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Republic
Republic | Plato Plato
The Republic (Greek: Politeia) is a Socratic dialogue, written by Plato around 380 BC, concerning the definition of (justice), the order and character of the just city-state and the just man, reason by which ancient readers used the name On Justice as an alternative title (not to be confused with the spurious dialogue also titled On Justice). The dramatic date of the dialogue has been much debated and though it must take place some time during the Peloponnesian War, "there would be jarring anachronisms if any of the candidate specific dates between 432 and 404 were assigned". It is Plato's best-known work and has proven to be one of the most intellectually and historically influential works of philosophy and political theory. In it, Socrates along with various Athenians and foreigners discuss the meaning of justice and examine whether or not the just man is happier than the unjust man by considering a series of different cities coming into existence "in speech", culminating in a city (Kallipolis) ruled by philosopher-kings; and by examining the nature of existing regimes. The participants also discuss the theory of forms, the immortality of the soul, and the roles of the philosopher and of poetry in society. Short Summary (Epilogue): X.1X.8. 595a608b. Rejection of Mimetic Art X.9X.11. 608c612a. Immortality of the Soul X.12. 612a613e. Rewards of Justice in Life X.13X.16. 613e621d. Judgment of the Dead The paradigm of the city the idea of the Good, the Agathon has manifold historical embodiments, undertaken by those who have seen the Agathon, and are ordered via the vision. The centre piece of the Republic, Part II, nos. 23, discusses the rule of the philosopher, and the vision of the Agathon with the allegory of the cave, which is clarified in the theory of forms. The centre piece is preceded and followed by the discussion of the means that will secure a well-ordered polis (City). Part II, no. 1, concerns marriage, the community of people and goods for the Guardians, and the restraints on warfare among the Hellenes. It describes a partially communistic polis. Part II, no. 4, deals with the philosophical education of the rulers who will preserve the order and character of the city-state. In Part II, the Embodiment of the Idea, is preceded by the establishment of the economic and social orders of a polis (Part I), followed by an analysis (Part III) of the decline the order must traverse. The three parts compose the main body of the dialogues, with their discussions of the paradigm, its embodiment, its genesis, and its decline. The Introduction and the Conclusion are the frame for the body of the Republic. The discussion of right order is occasioned by the questions: Is Justice better than Injustice? and Will an Unjust man fare better than a Just man? The introductory question is balanced by the concluding answer: Justice is preferable to Injustice. In turn, the foregoing are framed with the Prologue (Book I) and the Epilogue (Book X). The prologue is a short dialogue about the common public doxai (opinions) about Justice. Based upon faith, and not reason, the Epilogue describes the new arts and the immortality of the soul. About Author: Plato (Greek: Platon, " 428/427 or 424/423 BC 348/347 BC) was a philosopher in Classical Greece. He was also a mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his most-famous student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the foundations of Western philosophy and science. Alfred North Whitehead once noted: "the safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato." Plato's sophistication as a writer is evident in his Socratic dialogues; thirty-six dialogues and thirteen letters have been ascribed to him, although 1518 of them have been contested. Plato's writings have been published in several fashions; this has led to several conventions regarding the naming and referencing of Plato's texts. Plato's dialogues have been used to teach a range of subjects, including philosophy, logic, ethics, rhetoric, religion and mathematics. Plato is one of the most important founding figures in Western philosophy. His writings related to the Theory of Forms, or Platonic ideals, are basis for Platonism. Early life The exact time and place of Plato's birth are not known, but it is certain that he belonged to an aristocratic and influential family. Based on ancient sources, most modern scholars believe that he was born in Athens or Aegina between 429 and 423 BC. His father was Ariston. According to a disputed tradition, reported by Diogenes Laertius, Ariston traced his descent from the king of Athens, Codrus, and the king of Messenia, Melanthus. Plato's mother was Perictione, whose family boasted of a relationship with the famous Athenian lawmaker and lyric poet Solon. Perictione was sister of Charmides and niece of Critias, both prominent figures of the Thirty Tyrants, the brief oligarchic regime, which followed on the collapse of Athens at the end of the Peloponnesian War (404403 BC). Besides Plato himself, Ariston and Perictione had three other children; these were two sons, Adeimantus and Glaucon, and a daughter Potone, the mother of Speusippus (the nephew and successor of Plato as head of his philosophical Academy). According to the Republic, Adeimantus and Glaucon were older than Plato. Nevertheless, in his Memorabilia, Xenophon presents Glaucon as younger than Plato.
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AnishaInkspill
Republic | Plato
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Pickpick

