Socrates or Callicles – Who’s afraid of justice?

Abstract

This article analyzes the discussion of justice between Socrates and Callicles in the dialogue Gorgias. Callicles exposes his concern about a conception of justice that would put him on an equal with the weak. Callicles refuses to accept this idea that corresponds to the idea of equality. He identifies it with the protection of the weak against the strong, and the revenge of those against these. Law emerges from this revolt of the weak against the strong that law emerges. And this is for him a taype of justice that is contrary to the right of nature. Socrates’ arguments face Callicles with the choice between philosophical politics and rhetorical politics, showing that philosophical politics is subordinated to ethics.