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How did Thrasymachus connect justice with the interests of the strongest political group?

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Marble bust of Pythagoras, the ancient Greek mathematician and philosopher, showing a bearded man with a head covering and calm expression. — History of ethics Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras, portrait bust.

In the context of the history of ethics, the Sophist Thrasymachus of Chalcedon famously argued that justice is merely a disguise for the interests of the stronger party.12

In Plato’s Republic, Thrasymachus posits that "right" or "justice" is defined by whatever serves the interests of the strongest political group in a society. This perspective suggests that those in power establish laws and moral conventions to benefit themselves, effectively framing their own self-interest as the standard for justice. This view is often summarized by the slogan "might makes right," implying that justice is not an objective or universal good, but rather a tool used by the powerful to maintain their dominance.21

Thrasymachus’s challenge serves as a foundational point of contention in Western ethics, sparking a long-standing debate between those who view morality as relative to social power and those, like Plato, who argue for the existence of an objective, universal Form of the Good.1