ter of truth and lord of
happiness. To appearance then I will turn,--I will put on the show
of virtue and trail behind me the fox of Archilochus. I hear some one
saying that "wickedness is not easily concealed," to which I reply that
"nothing great is easy." Union and force and rhetoric will do much; and
if men say that they cannot prevail over the gods, still how do we know
that there are gods? Only from the poets, who acknowledge that they may
be appeased by sacrifices. Then why not sin and pay for indulgences out
of your sin? For if the righteous are only unpunished, still they have
no further reward, while the wicked may be unpunished and have the
pleasure of sinning too. But what of the world below? Nay, says the
argument, there are atoning powers who will set that matter right, as
the poets, who are the sons of the gods, tell us; and this is confirmed
by the authority of the State.

'How can we resist such arguments in favour of injustice? Add good
manners, and, as the wise tell us, we shall make the best of both
worlds. Who that is not a miserable caitiff will refrain from smiling at
the praises of justice? Even if a man knows the better part he will not
be angry with others; for he knows also that more than human virtue is
needed to save a man, and that he only praises justice who is incapable
of injustice.

'The origin of the evil is that all men from the beginning, heroes,
poets, instructors of youth, have always asserted "the temporal
dispensation," the honours and profits of justice. Had we been taught in
early youth the power of justice and injustice inherent in the soul, and
unseen by any human or divine eye, we should not have needed others to
be our guardians, but every one would have been the guardian of himself.
This is what I want you to show, Socrates;--other men use arguments
which rather tend to strengthen the position of Thrasymachus that "might
is right;" but from you I expect better things. And please, as Glaucon
said, to exclude reputation; let the just be thought unjust and the
unjust just, and do you still prove to us the superiority of justice'...

The thesis, which for the sake of argument has been maintained by
Glaucon, is the converse of that of Thrasymachus--not right is the
interest of the stronger, but right is the necessity of the weaker.
Starting from the same premises he carries the analysis of society a
step further back;--might is still right, but the might is the weakness
of t