Ἀδικία
injustice
Translated by David Mirhady20 May 1999Vetting: high7 revisions
Translation
Plato says1 that injustice is a disease of the soul. No disease of the soul is beneficial. And so every evil is harmful to the one possessing it; injustice [is] an evil; so [it is] harmful. For injustice does injustice even to nature itself, to the extent that it itself is appropriated. It is also destructive, partly of the civic community, partly of all exchange; to humans [it is] averse and contrary to nature; for humans [are] communal by nature.
Greek original · Adler’s text
Ἀδικία· Πλάτων φησὶ τὴν ἀδικίαν νόσον ψυχῆς εἶναι. μηδεμία δὲ νόσος ψυχῆς ὠφέλιμός ἐστι. καὶ οὕτως πᾶσα κακία βλαβερά ἐστι τῷ ἔχοντι αὐτήν· ἡ δὲ ἀδικία κακία· οὐκοῦν βλαβερόν. ἡ γὰρ ἀδικία καὶ τὴν φύσιν αὐτὴν ἀδικεῖ, παρ' ὅσον αὕτη σφετερίζεται. ἔστι δὲ καὶ φθαρτική, τοῦτο μὲν τῆς ἐν πόλει κοινωνίας, τοῦτο δὲ πάσης συναλλαγῆς· ἐναντία δὲ καὶ παρὰ φύσιν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις· οἱ γὰρ ἄνθρωποι φύσει κοινωνικοί.