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Plato

Author of The Republic of Plato

2,716+ Works 100,405 Members 853 Reviews 168 Favorited

About the Author

Plato was born c. 427 B.C. in Athens, Greece, to an aristocratic family very much involved in political government. Pericles, famous ruler of Athens during its golden age, was Plato's stepfather. Plato was well educated and studied under Socrates, with whom he developed a close friendship. When show more Socrates was publically executed in 399 B.C., Plato finally distanced himself from a career in Athenian politics, instead becoming one of the greatest philosophers of Western civilization. Plato extended Socrates's inquiries to his students, one of the most famous being Aristotle. Plato's The Republic is an enduring work, discussing justice, the importance of education, and the qualities needed for rulers to succeed. Plato felt governors must be philosophers so they may govern wisely and effectively. Plato founded the Academy, an educational institution dedicated to pursuing philosophic truth. The Academy lasted well into the 6th century A.D., and is the model for all western universities. Its formation is along the lines Plato laid out in The Republic. Many of Plato's essays and writings survive to this day. Plato died in 347 B.C. at the age of 80. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Series

Works by Plato

The Republic of Plato (0380) 25,514 copies, 162 reviews
The Symposium (0360) — Author — 7,561 copies, 84 reviews
The Last Days of Socrates (0399) 6,076 copies, 27 reviews
Euthyphro / Apology / Crito / Meno / Phaedo (1981) 3,261 copies, 17 reviews
Plato: Complete Works (1959) — Author — 3,159 copies, 11 reviews
Gorgias (0380) — Author — 2,856 copies, 16 reviews
Great Dialogues of Plato (1956) 2,743 copies, 8 reviews
Phaedrus (0370) 2,173 copies, 11 reviews
Phaedo (0400) — Author — 1,925 copies, 21 reviews
Apology (0399) 1,690 copies, 24 reviews
Laws (0348) 1,185 copies, 14 reviews
Meno (0380) 1,136 copies, 4 reviews
Theaetetus [Greek and translation] (0360) — Author — 1,132 copies, 15 reviews
Timaeus and Critias (2001) 1,123 copies, 11 reviews
Dialogues of Plato (0004) 1,001 copies, 13 reviews
Protagoras and Meno (1956) 963 copies, 13 reviews
The Republic and Other Works (1960) 763 copies, 3 reviews
Timaeus (0360) — Author — 744 copies, 10 reviews
Le Banquet ; Phèdre (1992) 730 copies, 5 reviews
Apology ; Crito ; Euthyphro (0390) 724 copies, 5 reviews
Protagoras (0380) 679 copies, 10 reviews
The Works of Plato (1928) 554 copies, 1 review
Crito (0360) 491 copies, 17 reviews
Parmenides [Greek text] (0370) 491 copies, 10 reviews
Plato: The Sophist [Translation] (0360) 478 copies, 5 reviews
Apology ; Crito (Greek text) (1986) 470 copies, 6 reviews
Britannica Great Books: Plato (2007) 461 copies, 1 review
Plato: Philebus [Greek Text] (0350) 452 copies, 1 review
The Portable Plato (1955) 425 copies
Early Socratic Dialogues (1987) 407 copies, 1 review
The Apology / Crito / Phaedo (1965) 401 copies, 5 reviews
Phaedrus and Letters VII and VIII (1973) 400 copies, 2 reviews
Symposium (Greek text) (1980) — Author — 393 copies
The Statesman [Translation] (0360) 373 copies, 5 reviews
Euthyphro (0399) 371 copies, 7 reviews
Socrates' Defence (2015) 342 copies, 7 reviews
Plato's Theory of Knowledge (1957) 306 copies, 5 reviews
The Essential Plato (1999) 296 copies, 1 review
