there is no rest from ills for the cities.nor will the regime we have now described in speech ever come forth from nature, insofar as possible, and see the light of the sun" (P.153 line 473E). Plato philosophizes that justice is catalyst for a just city. However, instead of portraying justice as its outcome, providing the ultimate good for the city, he seeks to define justice as a benefit. Although Plato does not outright define justice early on, it is the process in which he seeks to define it which provides for such tension. The advantage Plato attributes to justice is that it is health for the soul (P.265). When Socrates is challenged to define justice in The Republic, instead of focusing on its Form of the good, he defines it on a more basic level. Highlighting its advantages, rather than highlighting its worth in providing for the good of the individual and the city, is a necessary oversimplification. Plato recognizes that a large majority of those reading his work, as well as most of those in it, cannot yet grasp the true worth of justice. This is highlighted in the shape of Thrasymachus' question regarding justice. He, as well as others questioning Socrates, want to know what justices advantages are. Why should we be just, is it truly to our advantage, and if so, what merits does it bring us? Why not be unjust and manipulate those who are just, and therefore weaker? Socrates must shape his response in a manner which will answer these inquiries, in order to appeal to those who question justice. Consequently, he must provide an argument for justice which is contradictory to its ultimate purpose, in an attempt to reach and educate the general audience. Why most people can only begin to understand the complicated truth behind justice will be discussed next.
By analyzing Plato's "cave" allegory and the four stages of cognition, it becomes clear why Plato focuses on defining justice on a basic level.