Fascinating and enjoyable are not how I would have described reading this. I‘ve had this on my tbr since 2016, I‘ve always imagined this to be a difficult read, but instead it was the complete opposite, and what a read!!! I didn‘t grasp everything but I was okay with this as I intend to read this several more times more whilst trying to get more familiar with global ancient history.

#2024reads #nonfiction #philosophy

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AnishaInkspill
Republic | Plato
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I'm almost half way through. There are no ghosts or witches in this one, but the thought of reading it has always been a scary thought. 🎃🎃

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AnishaInkspill
Republic | Plato

This has been on my tbr for ages, and finally reading it. Not exactly Halloween read but the thought of wanting to read it was scary enough. 😃

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5feet.of.fury
The Republic | By Plato
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Bailedbailed

#jumpstart2023 book 4

After much deliberation, I am bailing on this.
I am having difficulty with the format (it‘s conversations between philosophers) and I do not find myself pondering the musings on justice and societal structure.
I will 3000% be keeping it on my shelf so that I appear to be a smart person.

shortsarahrose Legit choice. I had to read parts of this my freshman year of college (all freshman at my college do - it‘s tradition). Only part I remember and probably only part I understood was the allegory of the cave 😆 (edited) 2y
5feet.of.fury @shortsarahrose it seemed endless. Pages and pages spent on minute details and semantics. I didn‘t get to the cave 😂 2y
shortsarahrose No reason to read the cave part. I‘m sure a summary online would work just as well (or better! Get the content without the nonsense) if you are at all interested. Or not! Life‘s too short. 2y
Clwojick As a true believer of DNFing, way to go! Time to move onto something better suited for you at this moment! 💛 2y
45 likes4 comments
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Gina
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My reading buddy♡

SamAnne What a cutie. 4y
Gina @SamAnne Fez say thank you! 4y
16 likes2 comments
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Gina
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Ummmmm... errrrr... I'm not so sure bout that...

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Gina
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Spending my day off in my favorite spot!

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Gina
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I bought this book cover for my kids a few years back. They no longer use it so I figured I would♡

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Gina
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Gina
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My son's philosophy class is reading this. So I decided to read it too so we can have a 2 person book club. ♡♡♡

Sace It does my soul good to see Philosophy is still taught somewhere. Not that I know anything about Philosophy...I just think it's important. Maybe if I had had it I would be a better thinker. 4y
Gina @Sace me too. I use to love reading to my kids when they were little, this is the next best thing 4y
16 likes2 comments
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TuesdayReviews
The Republic of Plato | Plato, Allan David Bloom
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Our AirBNB came stocked with some quality heavy reading material.

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HannaPolkadots
The Republic | By Plato
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First #tbrpile in 2019! These are the books I hope to read in January. Decided to reread Anne of Green Gables throughout 2019, and I so look forward to falling in love with Avonlea again 😍

Lcsmcat I ❤️ Pers Petterson! (edited) 6y
HannaPolkadots Me too!😍 Got his newest, Men in my Situation for Christmas from my best friend. I gave her the same. Funny thing? Not the first time that has happened 🙈😉 6y
30 likes1 stack add2 comments
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HannaPolkadots
The Republic | By Plato
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New day, new book, new coffee 😍

BookInMyHands Love the teacup! 6y
rockpools 😍 6y
32 likes2 comments
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Tamra
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Important thought for the day.