Plato: Lysis. Symposium. Gorgias. (1925) 283 copies, 1 review
Cratylus [Translation] (0360) 231 copies, 8 reviews
Ion (0380) 221 copies, 3 reviews
Lysis; Phaedrus; Symposium (1991) 195 copies, 1 review
The Trials of Socrates: Six Classic Texts (2002) 192 copies, 1 review
Dialogues of Plato: The Jowett Translations (1953) 177 copies, 3 reviews
Plato Selections (1972) 147 copies, 1 review
The Theaetetus of Plato (1990) — Author — 146 copies
Euthydemus [Translation] (0384) 146 copies, 1 review
Phaedo ; Phaedrus ; Symposium [Translation] (1975) — Author — 146 copies, 7 reviews
The Allegory of the Cave (2010) 135 copies, 1 review
Symposium and The Death of Socrates (1997) 127 copies, 1 review
Gorgias [Greek text] (1959) 126 copies, 1 review
Charmides (1977) 122 copies, 3 reviews
Laches and Charmides (Hackett Classics) (1973) 120 copies, 1 review
A Guided Tour of Five Works by Plato (1988) 116 copies, 1 review
Laches (0380) 114 copies, 3 reviews
Statesman ; Philebus ; Ion (1925) 108 copies, 1 review
Plato: Alcibiades I [Greek Text] (0350) 97 copies, 2 reviews
Lysis (0380) 96 copies, 4 reviews
Protagoras [Greek text] (1994) 96 copies
Plato: Letters [translation] (1976) 91 copies, 4 reviews
The Republic and Other Dialogues (2013) 87 copies, 1 review
Hippias Major (1982) 86 copies, 3 reviews
Sokrates' leven en dood (1995) 74 copies, 1 review
Phaedrus ; Symposium [Translation] (1980) 71 copies, 1 review
Diálogos (2011) 70 copies, 2 reviews
Menexenus [Greek text and translation] (0380) 68 copies, 2 reviews
The Dialogues of Socrates (2018) 67 copies
The Republic, Book 1 of 10 [Greek text] (1983) — Author — 67 copies
Socratic discourses (2007) 67 copies
Platão (1900) 65 copies, 1 review
Gorgias ; Phaedo ; Symposium (1979) 64 copies, 4 reviews
Diálogos I (1997) 62 copies, 2 reviews
Plato: Selected Dialogues (1983) 59 copies
Plato, schrijver (1987) 58 copies
The Dialogues of Plato, Volume 2 (2014) 58 copies, 1 review
Critias ; Philebus ; Timaeus (1901) 57 copies, 2 reviews
Plato: Laws VII-XII [Translation] (1999) 55 copies, 1 review
Critias (0360) 55 copies, 2 reviews
The Philosophy of Plato (1928) 54 copies
Lesser Hippias (0400) 54 copies, 2 reviews
Plato: The Sophist [Greek Text] (1990) 53 copies, 2 reviews
The Republic [Greek text] (2003) 52 copies
Plato: Letters [Greek text] (1986) 48 copies
Platon's Republic (2004) 45 copies
Timaeus [Latin] (1975) 43 copies
Plato (2003) 41 copies
The Seventh Letter (Forgotten Books) (1986) 40 copies, 1 review
Phaidon, Politeia (1998) 39 copies
The Trial and Execution of Socrates (1972) 35 copies, 2 reviews
Plato: The Statesman [Greek Text] (1995) 33 copies, 1 review
Dialogos (Spanish Edition) (2007) 32 copies
Dialoghi sull'amicizia e sull'amore (1995) 31 copies, 1 review
Platon : Oeuvres complètes (2008) 30 copies, 1 review
Meno; text and criticism (1971) 28 copies, 1 review
Five Dialogues (2015) 28 copies
Apology ; Crito ; Letter VII [Translation] (1990) 28 copies, 2 reviews
Charmides ; Laches ; Lysis [Translation] (2005) 28 copies, 4 reviews
Plato: The Republic I-V [Greek Text] (0350) 27 copies, 1 review
Sölen Dostluk (2018) 27 copies, 1 review
Platon (1990) 27 copies
Laques - Eufriton (1998) 25 copies
A Plato Reader (1966) 23 copies, 1 review
Diálogos VII (1992) 23 copies, 2 reviews
Diàlegs. (1924) 22 copies, 2 reviews
Plato: Phaedrus (1986) 22 copies
Apology 21 copies, 2 reviews
Tutte le opere (1989) 21 copies
