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Wellsprings
ethics

Justice

δικαιοσύνη

The virtue of giving each person their due — and, for Plato, the inner harmony in which every part of soul and city does its proper work.

Also: dike · dikaiosune · righteousness

Justice, or dikaiosyne in Greek, is the virtue of giving each person what they are owed and maintaining proper harmony both within the individual soul and in the city as a whole. Plato explored this concept extensively in the Republic through Socrates, who challenges simpler definitions like truth-telling and repayment of debts. Rather than a single rule, Plato presents justice as a complex balance where each part of the soul—reason, spirit, and appetite—performs its proper function, mirroring how each class in an ideal city should fulfill its role.

The practical consequences of justice appear in everyday human relationships and associations. When Socrates questions what justice accomplishes in commerce and dealings between people, he reveals that true justice operates as a unifying force. A just person or just city coordinates its actions so that each part contributes to the whole's welfare, just as a well-functioning body requires each organ to serve its purpose. This harmony, rather than mere rule-following, is what makes both individuals and cities stable and flourishing.

Where this idea shows up

369 Greek sources

Where to read it