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1.0 Introduction
The original Greek word which has been translated into English as justice is “DIKEIOSINE” which means
righteousness rather than justice.
“The Greek word for ‘justice’ has as many senses as the English word ‘right’. It can mean
observant of custom or of duty, righteous: fair, honest, legally right, lawful; what is due to or from
a person, deserts, rights, what one ought to do. Whatever is right opposed to wrong. A proverbial
saying declared that justice is the sum of all virtue.”
Socrates sys that justice is not external but internal. It is not conventional. It is right condition of human soul. It
is demanded by human nature.
Plato theory: Analogy between the human organism and social organism.
Thus, after criticizing the conventional ideas of justice, Plato now gives us his own theory of justice.
Plato strikes an analogy between the human organism on the one hand and social organism on the other. Human
organism according to Plato contains three elements-
Reason, Spirit and Appetite.
An individual is “just” when each part of his or her soul performs its functions without interfering with those of
other elements. For example, the reason should rule on behalf of the entire soul with wisdom. The element of
spirit will sub-ordinate itself to the rule of reason. Those two elements are brought into harmony by combination
of mental and bodily training. They are set in command over the appetites which form the greater part of man's
soul. Therefore, the reason and spirit have to control these appetites which are likely to grow on the bodily
pleasures. These appetites should not be allowed, to enslave the other elements and usurp the dominion to which
they have no right. When all the three agree that among them the reason alone should rule, there is justice within
the individual.
Corresponding to these three elements in human nature there are three classes in the social organism-Philosopher
class or the ruling class which is the representative of reason; auxiliaries, a class of warriors and defenders of the
country is the representative of spirit; and the appetite instinct of the community which consists of farmers,
artisans and are the lowest rung of the ladder.
Justice is thus a sort of specialization. It is simply the will to fulfill the duties of one's station and not to meddle
with the duties of another station, and its habitation is, therefore, in the mind of every citizen who does his duties
in his appointed place. It is the original principle, laid down at the foundation of the State, "that one man should
practice one thing only and that the thing to which his nature was best adopted". True justice to Plato, therefore,
consists in the principle of non-interference. Justice, therefore, is the citizen sense of duties.
2.3 Conclusion
Justice in the soul and justice in the state are important rule to have development for our lives. If there is no
justice in the soul, justice in the state is not possible and vice versa. . Justice in the state and justice in the soul
are the inevitable part of human’s growth. The citizens need wisdom to have moral life. This wisdom is possible
only through the just city and just soul. Wisdom leads city and soul in good morality. Just city and just soul are
needed for the growth of the human development.