The defense of Justice

As it happens, I have been switch from a group entitled "Honesty" to a group about Justice. After reading Republic Book I, I am sure glad it happened. In true Socrates form, he asks a group of people, consisting both of friends and... others, about justice. He is rebutted with ideas that justice is paying one's dues and giving to other what is owed to them. Cephalus and Socrates had begun their discussion with the toll of age and how he has become more wise and interested in conversational topics now that his physical condition has declined. This is a good prelude to his definition of what is just because it seems more honest and more thought out. Socrates, of course, poses the question: 'If you owe a madman his sword, do you give it back to him?' (331 c) He asks Cephalus this question because, if his definition of justice were true, then it would be virtuous to give him his sword. However, because this would be putting other people in danger, that cannot be a just thing to knowingly do. It would never be virtuous to do something that you are aware of has the chance to harm others. Once Cephalus leaves and his son takes over the conversation, the definition is shifted just slightly. He does agree that to be just means to pay what you owe, but he takes it to a new level; being just is giving somebody what is owed to them. These ideas seem similar, but owing someone something does not mean that they particularly deserve that thing. Polemarchus states that you would owe your enemies what is deserved by them, which is evil. However, Socrates points out that just because somebody is your friend, doesn't mean that they are virtuous and deserved of what you owe them. In the same respect, an enemy of yours may deserve something much better than evil. We can see this in today's world with social cliques and other groups. Sometimes, if your friend has somebody that they don't like, you will be in alliance with them and not friend the person. That does not always mean that they are in the wrong and your friend is in the right. Therefore, the situation does not make you just.