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The Republic (Penguin Classics) by Plato
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The Republic (Penguin Classics) (edition 2003)

by Plato, Desmond Lee (Translator), Desmond Lee (Introduction)

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21,838141185 (3.87)294
Philosophy. Politics. Nonfiction. HTML:

The Republic is Plato's most famous work and one of the seminal texts of Western philosophy and politics. The characters in this Socratic dialogue - including Socrates himself - discuss whether the just or unjust man is happier. They are the philosopher-kings of imagined cities and they also discuss the nature of philosophy and the soul among other things.

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Member:gimbles
Title:The Republic (Penguin Classics)
Authors:Plato
Other authors:Desmond Lee (Translator), Desmond Lee (Introduction)
Info:Penguin Classics (2003), Edition: 2nd, Paperback, 496 pages
Collections:Your library
Rating:
Tags:None

Work Information

The Republic by Plato

  1. 100
    Politics by Aristotle (Voracious_Reader)
  2. 60
    Political Writings by John Locke (Voracious_Reader)
  3. 61
    The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli (caflores)
  4. 215
    Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal (original 1966 edition) by Ayn Rand (mcaution)
    mcaution: Tired of Philosopher-Kings? Think individual rights aren't practical? Find insights in Rand's essays, "Man's Rights" and "The Nature of Government" among many others.
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English (111)  Spanish (13)  Catalan (4)  French (4)  Portuguese (Brazil) (2)  Italian (2)  Portuguese (Portugal) (1)  Finnish (1)  Dutch (1)  All languages (139)
Showing 1-5 of 111 (next | show all)
Que Platão tenha escrito com A República uma obra que, para além de seu tempo histórico, estará não mais na ágora, mas nas mesas, nas tribunas e nos foros de discussão em todos os tempos, algo comprovado pela sorte que lhe foi reservada até agora, é fora de dúvida. Reafirmá-lo é um truísmo, mas com ele também ressurge sempre a pergunta: qual a sua atualidade? Pergunta que cada é...
  luizzmendes | Mar 16, 2024 |
Required reading in Graduate Sshool. This classic has remained with me throughout my life. Highly recommended. Includes books 1-10.

FROM WIKIPEDIA: The Republic (Greek: Πολιτεία, translit. Politeia; Latin: De Republica[1]) is a Socratic dialogue, authored by Plato around 375 BCE, concerning justice (δικαιοσύνη), the order and character of the just city-state, and the just man.[2] 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.[3][4]

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.[5] He considers the natures of existing regimes and then proposes a series of hypothetical cities in comparison, culminating in Kallipolis (Καλλίπολις), 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.[6] The dialogue's setting seems to be the time of the Peloponnesian War.[7] ( )
  Gmomaj | Aug 19, 2023 |
“The Most Important Book of all time”

Excluding religious manuscripts, this book is usually ranked as the most important book of all time due to its contribution to philosophy, politics, history, logic, communication and more. It is said that Plato did not have all the answers, but he sure asked all the questions.

The impressive logic found in the book jumps off the pages to become part of your own thought process and your own way of looking at the world. I have read it at least 5 times between paperback and audiobook and cannot get tired of it. It’s like going back to the roots and listening to a wise teacher that always finds the way to make you realize things that you didn’t see before.

A fascinating fact about this book is that it was first published in 375 B.C. and is still immensely relevant in society today. Its ideas are constantly debated across the world, from friend gatherings to the top universities, to heads of State.

To read this book, it is also important to be aware of its author: Plato. He lived during an era of intense philosophical progress in Greece. He is part of a very important and unique lineage of philosophers who’s thoughts have influenced virtually every branch of knowledge of the western civilization and is of immense historical importance. This lineage is made of: Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.

Plato was Socrates’ most famous disciple. There is no known written work from Socrates. Instead, his words and thoughts were immortalized by his disciples. Plato’s writings are dialogues in which Socrates is the protagonist.
Plato founded “The Academy” which is known to have been the world’s first University.
Aristotle joined the Academy and became Plato’s best student. He is credited with having invented Science. He was also the tutor of Alexander the Great
Rarely has it happened in any discipline throughout history, that there has been such a meaningful knowledge transfer from one genius mind to another throughout three generations in a teacher-student relationship.

