Q0005
“Justice is doing one’s own work…” — Plato (Republic IV 433a)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Republic IV 433a. Theme: justice.
English
Justice is doing one's own work and not meddling in others'.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Republic IV 433a and files it under Platonism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Plato
Plato (c. 428/427–348/347 BCE) was an Athenian of high birth, a devoted associate of Socrates, and the founder of the Academy.
Interpretation
In the Republic this is a definition proposed in the course of building an ideal city, and it is deliberately narrow. Plato is not offering a theory of fairness between persons; he is describing a condition of a well-ordered whole in which each part performs its proper function without interfering with the others. Justice in a soul and justice in a city are the same structural property. The definition is incomplete by modern standards, which is part of why it generates the argument that follows.
Why it matters
It still gives a sharp diagnostic: much of what we call injustice is meddling — taking on what is not ours. Before asking whether a situation is fair, ask whether people are doing what is actually theirs to do.
Concepts in this quote
- Justice
- Justice concerns fairness, rights, desert, and the arrangement of institutions that claim to treat people as equals.
- Order
- Order names cosmos, ritual, law, and the patterned stability that makes shared life possible—or oppressive.
- Responsibility
- Responsibility asks what we answer for—our choices, omissions, institutions, and the futures we help create.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Plato. (n.d.). Justice is doing one's own work and not meddling in others'. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0005
MLA: Plato. “Justice is doing one's own work and not….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0005.
Chicago: Plato. “Justice is doing one's own work and not….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0005.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Justice is doing one's own work and not…”?
The passage is attributed to Plato, Republic IV 433a. The archive attributes this English wording to Republic IV 433a and files it under Platonism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Plato mean by justice?
Distributive, retributive, and restorative justice name different problems. Political philosophy asks what a just society owes its members and outsiders. This passage enters that discussion through justice, order, responsibility.