The Republic by Plato: Philosophical Masterpiece | Ancient Greek Philosophy | Ideal State | Political Theory | Socratic Dialogues | Virtue & Justice | Ethical Inquiry | Enlightenment Classic | Timeless Philosophical Work | Essential Reading for Thinkers

Timeless philosophical masterpiece with profound insights into justice, governance, and the ideal state.

In case you're wondering, this Collins Classic edition has the Benjamin Jowett translation - not mentioned anywhere in the book. Haven't compared it to other translations but seemed pretty good to me. Decent paperback - handy size , comfortable to read, nice paper and print for about 200 bucks. p.s. Amazon seriously needs to rediscover bubble wrap to prevent books getting damaged in transit.

Good book. Must read it.

Value for money, great piece of knowledge and very insightful. Price is very goof and you will not regret buying

Delivery and packaging is good. Overall experience is good.

Books great! But the physical book itself is damaged and kind of in rough shape,which is not so pleasing.A better quality was expected,though the book itself from inside is great,easy to understand,even for age 14

"𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙛𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙜𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙡𝙨." Easily one of the greatest books ever written, The Republic serves as a stepping stone into the world of Greek philosophy—or philosophy in general. It is fascinating to consider that we are fortunate enough to read a work that offers a window into one of the most brilliant intellects in history. Despite the profound depth of his thought, Plato presents this work in a remarkably clear and accessible manner. While he undoubtedly intended for it to reach a wide audience, it is almost unimaginable (even for Plato himself) that his ideas would remain so influential over two millennia later. The beauty of this book lies in the way it elegantly explores a wide range of themes. Within the pages of this ancient masterpiece, readers encounter discussions on morality, ethics, justice, metaphysics, epistemology, politics, psychology, and more. Naturally, the book contains ideas that are somewhat repugnant or even unsettling, such as the sharing of wives and children among the guardians, the repudiation of natural gender differences, and prescribed breeding periods—responses to which may vary depending on the reader. However, it is crucial to recognize that Plato is not necessarily offering practical political advice here... The dialogue begins with Socrates and his interlocutors examining morality and immorality (or justice and injustice, depending on the translation). When Socrates faces the challenge of demonstrating that morality is desirable in itself—not merely as a disguise—the conversation digresses into the creation of an ideal community, serving as an analogy. In short, much of the work makes more sense when interpreted through the lens of psychological analogy. Plato introduces numerous groundbreaking ideas that engage and stimulate the mind... First is the concept of tripartite psychology, where he proposes that human mind consists of three parts: the rational, the passionate, and the desirous. It is fascinating to observe how he constructs a community to illustrate this division and discusses its political structure, which mirrors our 'Inner politics' . Therefore, the political theories in the book are best understood as analogies for the inner workings of the soul rather than as literal prescriptions. The metaphysical sections of the book include the infamous Cave Allegory, derived from Plato’s theory of Forms. While his metaphysical ideas are not easy to grasp, they reward careful contemplation, becoming more complex—and intriguing—the deeper one engages with them. Plato also introduces and explores the concept of "Goodness" , candidly admitting through Socrates that he does not claim to fully understand it. Finally, the work presents Plato’s innovative political ideas, including the assertion that philosophers must be kings, and that the ideal ruler is the man who is least interested in ruling , thus he needs to be persuaded to do so. Plato’s contempt for democracy is evident, shaped by the Athenian system that condemned his beloved teacher to death. However, his criticisms of democracy are mind blowingly prophetic. His methods for raising guardians were particularly thought-provoking for me. Contemporary democracies rarely consider such rigorous preparation, yet Plato advocates for a ruling class of men trained through decades of strenuous study and testing. Rulership is the most important profession in a society and should unapologetically demand the highest levels of competence, discipline, and moral integrity from those who hold it. I must conclude with my usual critique of subpar below-average publishers like “Fingerprint Classics.” Their edition is essentially a direct copy of Benjamin Jowett’s translation from the late 1800s . Without contextual notes and guidance, average readers can easily miss much of the book’s richness. For works of such significance, choosing a reputable publisher is very very essential. I strongly recommend Oxford World’s Classics, whose edition by Robin Waterfield, a leading Platonist of this century, dramatically enhances comprehension and appreciation. I own copies from both publishers, and the difference in quality is truly eye‑opening. Cheers.