The Republic is now part of the public domain, so you can get it for free with a simple google search, or you can purchase it on Amazon or at your preferred book store. ( )
  erleyva | Jul 5, 2023 |
When I wrote this review I failed to mention Bloom’s essay (and translation). It’s possibly the best commentary on Plato I’ve read. An overly simple summary is that Bloom suggests many of Socrates’ proposals were intentionally preposterous, with the aim of leading his interlocutors to grasp that no truly legitimate political system is possible, and that the best course for individuals is to tend their souls, necessarily within a polity, going along with its requirements as necessary, but avoiding involvement in it as much as possible. Also, he suggests much of what Socrates says is not a definite political program, but directed to the particular characters of his interlocutors (Glaucon and Adeimantus) to lead them towards philosophy and away from their particular weaknesses (as Socrates saw them).

Bloom makes a very good case for this interpretation, which I’ve grossly oversimplified (and left important parts out). There’ll never be an end to the debate, but this essay is one to be reckoned with by anyone interested in the Republic. Regarding the translation, it’s very precise; someone with a little knowledge of Greek can often see the Greek through the English. This makes for less flowing language; with a lesser dialogue such as the Euthyphro I prefer a more literary translation, but it seems appropriate for such an important work. My review was:

In the West, at least, this is the touchstone of all political philosophy, and Plato pretty much covered all the issues people have been fighting and arguing about since people started wondering how societies should be organized and governed. It's easy to say that Plato's ideal state is nutty beyond imagination, but that misses the point. He asked the questions that really matter, and just about all of them, and considered them deeply and carefully, and then came up with his nutty system.

What about us? We live in a largely unquestioning age - maybe virtually everyone has. But it’s hard for, say, a modern American to read Plato’s assessment of the relative merits and demerits of different political systems and come away with the kind of mindless idolization of “democracy” with which we’re inundated by politicians and the media. It’s easy to say Plato’s system is goofy, but do you ever hear anyone in America publicly saying, “Democracy has a lot of serious weaknesses, one of them being its tendency to develop a culture needing life support.” Or, “Elites provide some real benefits to society, as does an aristocratic element.” Could those ideas have some merit? Well, we never even get that far since those ideas are too blasphemous for our society.