Diálogos ; Cartas (2014) 20 copies, 1 review
Apologia de S©đcrates (1900) 20 copies, 1 review
Ion ; Phaedrus ; Protagoras (1988) 20 copies
Processo e morte di Socrate (1997) 20 copies
Kama Sutra; Phaedrus (1963) — Contributor — 19 copies
Oud geluk (1999) 19 copies
Skrifter Bok 3 Staten (2017) 18 copies
Charmides ; Lysis (2000) 18 copies
Mitos (1996) 17 copies
Diálogos II (1995) 17 copies
Apology ; Crito ; Symposium (2004) 17 copies, 1 review
Euthyphro [Translation] (1968) 16 copies
The Trial of Socrates (1920) 16 copies
Plato Unmasked: The Dialogues Made New (2003) 16 copies, 1 review
Symposion: Neuübersetzung (2006) — Author — 16 copies
Fedó (2002) 15 copies
Kratylos ; Parmenides (2005) 14 copies
Diálogos (1997) 14 copies, 1 review
Sämtliche Dialoge (1988) 14 copies
Plato's Republic (1992) 13 copies
Phaidros (2019) 13 copies
The myths of Plato (1970) 13 copies
Protágoras.Gorgias carta séptima (1998) 13 copies, 1 review
Hippias mineur, hippias majeur (2005) — Author — 12 copies
Plato: Laws 10 (2008) — Author — 12 copies
DIALOGOS(9788467034134) (2010) 12 copies
Diálogos socráticos (1985) 12 copies, 1 review
Power: Portraits of World Leaders (2011) 12 copies, 1 review
Platão 11 copies
Ipparco (1997) 11 copies
Apology ; Phaedo [Translation] (2001) — Author — 11 copies
Platonis Opera omnia (1980) 11 copies
Plato: Alcibiades II [Translation] (2009) 11 copies, 1 review
Gorgias ; Meno [Greek Text] (1923) 11 copies
1: Eutifrone (2007) 11 copies
Platonis Res Publica (1958) 10 copies
Hauptwerke (1973) 10 copies
Laws (Hackett Classics) (2022) 10 copies
A Companion to Plato's Republic for English Readers (2012) — Contributor — 10 copies
Mit den Augen des Geistes (1955) 10 copies
Minos; Epinomis; Leges (2001) 10 copies
Diálogos (2007) 10 copies, 1 review
Le opere (1997) 10 copies
Plato: Laws 1 and 2 (2015) — Author — 10 copies
Il messaggio di Socrate (1970) 9 copies, 1 review
Viisi tutkielmaa (2000) 9 copies
Republic book X (2007) 9 copies
Verzameld werk. Dl. I (1980) 9 copies, 1 review
De wijsheid van de wind (2006) 9 copies
Platonis opera 9 copies
The Works of Plato Vol. 1 (1804) 9 copies
Alcibiade (1998) 9 copies
Socratic Dialogues (1953) 9 copies
Dialogen (2002) 8 copies
Das Höhlengleichnis (2009) 8 copies
Timeu ; Crítias (2000) 8 copies
De uitgelezen Plato (2000) 8 copies
Ión, Menexenosz (2005) 8 copies
Diálogos (2000) 8 copies
Crito ; Euthyphro [Translation] (1993) 8 copies, 1 review
Cartas e Epigramas (1900) 8 copies
Dialogi (1993) 8 copies
Les Mythes de Platon (2004) 8 copies
Диалоги (2005) 8 copies
Hippias mineur (1991) 8 copies
Plato's Euthyphro (1984) 8 copies
Verzameld werk. Dl. II (1980) 8 copies, 1 review
Verzameld werk. Dl. III (1980) 8 copies, 1 review
Ciropedia (1995) 7 copies
Verzameld werk 1 7 copies, 1 review
Plato's Ion & Meno (1998) 7 copies
Kriton og Faidon (1973) 7 copies
Diàlegs 7 copies
Zimorodek i inne dialogi (1985) 7 copies
כתבי אפלטון (1955) 7 copies
Platón összes művei (1984) 7 copies
La república/Diálogos 7 copies, 1 review
Diálogos VII (2022) 7 copies
Dialoger (2023) 7 copies
Opere complete: 3 (2003) 7 copies
Platone (volume primo) (1999) 7 copies
Phèdre (2012) 7 copies
Fredo (2011) 6 copies
Contro la democrazia (2008) 6 copies
Sophist 6 copies
Crito ; Symposium (2007) 6 copies
Platon - Gesammelte Werke (2019) 6 copies
L'anima (2006) 6 copies
Les lleis (2013) 6 copies, 2 reviews
Diálogos VIII. Leyes (Libros I-VI) (2016) 6 copies, 1 review
