astounded by this comment, flatters Thrasymachus with the title of "best of men" and then answers that he cannot begin to answer a question that he has no answers for. He then persuades Thrasymachus, who believes he has a good answer, to give his opinions on the meaning of justice. Thrasymachus states that, "just is nothing other than the advantage of the stronger." (338 B) Through this claim Thrasymachus asserts that he who is in power decides what is right and what is wrong. Socrates challenges that sometimes a just ruler must do that which is disadvantageous to himself in order to do justice to his servants. For a truly just ruler must not rule his subjects for personal gain, but must make personal sacrifices for the good of his subjects.
After hearing this Thrasymachus claims that the life of the unjust man then must be stronger because the unjust man is always working for personal gain and need not be brought down by helping others. Socrates then asks Thrasymachus, "Do you assert that perfect injustice is more profitable than justice." (348 B) Thrasymachus replies with an affirmative claiming that a wise man that is good and just will not want to get the better of the like, while the unjust man who is bad and unlearned will get the better of both the like and unlike. Here it is revealed that a wise man that is good is also just, as opposed to Thrasymachus" definitions of justice. It is also said that he who thinks about other's before himself is just. The problem here is that Socrates never claims to know what is truly good and wise. For this world holds no universal truths. Therefore justice can only be defined subjectively and holds no true meaning when spoken in general terms.
At this point Socrates begins to make a fool out of Thrasymachus by refuting his main arguments with a new series of questions. Socrates restates that Thrasymachus said that injustice is more powerful and mightier than justice.
