Ethics as an Introduction to Philosophy.
Human nature is aware of the ideas of being just and seeming just from a very young age. We realize that if we do something unjust, we are punished; however, if we do something unjust and are not caught then we are not punished, and we are held in high regard. The same is true for actually being just. For some people this is the point where they have to choose between actually being just or seeming to be just. Some people choose to seem just because they believe that they can have a better life that way. Of course, there are those who choose to be just because they believe it is the better way of life. There isn't an overall better choice between being just and seeming because it is specific to each and every person.
In the movie Crimes and Misdemeanors, Dr. Judah Rosenthal continually commits unjust acts such as murder and embezzlement but because of his moral facade he remains free from any punishment and prospers in the end. To everyone he knows, Rosenthal appears to be this successful doctor with a wonderful family and friends, a just man overall. He finds himself in a bind, which if uncovered could ruin everything he has worked so hard for. He takes care of the situation in an unjust fashion, but his tracks are cleared and that is all that matters to him. This is a perfect example of someone who seems just succeeding in life. In Plato's Republic, Glaucon speaks of this perfectly unjust man, who when set in opposition reigns over the just man. He speaks of how this perfectly unjust man will rule in the city because he seems just, and how he will marry anyone whom he pleases. The unjust man will benefit from all of this and therefore will lead a better life than the just man, who when set in opposition appears as most unjust. The perfectly unjust man that Glaucon is describing sounds a lot like Rosenthal. Both men succeeded in life by seeming just.