Verzameld werk. Dl.IV (1980) 6 copies
Diàlegs, vol. IX: Fedre (Bernat Metge) (1988) 5 copies, 1 review
Alcibiades 2 5 copies
Eryxias 5 copies
Platon für Gestreßte (1997) 5 copies
Diálogos (1983) 5 copies
DIALOGOS (27ª ED.) (1986) 5 copies
Platonis Opera 5 copies
Die Meisterdialoge (1991) 5 copies
Protagoras / Gorgias / Ménon (2008) 5 copies, 2 reviews
Diálogos (1999) 5 copies
Simposio (2012) 5 copies
Euthydémos ; Menón (1992) 5 copies
Protágoras ; Gorgias (1996) 4 copies
Charmides (2019) 4 copies
Diálogos (1975) 4 copies
The Complete Plato (1900) 4 copies
Meisterdialoge (1995) 4 copies
Diálogos VII (2010) 4 copies
Sobre el amor (1900) 4 copies
Œuvres complètes (-0001) — Author — 4 copies
Menon (2018) 4 copies
Phaidón (2020) 4 copies
Minos - Epinomis (2013) 4 copies
Critón (1966) 4 copies
Teeteto (2012) 4 copies
Dialegs II (1932) 4 copies
Kratylos ; Parmenides (1988) 4 copies
Die großen Dialoge (2013) 4 copies
Diálogos (2003) 4 copies
Dialogos Socraticos (Spanish Edition) (1998) 4 copies, 1 review
Critias 4 copies
Rival Lovers 4 copies
Minos 4 copies, 1 review
Alcibiades I (2015) 4 copies
Axiochus 4 copies
Demodocus 4 copies
La scena del logos (2006) 4 copies, 2 reviews
Parménides (2001) 4 copies
La Repubblica vol. 4 (2000) 4 copies
Platonos: apanta ta sozomena 4 copies, 1 review
Theages (2012) 4 copies
Lettere 4 copies
Diálogos Socráticos (2014) — Author — 4 copies
9: Indici 4 copies
Verzameld werk (1984) 4 copies
Charmides (1984) 4 copies
Minos (2003) 4 copies
Platons Mythen. (1997) 3 copies
Dialoguri 3 copies
Diálogos 3 copies, 1 review
DIÀLEGS XII (1992) 3 copies
Diálogos VII 3 copies
DIALOGOS. (2010) 3 copies
Diàlegs 3 copies
Diàlegs. 3 copies
Ion ; Charmides ; Lizys (2002) 3 copies
Şölen - Dostluk (2020) 3 copies
Complete works [Latin] 3 copies, 1 review
Diàlegs 3 copies
Dialoghi filosofici (1978) 3 copies
Diàlegs. VI (2009) 3 copies
Dialogi (2007) 3 copies
Halcyon 3 copies
Diàlegs 3 copies
On Justice 3 copies
Apokrif dialógusok (2005) 3 copies, 1 review
Complete Works 3 copies
Diálogos (1984) 3 copies
Hipparchus 3 copies
DIÁLOGOS (2018) 3 copies
El banquete Fedro (1984) 3 copies
Diálogos (1998) 3 copies
Lachete: sul coraggio (2015) 3 copies
Diálogos (2004) 3 copies, 1 review
Repubblica: antologia (1990) 3 copies
Diàlegs, vol. VII: Fedó (1962) 3 copies
La verità (2006) 3 copies
Euthydemos Parmenides (2016) 3 copies
Œuvres complètes (1920) 3 copies
The Dialogues of Plato (1963) 3 copies
Devlet Ciltli (2015) 3 copies
Dialogi (2015) — Author — 3 copies
PLATON OBRAS MAESTRAS (2013) 3 copies
Platon Diyaloglar (2009) 3 copies
Epinomis [Translation] (2013) 3 copies
Menon: Griechisch/Deutsch (2021) 3 copies
Repubblica, Timeo, Crizia (2010) 3 copies
Kritias - Kharmides (2014) 3 copies
Opera Integrala, Vol 1 (2021) 3 copies
Teoria delle idee (1993) 3 copies
La dottrina delle idee (1994) 3 copies
Kratylos (2015) 3 copies
Alkibiades 1-2 (2010) 3 copies
Buyuk Hippias Theages (2016) 3 copies
Dialogy o kráse 3 copies, 1 review
Apología de Sócrates (2019) 2 copies
Statesman 2 copies
Laws 2 copies
On Virtue 2 copies
Alcibiades 2 2 copies
Theages 2 copies
Definitions 2 copies
Il simposio 2 copies
Plato 2 copies
Sisyphus 2 copies
La repubblica. Libro 4º (1998) 2 copies
Timeu 2 copies
Yasalar (2019) 2 copies
Lysis (2013) 2 copies
Fedon 2 copies
Phaedo 2 copies, 1 review
Hipias Mayor 2 copies, 2 reviews
Cratylus 2 copies
TEETETO - CRÁTILO (2025) 2 copies