Amazing..

古くて新しい共和国。一読の要あると思うが、かなりの基礎教養ないとわけ分からん。ごめんなさい。

There’s a reason the Socratic method is used for teaching in American law schools. It fosters rational analysis. Of course, it doesn’t always take. Lol

The Republic is one of the most influential books of human history. It forms not just the basis of individual rights and responsibilities, but also, through its method of examination, sets out the structure of contemporary governance of states. The premise of the Republic is an examination of whether it is better to be just or unjust, which at the time, and even now, is not a given. Plato uses the state as a vehicle to examine the advantage of one over the other. Many different human constructions have claimed the legitimacy of their cause through their interpretation of the Republic. Hitler and the Nazi's used the examination of the virtuous state to justify their view, whilst most modern leaders also refer to its supporting theirs. It is therefore a devilishly difficult book to truly understand because of the sheer breadth of topics and issues that Plato introduces over the course of the dialogue. Readers must make sense not only of those issues in their own right but they must also understand them in relation to the larger themes and arguments of the work. For me the true value of the Republic is found in Books Five and Eight. In Five we see an analogous treatment of character or what Plato calls the soul. According to Plato the soul has three functions that correspond to the three parts of the soul: to rule oneself, to defend oneself, and to provide for one's bodily needs. Two virtues -- wisdom and courage -- follow directly from the functions of ruling and defending oneself. The other two virtues -- temperance and justice -- are holistic and enable the soul to perform all of its functions well. Plato uses the different functions that we would find in a city or state to demonstrate his point. What appealed to the Nazi's was Plato's focus on what we now call eugenics to make his point. He correctly states that each of us have a particular function, and service to the state. He states that only a very few have the capacity to rule a city or state, but not by birth, but rather through education and self-control. He therefore makes it clear that being born in a particular segment of society does not make a person just or virtuous, but rather their ability to rule themselves (porten sui). In Book Eight Plato examines the natures of different forms of government, and the nature of people that make up those governments (states). His examination of democracy is cutting, with thoughts such as "he grandly does democracy trample all the fine notions of virtue... and promoting to honour any one who professes to be the people's friend (think Trump, populism). Further, "These and other characteristics are proper to democracy, which is a charming form of government, full of variety and disorder, and dispensing a sort of equality to equals and unequals alike." And then he outlines what the individual in a democracy looks like "If any one says to him that some pleasures are the satisfactions of good and noble desires, and others of evil desires, and that he ought to use and honour some and chastise and master the others, whenever this is repeated to him he shakes his head and says that they are all alike, and that one is as good as another." This is what we now term equality, not understanding that things are not equal, but rather that some things are good and some are bad, saying that all things are equal and must be respected. "And above all, see how sensitive the citizens become, they chafe impatiently at the least touch of authority, and at length they cease to care even for the laws, written or unwritten, they will have no one over them". "And so tyranny naturally arises out of democracy, and the most aggravated form of tyranny and slavery out of the most extreme form of liberty." It is uncanny how Plato knew, in 325bc, what our democracies would look like, and what type of leader would arise. What is really frightening though is that he identifies that the next stage after democracy is tyranny. It is a very difficult book to fully understand, or in some cases to agree with, and I don't claim that I do, but there is much for us to learn from the attempt.

The Republic by Plato is a foundational work in Western philosophy that explores the nature of justice, the ideal society, and the philosopher's role within it. Plato envisions an ideal city-state governed by philosopher-kings, where people are divided into three classes: rulers, warriors, and producers. Each class has a specific role, and justice is achieved when each performs its function without interference. The work also introduces the allegory of the cave, which illustrates the difference between the world of appearances and the world of true knowledge.

Great purchase well made and pages of good quality