The Replublic: The Original Unabridged And Complete Edition

by Plato

The Republic is a Socratic dialogue, authored by Plato around 375 BCE, concerning justice, the order and character of the just city-state, and the just man. It is Plato's best-known work, and one of the world's most influential works of philosophy and political theory, both intellectually and historically.

In the dialogue, Socrates discusses the meaning of justice and whether the just man is happier than the unjust man with various Athenians and foreigners. He considers the natures of existing regimes and then proposes a series of hypothetical cities in comparison, culminating in Kallipolis, a utopian city-state ruled by a philosopher-king. They also discuss ageing, love, theory of forms, the immortality of the soul, and the role of the philosopher and of poetry in society. The dialogue's setting seems to be the time of the Peloponnesian War.[

Genres: Philosophy, Classics

388 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 22, 2024

About the author

Plato (Greek: Πλάτων), born Aristocles (c. 427 – 348 BC), was an ancient Greek philosopher of the Classical period who is considered a foundational thinker in Western philosophy and an innovator of the written dialogue and dialectic forms. He raised problems for what became all the major areas of both theoretical philosophy and practical philosophy, and was the founder of the Platonic Academy, a philosophical school in Athens where Plato taught the doctrines that would later become known as Platonism.
Plato's most famous contribution is the theory of forms (or ideas), which has been interpreted as advancing a solution to what is now known as the problem of universals. He was decisively influenced by the pre-Socratic thinkers Pythagoras, Heraclitus, and Parmenides, although much of what is known about them is derived from Plato himself.
Along with his teacher Socrates, and Aristotle, his student, Plato is a central figure in the history of philosophy. Plato's entire body of work is believed to have survived intact for over 2,400 years—unlike that of nearly all of his contemporaries. Although their popularity has fluctuated, they have consistently been read and studied through the ages. Through Neoplatonism, he also greatly influenced both Christian and Islamic philosophy. In modern times, Alfred North Whitehead famously said: "the safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato."

Reviews

[Andrew Hale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting debates initially on Justice and Injustice, with a fair argument on occasion, that Injustice fares better than Justice, but only because Power corrupts and causes those with the authority to come down harder on the Just while allowing the Unjust to simply do their own thing. Of course, an eternal mindset would still argue that the Just actor is better off than the Unjust but I digress.

[Éabha Francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read this after becoming familiar with more contemporary western philosophy, it was like meeting your lover or good friends parents for the first time and seeing where they got it from. It is interesting to see notions of the self and the self-conscious begin to show well before the enlightenment birthed the idea of the cogito. Though it is very heavily an idealistic and perfectionist philosophy, one cannot help but admire Socrates' (through Plato) dedication to truth and justice and be inspired to move at least a little bit closer to perfect virtue.

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re interested in understanding how society has worked for thousands of years, this is the book for you! You may find concepts that are commonly well known today but if you go into it with the mindset that Plato observed society in such an articulate and accurate way without the resources we have today, it is truly incredible and intellectually stimulating. It also leaves you in a better understanding of how life works and how your personal situations could fit into those narratives!

Also, it is motivating to realize a lot of the “main stream western trends” are not main stream after all but ancient knowledge such as balancing your life through being mentally, physically and spiritually healthy and balanced which gives you an eye opening realization on how to balance yourself in ways you may be “imbalanced”.

It can give you outlooks on how others fit into society and the rolls they play!

It is a hard read and it takes a lot of comprehension and patient focus to take it all in.

Overall, great read and one for the shelves!

[Kire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Necessary to read if someone wants to understand Plato's philosophy. Very relevant for today's democratic society but should be read slowly for it is difficult to understand, at least for me.