Lakhes - Lysis ;(Ciltli) (2022) 2 copies
Diàlegs. VI 2 copies
Théétète (2016) 2 copies
Yasalar (2021) 2 copies
Five Dialogues (1942) 2 copies
Diálogos. Tomo VIII * (1995) 2 copies
Lakhes (2012) 2 copies
Küçük Hippias (2011) 2 copies
Biesiada (1993) 2 copies
Menón (2020) 2 copies
Fédon (1998) 2 copies
Devlet I-II 2 copies
Solen (2014) 2 copies
Sokrates'in Savunmasi (2019) 2 copies
Paideia (2007) 2 copies
Obras 2 copies
Menon | Cratilo | Fedon (1997) 2 copies
Dialogos 2 copies
Fajdros (2023) 2 copies
Fedone 7-12-1 2 copies
Du bonheur selon Socrate (1999) 2 copies
Ion (2018) 2 copies
Diálogos (2017) 2 copies
Essential Plato. (1999) 2 copies
Levelek (2007) 2 copies
Text (1996) 2 copies
Kommentar (2003) 2 copies
I miti di Platone (2013) 2 copies
[Opere] 2 2 copies
Lexique 2 copies
Dialoghi (1997) 2 copies
Dialoghi: (1997) 2 copies
Die großen Dialoge (2006) 2 copies
Diyaloglar 1 2 copies
L'anima. Ediz. integrale (2020) 2 copies
Eutifrone 2 copies
Il Gorgia 2 copies
Alkibiades I-II (2023) 2 copies
Il Critone 2 copies
Ipparco 2 copies
Plato - Dialogues (2006) 2 copies
Platão 2 copies
[Platone] 1 2 copies
El Banquet. 2 copies
Symposium: the speech of Alcibiades (1996) — Author — 2 copies
Plató. 2 copies
Diálogos II (1994) 2 copies
Platonis Res Pvblica (1937) 2 copies
Dialogi un vēstules (1999) 2 copies
Plato's Dialogues (1990) 2 copies
Obras completas 2 copies
Plato's Apology and Crito (2019) 2 copies
Dialogen 2 copies
Theagés (2003) 2 copies
Sócrates según Platón (1984) 2 copies
Diàlegs 2 copies
Hípias Menor (1999) 2 copies
Euthyphro 2 copies
Diàlegs 2 copies
Timeu (2004) 2 copies
Le souci du bien (1993) 2 copies
nomoi 1 / νόμοι 1 (2006) 2 copies
A favor de las mujeres (2003) 2 copies
DIALEGS XIII 2 copies
Diàlegs 1 copy
Theaitetos 1 copy
Diàlegs 1 copy
Diàlegs 1 copy
Valstybė 1 copy
Dialoghi 1 copy
Diálogos (1985) 1 copy
El banquet Fedre (2010) 1 copy
Critón 1 copy
Dialógy 3 1 copy
Diálogos 1 copy
Diàlegs 1 copy
Dialógy 2 1 copy
Dialógy 1 1 copy
Diálogos 1 copy
Leggi (I-II) 1 copy
Diàlegs 1 copy
Parmenidész (2017) 1 copy
Sokrates'in Savunmasi (2017) 1 copy
Yasalar 1-2 1 copy
Prawa (2017) 1 copy
Eutyfron 1 copy
DEVLET III-IV 1 copy, 1 review
République, livre 1 (1998) 1 copy
PH?LEBO? 1 copy, 1 review
SOKRATES`?N SAVUNMASI 1 copy, 1 review
T?MA?OS 1 copy
Solen (2005) 1 copy
Platon. Phédon (1959) 1 copy
Texte zur Ideenlehre (1978) 1 copy
Dialogi. Gosydarstvo (2021) 1 copy
Epinomisz (2022) 1 copy
Πλάτων 1 copy
Res Publica (1942) 1 copy
ДИАЛОГИ (2020) 1 copy
Phèdre (livre audio) (2011) 1 copy
Філеб 1 copy, 1 review
Diàlogos 1 copy
Hipias Menor 1 copy
Eutifrón 1 copy
Ion : en dialog (1980) 1 copy
Cộng Hòa 1 copy
Sofista 1 copy
Fedro 1 copy
Diálogos (1999) 1 copy
Teages o de la ciencia 1 copy, 1 review
Plató Diàlegs. I 1 copy, 1 review
Dialoghi 1 copy
Kritias 1 copy
Euthydemos 1 copy
Laques 1 copy
Georgias 1 copy
Fedón o Sobre el alma (2010) 1 copy
Philebus 1 copy
CUATRO DIÁLOGOS (1984) 1 copy
Íon & Hípias Menor 1 copy, 1 review
Zákony (2016) 1 copy
Socrates 1 copy
Republic I (1953) 1 copy
El banquete. Fedón (1991) 1 copy
Diálogos. Tomo III 1 copy, 1 review
Diálogos. Tomo II (1994) 1 copy, 1 review
Diálogos. Tomo I 1 copy, 1 review
Plató Dialegs, Vol. VII 1 copy, 1 review
Dialogos dudosos, dialogos (1960) 1 copy, 1 review
Diálogos. Tomo VII 1 copy, 1 review
Las Leyes, epinomis (1995) 1 copy, 1 review
Állam 1 copy
Dialógos- I 1 copy
DIÁLOGOS 1 copy