It’s funny how open-minded we consider our modern selves. But when’s the last time you heard a serious, thoughtful critique of modern liberal democracy (as opposed to a silly, neo-Marxist rant)? Plato had the courage, the detachment, and the brilliance to give his honest assessment of the various systems, compare them and then judge them. His purpose, at least apparently, had little to do with an agenda other than asking a question – what might constitute a good government? And not only good, but the best? Those questions require asking and answering questions about human nature and the nature of social relationships. Plato asks so well and considers so well, and so comprehensively, that his ideal system (regardless of whether he was even very serious about it) isn’t the issue. The significance, I think, is that he gets us to consider all the important questions he considers, many of which we otherwise probably wouldn’t have considered, and among other things to then uncover our unexamined assumptions and prejudices and reassess them.
( )
  garbagedump | Dec 9, 2022 |
Fictional Socrates travels to pay his respects at a religious festival in another town and is about to leave when an old associate asks him to stay and talk (I'm too old to visit you)...so he stays and rattles on and on about a society of the "just". I found the text easy to follow (Jowett translation), and the format reminded me of Wittgenstein's bullet-point-like formula. Funny at times (the audience complained about the way Socrates asked a question they were compelled to agree with him whether they actually agreed of not: "No man can answer you, Socrates; but every man feels that this is owing to his own deficiency in argument. He is driven from one position to another, until he has nothing more to say, just as an unskilful player at draughts is reduced to his last move by a more skilled opponent. And yet all the time he may be right.")
The ideal society set by Plato had some surprising elements - no religion, equal rights between the sexes, with many banned texts and banned songs, in order to keep the masses happy. This book contained the Ship of Fools allegory, along with the Cave allegory, and the Sun and Line allegories. It was a surprisingly quick read, although it helped that I had read about much of before I realised where it came from. ( )
  AChild | Nov 27, 2022 |
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» Add other authors (658 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Platoprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
Allan, D. J.Editorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Allen, Robert E.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Apelt, OttoTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Ķemere, InāraEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Baccou, RobertTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Blakewell, Charles M.Editorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Bloom, AllanTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Buchanan, Scott MilrossIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Burnet, JohnEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Camarero, AntonioTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Cornford, Francis MacdonaldTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Davies, John LlewelynTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Ferrari, G. R. F.Editorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Fraccaroli, GiuseppeTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Grayling, A. C.Forewordsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Griffith, TomTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Grou, Jean NicolasTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Grube, G.M.A.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Itkonen-Kaila, MarjaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Jowett, BenjaminTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Koolschijn, GerardTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Kredel, FritzIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
La Pillonnière, François deTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Larson, RaymondTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Lee, DesmondTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Lee, DesmondIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Lindsay, A. D.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Lindsay, Alexander D.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Lukstiņš, GustavsTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Molegraaf, MarioTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Nehamas, AlexanderIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Pabón, José ManuelTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Pugh, LeightonNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Reeve, Charles D. C.Editorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Rouse, W. H. D.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Schleiermacher, FriedrichTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Scott, William C.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Shorey, PaulTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Slings, S. R.Editorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Spens, HarryTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Sterling, Richard W.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Vaughan, David J.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Vegetti , MarioEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Vegetti , MarioTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Vegetti, MarioIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Warren, HansTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Waterfield, RobinTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Whewell, WilliamTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Zariņš, VilnisForewordsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed

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I went down yesterday to the Piraeus with Glaucon, son of Ariston, that I might offer up my prayers to the goddess, and also because I wanted to see in what manner they would celebrate the festival, which was a new thing. (Benjamin Jowett's translation)
The main question to be answered in the Republic is: What does Justice mean, and how can it be realized in human society? [tr. Cornford]
Quotations
...justice is keeping what is properly one's own and doing one's own job. (Desmond Lee translation)
...the state whose prospective rulers come to their duties with least enthusiasm is bound to have the best and most tranquil government and the state whose rulers are eager to rule the worst. (Desmond Lee translation)
...no one who had not exceptional gifts could grow into a good man unless he were brought up from childhood in a good environment and trained in good habits. Democracy...sweeps all this away and doesn't mind what the habits and background of its politicians are; provided they profess themselves the people's friends, they are duly honored. (Desmond Lee translation)
...an excessive desire for liberty at the expense of everything else is what undermines democracy and leads to the demand for tyranny. (Desmond Lee translation)
...all the poets from Homer downwards have no grasp of truth but merely produce a superficial likeness of any subject they treat, including human excellence. (Desmond Lee translation)
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The original Ancient Greek title was 'Πολιτεία', though most editions in the original Classical Greek have the Latin title, 'Respublica'. Neither should be combined with this translated entry (Modern Greek editions should be here, however).
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Philosophy. Politics. Nonfiction. HTML:

The Republic is Plato's most famous work and one of the seminal texts of Western philosophy and politics. The characters in this Socratic dialogue - including Socrates himself - discuss whether the just or unjust man is happier. They are the philosopher-kings of imagined cities and they also discuss the nature of philosophy and the soul among other things.

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"Nel mondo antico e poi ancora in quello moderno, "La Repubblica" non ha mai mancato di svolgere il suo compito principale: quello di invitare a pensare sul destino della vita individuale e sociale degli uomini. Un destino, secondo Platone, non prescritto e immutabile, ma da immaginare, argomentare, costruire." 
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Yale University Press

2 editions of this book were published by Yale University Press.

Editions: 0300114516, 0300136374

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