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Tamra
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Up next. Not nearly as salaciously fun as Oedipus. 😐

tina_b.ooks Not easy, but interesting 🤓 6y
GingerAntics When I read The Republic for school it was not nearly that thick. It was quite thin compared to all of those. lol 6y
Tamra @GingerAntics these have essays and notes included. 👍🏾 (edited) 6y
Tamra @tina_b.ooks in a hypothetical way yes! 😹 6y
GingerAntics Oh okay. Mine had minimal footnotes. 6y
67 likes5 comments
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pappuraj
Republic | Plato
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philosophy time

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LRSmith
Republic | Plato Plato
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More of the “books” that cover the exterior.

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MicrobeMom
The Republic | Plato, Sir Henry Desmond Pritchard Lee
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#agameoffavorites @WhiskeyMistress @ErinSueG

I chose Sci-do and my favorite Sci-do author is Pierce Brown. One of his biggest influence for his Red Rising Series was Plato‘s Republic. Not sure it is his fav book but I thought it was interest how this work does really appear In this series. I love this series and can‘t choose a fav!

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starwolf
The Republic | By Plato
Pickpick

Truly a wise dude.

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jpmcwisemorgan
Republic | Plato
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Accurate, I think. I think the order is correct #desire and emotion seem to be the driving force behind a lot of behavior. We could probably do better using knowledge more. #Quotsy #LitsyQuoteChallenge #QuotsyDec17

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taning
The Republic | By Plato
Pickpick

Classic

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Andrew65
The Republic | By Plato
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Tamra 👌🏾 7y
AmandaL 👍 7y
47 likes3 comments
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GoneFishing
The Republic | Plato, Sir Henry Desmond Pritchard Lee

The best is to do injustice without paying the penalty; the worst is to suffer it without being able to take revenge. Justice is a mean between these two extremes. People value it not because it is a good but because they are too weak to do injustice with impunity.

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GoneFishing
The Republic | Plato, Sir Henry Desmond Pritchard Lee

Those who reproach injustice do so because they are afraid not of doing it but of suffering it.

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GoneFishing
The Republic | Plato, Sir Henry Desmond Pritchard Lee

For certainly old age has a great sense of calm and freedom; when the passions relax their hold, then, as Sophocles says, we are freed from the grasp not of one mad master only, but of many. The truth is, Socrates, that these regrets, and also the complaints about relations, are to be attributed to the same cause, which is not old age, but men's characters and tempers; for he who is of a calm and happy nature will hardly feel the pressure of age..

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GoneFishing
The Republic | Plato, Sir Henry Desmond Pritchard Lee

I see that you are indifferent about money, which is a characteristic rather of those who have inherited their fortunes than of those who have acquired them; the makers of fortunes have a second love of money as a creation of their own, resembling the affection of authors for their own poems, or of parents for their children, besides that natural love of it for the sake of use and profit which is common to them and all men.

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GoneFishing
The Republic | Plato, Sir Henry Desmond Pritchard Lee

He who is of a calm and happy nature will hardly feel the pressure of age. But to him who is of an opposite disposition, youth and age are equally a burden.

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GoneFishing
The Republic | Plato, Sir Henry Desmond Pritchard Lee

Until philosophers rule as kings or those who are now called kings and leading men genuinely and adequately philosophise, that is, until political power and philosophy entirely coincide, while the many natures who at present pursue either one exclusively are forcibly prevented from doing so, cities will have no rest from evils,... nor, I think, will the human race." (Republic 473c-d)

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GoneFishing
The Republic | Plato, Sir Henry Desmond Pritchard Lee

Appearance tyrannizes over truth.

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GoneFishing
The Republic | Plato, Sir Henry Desmond Pritchard Lee

Do you mean that the tyrant will dare to use violence against the people who fathered him, and raise his hand against them if they oppose him? So the tyrant is a parricide, and little comfort to his old parent.

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GoneFishing
The Republic | Plato, Sir Henry Desmond Pritchard Lee

Money-makers are tiresome company, as they have no standard but cash value.