La República Tomo V 1 copy, 1 review
Pensées 1 copy
Dialógy III. diel (1990) 1 copy
Dialógy I. diel (1990) 1 copy
Críton 1 copy
Dialógy II. diel (1990) 1 copy
Diálogos (1996) 1 copy
4.1: Phédon 1 copy
Il Liside 1 copy
Apologia di Platone 1 copy, 1 review
Minosse o della legge (2008) 1 copy
Leis 1 copy
Dialogos 1 copy
Crizia 1 copy, 1 review
Amanti 1 copy, 1 review
Alcibiade II - o minore 1 copy, 1 review
Eutifrone (2001) 1 copy
Repubblica: antologia 1 copy, 1 review
Repubblica: passi scelti 1 copy, 1 review
Timeo: ovvero Della Natura (2020) 1 copy, 1 review
EUTIFRONE 1 copy, 1 review
Dialoghi_Il Convito 1 copy, 1 review
מינון 1 copy
IL PROCESSO DI SOCRATE 1 copy, 1 review
Σοφιστής (2008) 1 copy
Πολιτεία (2013) 1 copy
Diálogos socráticos 1 copy, 1 review
Φαίδων 1 copy
Φαίδων 1 copy
Dialogai 1 copy
Diálogos V 1 copy
Teaitetas (2020) 1 copy
Eryxias, Hipparchus 1 copy, 1 review
Res publica (1965) 1 copy
Valstybė (2014) 1 copy
La república I (1987) 1 copy
Kratilas (1996) 1 copy
Diálogos 1 copy
Gorgijas (2019) 1 copy
Alkibijadas (2016) 1 copy
Faidras (1996) 1 copy
Filebas (2016) 1 copy
Wittgenstein 1 copy
Diálogos (2020) 1 copy
Cratylus 1 copy
Platons Menon (1988) 1 copy
Menōn (2008) 1 copy
Four Dialogues (2009) 1 copy
Alcibiades (Annotated) (2016) 1 copy, 1 review
Laws, Volume I (1952) 1 copy
O Sofista 1 copy
Laws, Volume II (1961) 1 copy
Philèbe (2022) 1 copy
Euthypro etc 1 copy
Eros Livro 1 1 copy
Dialoguri 1 copy, 1 review
Dialoguri socratice 1 copy, 1 review
Leis - Volume 1 (2004) 1 copy
The Lovers 1 copy
Plato Collection. Meno (2020) 1 copy
Il Protagora 1 copy
Μύθοι 1 copy
Defensa de Sòcrates (2024) 1 copy
The Epistles (2015) 1 copy
On Justice 1 copy
Plato Six Pack (2017) 1 copy
On Virtue 1 copy
Halcyon 1 copy
Rival Lovers 1 copy
Laws I 1 copy
Republic II 1 copy
Hipias Mayor (2003) 1 copy
Laws II 1 copy
Law, Vol 4 (2006) 1 copy
Plato: Works 1 copy
Law, Vol 6 (2006) 1 copy
Law, Vol 5 (2006) 1 copy
Law, Vol 3 (2006) 1 copy
Law, Vol 2 (2006) 1 copy
Laches ; Protagoras (2002) 1 copy
Republic Books VI-VII (1949) 1 copy
Republic of Plato 1-5 — Author — 1 copy
Republic of Plato 6-10 — Author — 1 copy
Opera 1 copy
Fédon 1 copy
The Axiochus of Plato; (1934) 1 copy
S Letter 1 copy
Robot Adept 1 copy
The Dialogues of Plato: Volume Two (1937) — Author — 1 copy
Państwo. T. 2 (1994) 1 copy
Samdrykkjan 1 copy
Opera, III 1 copy
Opera, II 1 copy
Plato 4 vol. 1 copy
Apologie 1 copy
Diálogos (2012) 1 copy
Dialogos II 1 copy
Dialogos I 1 copy
Las leyes, tomo I (1901) 1 copy
Oeuvres Completes (1950) 1 copy
O Banquete e Sofista (1972) 1 copy
Eros i Filia 1 copy
Dialogos de Platón. (2012) 1 copy
Staten : I 1 copy
Dialogi. tom I (1999) 1 copy
Lysis 1 copy
Lettre VII (2022) 1 copy
Criton (2020) 1 copy
La Leyes. tomos I-II (2021) 1 copy
Eutyphron 1 copy
Politikos 1 copy
Diyaloglar 2 1 copy
Le Second Alcibiade (2020) 1 copy
Thirteen Epistles (2019) 1 copy
Gorgias ; Menon (1991) 1 copy
La Republica 1 copy
Parménides 1 copy
Lachès (French Edition) (2015) 1 copy, 1 review
Dialogi. tom II (1999) 1 copy
1: Dialoghi 1 copy
Πρωταγόρας (1992) 1 copy
Timaeus (annotated) (2015) 1 copy
Hippias 1 copy
La rpublique 1 copy
Platonis Ion 1 copy
Skrifter 1 copy
Faidón (2000) 1 copy
Platons Skrifter (1992) 1 copy
Dialouges (1950) 1 copy
Plato's Republic II (1956) 1 copy
Das Höhlengleichnis (1998) 1 copy
El Camino de la Cicuta 1 copy, 1 review
Extraits, texte grec 1 copy, 1 review

