The Republic - Plato

Plato’s Republic is probably the most widely read book in the history of philosophy. Plato himself was a Greek philosopher, pupil of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle, and so influential the early 20th century philosopher A. N. Whitehead described all subsequent developments in the field of philosophy as ‘footnotes to Plato’s work’. I first came across The Republic, Plato’s seminal work, while on an open day to Oxford. Knowing I wanted to study ...
...that summer and to tell the truth was slightly confused – parts of it stuck with me, but it being the first philosophy book I’d read I didn’t understand it all. Nor incidentally was it ideal preparation, being quite different from my first year philosophy. Now, however, I own three copies of Republic (different translations) and it’s the focus of about one sixth of my whole degree! Like all Plato’s works, Republic is written as a dialogue. The main ...

a-true-ben 04.08.2002 (28.03.2004) · Read full review
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Review of The Republic - Plato

...Plato had discussed in detail the formation of a perfect nation state. And while Thomas Moore's utopia meant an imaginary world Plato's was essentially a potential reality. The discussion in this weighty "book" revolves around Plato and the members of his friends debating the elements of a stable, happy and safe nation state. The elements are fundamentally: Everyone knowing their place in society and being happy with it. Strong leadership with ...
...are debated in detail throughout the "book" and what is remarkable in the discussions is not only the fullness of the debates but also how the plethora of consequences of each possible system of governance is explored. Many find the fact that Plato places philosophers at the top of the social strata a little egotistical, but this is an easy comment to make, however this is not strictly what he advocates. Plato believes that all members of society ...

coleecip 13.11.2004 · Read full review
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Review of The Republic - Plato

The thing I like about Plato is his books read as stories, not just works of philosophy. They always start off with a chat about the wrestling or who was a the market this morning. When they get down to serious business maximum concentration is required, but they are not impenetrable, and get easy the more you read them, like Shakespeare. The Republic is surely Plato's most famous work - his vision of a well-ordered society, with maximum opportunity ...
...society up into three sections: the military, the workers and the leaders. He says that there are no restrictions on which of these classes you can belong to - it doesn't matter what class your parents were, you go into whatever class fits you on merit. And because everyone will be in their natural position, society will function perfectly. There are also no restrictions on women being in the military. Sounds fine and dandy doesn't it? And how will ...

stoofer 23.03.2001 · Read full review
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Review of The Republic - Plato

The republic is a unique and slightly unusual book in terms of written presentation. The book is academic in one sense, with Plato presenting his views and opinions on governance to the reader, yet he implies a more typically fictional style to do so. His ideas are presented through a conversation, veering on argument, where his characters talk around particular points. invariably the characters come round to Plato's (though his views are presented ...
...content, the republic is a key text for anyone interested in philosophy or politics and looks into the quest for a perfect society with perfect governance. It is an interesting book if you are follow the subject matter; but in most cases I'd recommend renting it from the library. ...

thomarnold 25.10.2008 · Read full review
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Review of The Republic - Plato