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GoneFishing
The Republic | Plato, Sir Henry Desmond Pritchard Lee

That's what education should be," I said, "the art of orientation. Educators should devise the simplest and most effective methods of turning minds around. It shouldn't be the art of implanting sight in the organ, but should proceed on the understanding that the organ already has the capacity, but is improperly aligned and isn't facing the right way.

Sace But data! 😑 7y
24 likes1 stack add1 comment
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GoneFishing
The Republic | By Plato

In practice people who study philosophy too long become very odd birds, not to say thoroughly vicious; while even those who are the best of them are reduced by...[philosophy] to complete uselessness as members of society.

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GoneFishing
The Republic | Plato, Sir Henry Desmond Pritchard Lee

The society we have described can never grow into a reality or see the light of day, and there will be no end to the troubles of states, or indeed, my dear Glaucon, of humanity itself, till philosophers become rulers in this world, or till those we now call kings and rulers really and truly become philosophers, and political power and philosophy thus come into the same hands.

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GoneFishing
The Republic | By Plato

The soul takes nothing with her to the next world but her education and her culture. At the beginning of the journey to the next world, one's education and culture can either provide the greatest assistance, or else act as the greatest burden, to the person who has just died.

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GoneFishing
The Republic | By Plato

The object of education is to teach us to love what is beautiful.

Sace Somebody tell admin that. (Sorry, extra cynical today.) 7y
28 likes1 comment
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GoneFishing
The Republic | Plato, Sir Henry Desmond Pritchard Lee

If women are expected to do the same work as men, we must teach them the same things.

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GoneFishing
The Republic | Plato, Sir Henry Desmond Pritchard Lee

The heaviest penalty for declining to rule is to be ruled by someone inferior to yourself.

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Gina
Republic | Plato Plato
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The timeless wisdom of Plato still echos today.

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Hsbaksbav
Republic | Plato
Panpan

I did not read it and I think it is terrible since it ancient don't read you don't have to wonder why come and dream no yes anyway AMERICA

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The.Intentional.Reader
Republic | Plato
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Really need this for the house

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Ande
Republic | Plato
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Pickpick

The less keen the would-be rulers of a community are to lead, the better and less divided the administration of that community is bound to be, but where the rulers feel the opposite, the administration is bound to be the opposite.

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kgriffith
The Republic | Plato, Sir Henry Desmond Pritchard Lee
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Y'all, I think there are reasons I've not read the classics. 🤔Tomorrow's class ought to be interesting... #schooldaze #backtoschool

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azulaco
Republic | Plato
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"Probably the youth will say to himself in the words of Pindar -- 'Can I by justice or by crooked ways of deceit ascend a loftier tower which may be a fortress to me all my days?'"

Well, THAT'S a question for the modern era, isn't it? 2500 years later and people are still struggling with this... Or not struggling, unfortunately. ☹️️

JoeStalksBeck One of my all time favs! 8y
12 likes1 comment
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azulaco
Republic | Plato
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I am re-reading this for the first time in 29 years for a classics book club. Didn't love this in college. I'm understanding it better this time around, but my gut reaction partway through Book 1 is still OMG SHUT UP ALREADY SOCRATES. I am ashamed to be so shallow yet relieved to admit it. 😕

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Anna_k8t
Republic | Plato
Mehso-so

2 likes1 stack add
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LectricSheep
Republic | Plato
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I mean to. I really do. I know it's been years since I bought this book. (Even Plato himself looks like he's sick of my 🐄💩) But you know what? It's not as portable as the title implies. #aclassicihaventread #seasonsreadings2016 @RealLifeReading

MrBook 😎👌🏻🙌🏻 8y
BookishMarginalia 😂😂😂 -- indeed it isn't! That's such a misnomer! 😜 8y
JoeStalksBeck Yes!! 8y
See All 7 Comments
LauraBeth 😂😂😂 8y
ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled They should call it The Potable Plato and sell it with booze. I think Im onto something here . . . 🤔 8y
APLitlife On my shelf to be read, also 8y
LectricSheep @ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled.com That would certainly help me get through it! Even better if the center was cut out to make a hidden flask drawer. 8y
58 likes2 stack adds7 comments