Callicles

Callicles, thought to have been an ancient Athenian political philosopher, is a prominent figure in Plato's dialogue *Gorgias*. He is presented as a proponent of Realpolitik, advocating for the natural dominance of the strong over the weak. Callicles argued that laws are a construct of the weak to protect themselves from the strong, and that societal morality is not divinely ordained but a human invention for self-interest. He also exhibited hedonistic tendencies, believing a superior individual should pursue pleasure. Some scholars suggest Callicles might be a Platonic construct, representing an intellectual path Plato's Socrates might have taken had he not met Socrates. He is considered the antithesis of Socrates. Callicles' arguments in *Gorgias* include a critique of conventional justice, a justification of 'justice according to nature' where the superior rule, a theory of virtues focusing on intelligence and courage for the strong, and a hedonistic view of the good life. His ideas have been seen as precursors to modern political philosophers like Niccolò Machiavelli and Friedrich Nietzsche.