The Republic of Plato

Faithful translation. Outstanding notes. But Shorey? Jowett? Others? They may be more readily available, cheaper (free?), but they are NOT better, or even as good. I am the kind of person who wants a consistent translation of all words. If a word can be translated in two different ways based on the context, then say so in a foot or end note. OK, so you may not like the Strauss school (I believe Bloom studied with Leo Strauss), big deal. But if you want a hard bound copy of the Republic to put on your living room book shelf, then this will do fine. It will impress people who have never read Plato ... and probably wouldn't understand him if they did.

Great seller!! Great product, mint condition!!!

Very readable translation of The Republic. I had borrowed a copy from a colleague several years ago, and kept it for years. Finally decided to get my own copy.

Whew, that was an intense read! I gave five stars because after careful consideration I realized that Alan Blooms interpretive essay really helped me to understand the The Republic to a different degree. The first ten books are the shoes, the interpretive essay is the shoe lace and it ties all of it up very neatly. To read something over 2,000 years old that’s been translated from Ancient Greek is a task in itself, I commend this translations interpreter he did a stellar job. This book is Heavy and not a book you can just pick up and expect to read in a weekend, its not littered with images that create a perfect picture for you to burn thru, it’s page after page after page of thought, so it slows you down, a lot. Each page forces you to think about what you’re reading, sometimes you have ZERO Idea and that’s ok, that’s where Bloom’s Interpretive Essay comes in. To pick up this book and commit to finishing it is a Challenge I highly recommend, you’ll walk away a better person with a sense of accomplishment and more thoughtful mind. I’ve read over 200 books and I think it’s safe to say that this was the most challenging book I’ve ever put my mind too, if your looking for a challenge then you’ve found it. Happy reading 📖

Needed it for class, good price. Sold it at 2nd and Charles

I have read only a few pages but I’m finding it very interesting so I’m sure it will be worth reading. It would even be a better book if the print is a bit larger.

The author’s translation philosophy and explanation of it are exceptional. With his introductory material and translator’s notes, you get a real feeling for what Plato (and Socrates) were trying to do and how they thought.

Though the book is thick, it's lightweight and smells like cookies I bought this for class and is a really good translation. There's helpful footnotes in the back. Plato is a story-telling genius, the whole book is irony and he makes a lot of good points about humans and how we can try to tell people the truth but sometimes they'll only know it when they experience it. I loved reading it

Una muy bonita edición. El ensayo de Bloom es de gran ayuda para comprender este clásico.

Das Buch sieht sehr schön aus und die Einführung ist sehr gut geschrieben! Ich bin, allerdings, wirklich kein Freund der Übersetzung! Most probably very close to original text, but it sacrifices readability and flow more than I would have preferred.

Confesso que não sou o leitor ideal de “A República”, uma vez que gosto de poesias e Platão desprezava os poetas. Mas reconheço que ler “A República” me perturba porque acho ridículo Platão precisar de Sócrates para justificar a própria existência perante um tribunal de filósofos. Mesmo para um "pagador de página" – são 300 no total – “A República" de Platão não é um livro fácil de ser digerido. Poder-se-á dizer que a mão da civilização ocidental tem cinco dedos desiguais: Moisés, Sócrates, Jesus, Shakespeare e Freud. Entre “A República” e nós se interpõem Moisés, Jesus, Shakespeare e Freud. “A República”, penso eu, é leitura tão intensa quanto desagradável, principalmente porque Platão estabelece, com toda correção, que a maioria dos cidadãos jamais amadurece e, portanto, precisa ser alimentada à base de ficções benignas, em lugar dos épicos homéricos (i.e., poesias). Mas antes que você leitor corra em direção oposta, tenha em mente que “A República" é um dos livros mais influentes já escritos! É a base de toda a filosofia ocidental, e também da literatura ocidental. Ainda não se convenceu? Bem, é também um livro que vai te desafiar. A obra não quer arruinar secretamente tua vida, mas quer mostrar que os desafios da leitura e do pensamento podem capacitá-lo, podem mudar suas percepções e até mesmo alterar seu mundo. Assim, enquanto o nome "Platão" e o título "A República" podem soar como uma receita perfeita para uma coisa chata, este livro é realmente qualquer coisa menos isso. Poder-se-ia ter como título em nossa língua a palavra “Regime”, algo que na verdade faz um pouco mais de sentido. Considerando que a cidade de Platão era uma aristocracia em que o Estado controlava praticamente todas as partes da vida do indivíduo, Sócrates estava mais interessado em simplesmente propor e examinar diferentes tipos de governos - ou regimes - para ver qual deles melhor se ajustava aos seus ideais filosóficos. Na verdade, “A República” tem algumas ideias profundamente radicais para o tempo – direitos iguais para as mulheres e nenhuma propriedade privada – algo que deixou muitos pessoas chateadas. Tão chateadas ficaram que, de fato, condenaram o protagonista do livro, o próprio Sócrates, à morte por esboçar ideias tão radicais. Não te parece tão "boring" agora, não é? Enfim, por que você não abraça o verdadeiro espírito platônico, e checa todo esse alarido, hein? Boa leitura.

I bought this copy for my daughter who has shown interest in the history of political philosophy and in grasping more than just the vocational.

Allan Bloom tries really hard to give the reader the right understanding of words and phrases which as he says some translations just chose these to make the work more readable or give it variety, There is an index to the commonly used terms which is useful. My experience is to always try other translations particularly if what you are reading does not make sense, the other translation may just shed a light. The Balboa translation is free online and excellent, but a hard copy, this is the one for me and at a good price. Everything in a perfect state.