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

Plato's best-known work, and one of the world's most influential works of philosophy and political theory, both intellectually and historically, The Republic is widely acknowledged as the cornerstone of Western philosophy.

Presented in the form of a dialogue between Socrates and his students and fellow citizens, The Republic is an inquiry into the notion of a perfect community and the ideal individuals within it. Questions are raised, such as: What is goodness? What is reality? What is knowledge? What is the philosopher's role in society?

To explore the latter, he invents a story where ordinary men are prisoners in a cave, observing only the shadows of things, while philosophers venture outside the cave and see things as they really are, and whose task it is to return to the cave and tell the truth about what they have seen. This metaphor demonstrates the conflict between the world of senses, the world of ideas, and the philosopher’s role to mediate between the two. He considers the natures of existing regimes and then proposes a series of hypothetical cities in comparison, culminating in Kallipolis, a utopian city-state ruled by a class of philosopher-kings.

In search of an ideal civilization, Socrates leads Glaucon, Polemarchus, Thrasymachus, and others in debates about various subjects, including justice, truth, class, and art.
  • They discuss the meaning of justice and whether the just man is happier than the unjust man.
  • He addresses the purpose of education and the role of both women and men as "guardians" of the people.
  • What is goodness? What is reality? What is knowledge? What is the purpose of education?
  • They discuss getting older, love, the immortality of the soul, and the role of the philosopher and of poetry in society.
All lovers of classical literature and philosophy, and those who want to know the true meaning of justice, virtue and happiness will find the answers in the dialogues in The Republic.
1116639897
The Republic
“The heaviest penalty for declining to rule is to be ruled by someone inferior to yourself.”

Plato's best-known work, and one of the world's most influential works of philosophy and political theory, both intellectually and historically, The Republic is widely acknowledged as the cornerstone of Western philosophy.

Presented in the form of a dialogue between Socrates and his students and fellow citizens, The Republic is an inquiry into the notion of a perfect community and the ideal individuals within it. Questions are raised, such as: What is goodness? What is reality? What is knowledge? What is the philosopher's role in society?

To explore the latter, he invents a story where ordinary men are prisoners in a cave, observing only the shadows of things, while philosophers venture outside the cave and see things as they really are, and whose task it is to return to the cave and tell the truth about what they have seen. This metaphor demonstrates the conflict between the world of senses, the world of ideas, and the philosopher’s role to mediate between the two. He considers the natures of existing regimes and then proposes a series of hypothetical cities in comparison, culminating in Kallipolis, a utopian city-state ruled by a class of philosopher-kings.

In search of an ideal civilization, Socrates leads Glaucon, Polemarchus, Thrasymachus, and others in debates about various subjects, including justice, truth, class, and art.
  • They discuss the meaning of justice and whether the just man is happier than the unjust man.
  • He addresses the purpose of education and the role of both women and men as "guardians" of the people.
  • What is goodness? What is reality? What is knowledge? What is the purpose of education?
  • They discuss getting older, love, the immortality of the soul, and the role of the philosopher and of poetry in society.
All lovers of classical literature and philosophy, and those who want to know the true meaning of justice, virtue and happiness will find the answers in the dialogues in The Republic.
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The Republic

The Republic

by Plato
The Republic

The Republic

by Plato

Paperback

$24.95 
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Overview

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

Plato's best-known work, and one of the world's most influential works of philosophy and political theory, both intellectually and historically, The Republic is widely acknowledged as the cornerstone of Western philosophy.

Presented in the form of a dialogue between Socrates and his students and fellow citizens, The Republic is an inquiry into the notion of a perfect community and the ideal individuals within it. Questions are raised, such as: What is goodness? What is reality? What is knowledge? What is the philosopher's role in society?

To explore the latter, he invents a story where ordinary men are prisoners in a cave, observing only the shadows of things, while philosophers venture outside the cave and see things as they really are, and whose task it is to return to the cave and tell the truth about what they have seen. This metaphor demonstrates the conflict between the world of senses, the world of ideas, and the philosopher’s role to mediate between the two. He considers the natures of existing regimes and then proposes a series of hypothetical cities in comparison, culminating in Kallipolis, a utopian city-state ruled by a class of philosopher-kings.

In search of an ideal civilization, Socrates leads Glaucon, Polemarchus, Thrasymachus, and others in debates about various subjects, including justice, truth, class, and art.
  • They discuss the meaning of justice and whether the just man is happier than the unjust man.
  • He addresses the purpose of education and the role of both women and men as "guardians" of the people.
  • What is goodness? What is reality? What is knowledge? What is the purpose of education?
  • They discuss getting older, love, the immortality of the soul, and the role of the philosopher and of poetry in society.
All lovers of classical literature and philosophy, and those who want to know the true meaning of justice, virtue and happiness will find the answers in the dialogues in The Republic.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781722504434
Publisher: G&D Media
Publication date: 10/14/2025
Pages: 360
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

About The Author
Plato (c. 428–347 B.C.) was an Athenian philosopher and a key figure in Ancient Greece. He's considered a foundational thinker in Western philosophy, and an innovator of the written dialogue and dialectic forms. His famous works include The Republic, which describes a society governed by a philosopher, and his dialogues, which showcase his metaphysical Theory of Forms.

Read an Excerpt

Socrates: I went down yesterday to Piraeus with Glaucon, Ariston’s son, to pray to the goddess, wanting at the same time also to see the way they were going to hold the festival, since they were now conducting it for the first time. The parade of the local residents seemed to me to be beautiful, while the one that the Thracians put on looked no less appropriate. And having prayed and having seen, we went off toward the city. Spotting us from a distance then as we headed home, Polemarchus, Cephalus’s son, ordered his slave to run and order us to wait for him. And grabbing me from behind by my cloak, the slave said “Polemarchus orders you to wait.” And I turned around and asked him where the man himself was. “He’s coming along from behind,” he said. “Just wait.” “Certainly we’ll wait” said Glaucon.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction
Part 2 Book I
Chapter 3 Study Questions
Part 4 Book II
Chapter 5 Study Questions
Part 6 Book III
Chapter 7 Study Questions
Part 8 Book IV
Chapter 9 Study Questions
Part 10 Book V
Chapter 11 Study Questions
Part 12 Book VI
Chapter 13 Study Questions
Part 14 Book VII
Chapter 15 Study Questions
Part 16 Book VIII
Chapter 17 Study Questions
Part 18 Book IX
Chapter 19 Study Questions
Part 20 Book X
Chapter 21 Study Questions
Part 22 Appendix 1:Cephalus and Polemarchus (Lysias, Against Eratosthenes)
Part 23 Appendix 2:Athenian Imperialism (Thucydides, "The Melian Dialogue")
Part 24 Appendix 3:The Ring of Gyges (Herodotus, Histories, Book I)
Part 25 Appendix 4:The Status of Women (Xenophon, Oeconomicus)
Part 26 Appendix 5:Athenian Constitutional History

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John Cooper

"Its increased accessibility promises to make it the number-one choice for undergraduate courses."
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"Loving attention to detail and deep familiarity with Plato's thought are evident on every page."
University of Toronto

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Joe Sachs's translation of Plato's Republic is for students studying philosophy at the college level, as well as for the general reader interested in the major works of western civilization.

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