Associated Works

Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama (1995) — Contributor, some editions — 1,012 copies, 7 reviews
World Poetry: An Anthology of Verse from Antiquity to Our Time (1998) — Contributor — 499 copies, 2 reviews
Critical Theory Since Plato (1971) — Contributor, some editions — 435 copies, 1 review
The Portable Greek Reader (1948) — Contributor, some editions — 432 copies
The Penguin Book of Hell (2018) — Contributor — 279 copies, 5 reviews
Social and Political Philosophy: Readings From Plato to Gandhi (1963) — Contributor — 273 copies, 1 review
The Greek Philosophers (1958) — Contributor — 261 copies, 2 reviews
The Penguin Book of Homosexual Verse (1983) — Contributor — 256 copies, 3 reviews
Criticism: Major Statements (1964) — Contributor — 234 copies
The Philosopher's Handbook: Essential Readings from Plato to Kant (2000) — Contributor — 234 copies, 1 review
Western Philosophy: An Anthology (1996) — Author, some editions — 219 copies, 1 review
The Penguin Book of International Gay Writing (1995) — Contributor — 204 copies, 3 reviews
The Moral Life: An Introductory Reader in Ethics and Literature (1999) — Contributor — 202 copies, 2 reviews
A Modern Introduction to Philosophy (1957) — Contributor — 200 copies, 2 reviews
The Columbia Anthology of Gay Literature (1998) — Contributor — 171 copies
Belief: Readings on the Reason for Faith (2010) — Contributor — 164 copies, 2 reviews
The Book of Love (1998) — Contributor — 151 copies
The Utopia Reader (1999) — Contributor — 125 copies, 1 review
Other Selves: Philosophers on Friendship (1991) — Contributor — 99 copies
World's Great Adventure Stories (1929) — Contributor — 83 copies
Metaphysics: A Guide and Anthology (2004) — Contributor — 76 copies
The Consolation of Philosophy [Norton Critical Edition] (2009) — Contributor — 62 copies, 1 review
The Range of Philosophy: Introductory Readings (1970) — Contributor — 58 copies
The Philosophy of the Visual Arts (1992) — Contributor — 45 copies
Komt een Griek bij de dokter humor in de oudheid (2007) — Contributor — 27 copies
The World of Law, Volume II : The Law as Literature (1965) — Contributor — 22 copies
Science fiction through the ages 1 (1966) — Contributor, some editions — 14 copies
Utopie (2006) — Contributor — 14 copies
Plato's Meno in focus (1994) — Contributor — 12 copies
Reading Ethics (Reading Philosophy) (2008) — Contributor — 12 copies
Rosicrucian Digest, Volume 84, Number 2 (2006): Atlantis (2015) — Contributor — 10 copies
Clifton Fadiman's Fireside Reader (1961) — Contributor — 10 copies, 1 review
Platon par lui-même (1995) — Contributor — 9 copies
Readings in Jurisprudence (1938) — Contributor — 8 copies
Erkenntnis und Sein I Epistemologie. (1978) — Contributor — 5 copies
Dialogues of Plato [with] The Politics of Aristotle (1899) — Contributor — 5 copies
Grieksche lyriek in Nederlandsche verzen — Contributor — 3 copies
De wereld wijsgerige teksten (1964) — Contributor — 2 copies

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Common Knowledge

Canonical name
Plató
Legal name
Aristocle
Other names
Aristocles
Birthdate
428/427 BCE
Date of death
348/347 BCE
Gender
male
Occupations
philosopher
Organizations
The Academy (founder)
Relationships
Socrates (teacher)
Aristotle (student)
Nationality
Greece
Birthplace
Athens, Greece
Places of residence
Athens, Greece
Syracuse, Sicily
Place of death
Athens, Greece
Burial location
Athens, Greece
Map Location
Greece

Members

Discussions

Reading Plato’s Republic in Non-Fiction Readers (January 2025)
Libanus Press - Symposium, Plato in Fine Press Forum (February 2022)
Benjamin Jowett's Plato in Ancient History (July 2014)
Recommended reading for Plato's Republic in Ancient History (December 2012)
Plato in Philosophy and Theory (October 2008)

Reviews

983 reviews
Rereading this again after being mind fucked into obsessing over 'mental procreation' after middle school is so fun. It was a nice little valentines week re-read and I forgot how hilarious this book was until Aristophanes started going off with his human ball centipede situation. I bet all of them would have so much fun on Feeld, queer polycule gathering together at a wine party to talk about beauty and mpreg? So liberal/arts school lolll I need a modern day equivalent of this but lesbians.
This was my first experience reading Plato, and it was an interesting one. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t relieved to have finished reading it, but I would also be lying if I said I didn’t like it because I do like it, sort of.

It’s an odd book to rate, written as it was more than two millennia ago (~375 BCE). The paradigms that governed Plato’s worldview are difficult to grasp. I kept reminding myself that back then they simply didn’t know some of the things I take for granted show more (like that germs cause disease and that slavery is neither necessary nor unavoidable), and even so I feel like I only have the barest edge of an understanding of where he was coming from.

In the Republic, a bunch of guys are hanging out talking while eating dinner and waiting to go to a torch race. It must be a very long dinner because they cover a lot of ground in their conversation and seem to have forgotten all about the torch race by the end.

They start out arguing about the nature of justice and just action, and that turns into an argument about whether the just man or unjust man is likelier to lead a happy life and gain material rewards. Having accepted that acting justly is better than acting unjustly, a couple of the guys say, “You know, the best way to do it is to act unjustly so you can get all of the wealth you can get through dirty dealings, but to have everyone think you’re a just man so you can have the good reputation along with the riches.”

And because there was no television back then, they end up creating a whole utopian society governed by philosopher kings (and queens, although Plato seems to keep forgetting that he included women in the mix of rulers) and in which marriage lasts only a week or two at most and there are no families and all children are raised by the community. Children consider their parents’ entire generation to be fathers and mothers, and their parents’ generation considers all children to be their sons and daughters. In order to maintain this utopian society, the rulers control the common folks in part by myths and deception and by only exposing them to stories and songs that promote the kinds of values they want in their society, and in part by rewarding bravery in battle with more chances to reproduce. It was all very Brave New World.

My notes are filled with comments like, “Is this a joke?”

