Alex’s Reviews > Republic: An essential, best-loved classic > Status Update

"And if there be a pleasure in being filled with that which is according to nature, that which is more really filled with more real being will more really and truly enjoy true pleasure; whereas that which participates in less real being will be less truly and surely satisfied, and will participate in an illusory and less real pleasure?"

This is a very intricate sex joke.

After several revolutions, we have arrived at tyranny. So first, we have Timocracy, the rule of the honourable and by definition good but unsustainable, then aristocracy (or oligarchy) which is the evolution through luxuries from timocracy, then democracy, which is tackled in harsh terms (though take one late train and you'll agree with Socrates) to finally come to tyranny, which seems the death of the ideal state.

Socrates accurately (ish) predicting in what conditions a revolution happens.

The cave! It's the cave parable!

Boy, Socrates (and Plato) really didn't like artists.

"And the soul is like the eye: when resting upon that on which truth and being shine, the soul percieves and is radiant with intelligence; but when turned towards the twilight of becoming and perishing, then she has opinion only, and goes blinking about, and is first of one opinion and theb of another, and seems to have no intelligence?"

What a way to insult someone.

Apparently giving your money to women and/or slaves is bad.

It wouldn't be ancient Greece if we weren't treating women like disposable objects.

Justice stems from harmony, disharmony stems from people in disagreement with each other. Most disagreements stem from people fighting over stuff labeled "mine" or "not mine" and "his" and "not his".
Therefore, the most just state has no private property.
(The International starts playing in the background)