And there are funny bits to it, like this exchange:

[Question] "Any story or poem narrates things past, present, or future, does it not?”

[Answer] “There is no alternative.” (86)


But I think Plato is pretty serious about all of this. He’s realistic in his expectation that a society like the one he’s imagined is unlikely to ever exist in reality, but he seems convinced that his utopia really is the ideal society.

The part I enjoyed the most was the Simile of the Cave. Plato uses this story to represent the way in which the life and understanding of the common man differs from that of the philosopher. In it, people are held prisoner within a cave, chained up so that they can see only right in front of them for their whole lives. Behind them is a fire and a road, but while they can see the shadows cast on the wall before them by those traveling the road, they can see neither the fire nor the road itself. Their entire existence is made up of shadows and reflections; they never get to see the true objects of the world. The prisoners believe this is all the world is until one day, one of them is set free and can look around.

“If he were made to look directly at the light of the fire, it would hurt his eyes and he would turn back and retreat to the things which he could see properly, which he would think really clearer than the things being shown him.” (242)


Even when he sees that what he’s thought was real is only a shadow, he continues to turn away from what’s real and back to the shadow because it’s what he knows and because the light of the fire is too bright for him to look at. You can imagine what happens when this fellow sees the world outside of the cave.

There’s a lot more to the simile than that, but I really found this idea of shadows and reflections intriguing. I think about the shadows to which we turn in our modern lives: television shows, movies, the Internet. These things aren’t real things but merely the shadows of real things. Plato argues that no good comes from these shadows (which in his day were lyric poetry and stage dramas rather than Breaking Bad and Duck Dynasty, but it’s the same basic concept), that they serve only to distract us with petty amusement. I wouldn’t go quite that far; I think that music, movies, books, and other amusements have the potential to lead us to deeper (or perhaps loftier) thinking and can help us to live better, more compassionate lives, but I agree with Plato that these things can also have the effect of causing us to see the world in such a way that we don’t act in the best---wisest, most compassionate, most just---way possible. For this reason, we have to be careful what we choose to consume, media-wise and not consume it passively, so that we can always be reaching for goodness and wisdom.

One of my favorite passages explains what happens when we don’t do this:

”Those, therefore, who have no experience of wisdom and goodness, and do nothing but have a good time, spend their life straying between the bottom and middle in our illustration, and never rise higher to see or reach the true top, nor achieve any real fulfillment or sure and unadulterated pleasure. They bend over their tables, like sheep with heads bent over their pasture and eyes on the ground, they stuff themselves and copulate, and in their greed for more they kick and butt each other because they are not satisfied, as they cannot be while they fill with unrealities a part of themselves which is itself unreal and insatiable.” (327)


To be our best selves and to have “real fulfillment,” we must always seek what’s real and true in this life and strive always towards wisdom goodness.

That is, if we want to be our best selves and achieve real fulfillment, which I suppose is also open for debate, but the guys in the Republic would have to order more dinner rolls and probably some wine, too.

This, to me, is the reason to read Plato. His Republic doesn’t contain ideas we can---or should---apply to our lives and our societies right out of the box, but we can turn around and contemplate the admittedly wacky ideas it presents. Plato’s ideal society is seriously impractical (and, to me at least, undesirable), but reading about it prompts me to consider what it is that I think is wrong with the idea. Why couldn’t it work? Why shouldn’t it work? And if not Plato’s utopia, what’s a better alternative?

And even more than this, I ask myself, am I basing my life on shadows and reflections rather than on things that are real and true? If I am, is this a bad thing or not? And if it’s a bad thing, what am I going to do about it?
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Magnesia, Plato's proposed city of ultimate virtue, sounds like an authoritarian nightmare. You have marriage inspectors ensuring you procreate correctly, strict travel and trading restrictions, and you better not even think of performing an unapproved poem!!

This seems directly opposed to the characteristics he admired in Socrates - a man who made it his mission to challenge authority and make the powerful look ridiculous - a man who was willing to die to achieve this.

This being possibly a show more later work of Plato, it perhaps demonstrates a character arc common to revolutionaries, and humans in general. We're willing to rage against the old-fashioned fuddy-duddies of our time, but once we're the ones in power, suddenly the new generation of change-makers become the problem.

There are, however, a few aspects of Magnesia that seem progressive to our point of view. Women have a sort of equality, despite still being considered a generally less worthy class than men. The treatment of criminals is focused on rehabilitation where possible, although execution is considered a mercy to villains who cannot be reformed.

Like a lot of Plato's works, it probably works best as a starting point for discussion on the various topics that it covers. Read it out to a friend and see how long they can last without arguing back. Maybe you'll figure something out.
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To fear death, gentlemen, is no other than to think oneself wise when one is not, to think one knows what one does not know. No one knows whether death may not be the greatest of all blessings for a man, yet men fear it as if they knew that it is the greatest of evils. And surely it is the most blameworthy ignorance to believe that one knows what one does not know.

Socrates was innocent! And also the master of the humble brag.

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