The Republic – On Justice (Annotated), by Plato

A timeless exploration of justice, society, and the soul.

 

Why This Book Matters

Rediscover the roots of Western philosophy.

• Plato’s most influential dialogue, shaping political thought for centuries.
• Central theme: What is justice? How does it define individuals and societies?
• Engages with critical questions of morality, governance, and education.

What Makes This Edition Special

• Annotated for modern readers:
  • Contextual introductions by Nicolae Sfetcu.
  • Historical insights and modern interpretations.
• Translation by renowned classicist Benjamin Jowett.
• Ideal for students, scholars, and philosophy enthusiasts.

Key Themes Explored

• Justice and Human Nature: Is justice inherently good or just a social construct?
• Ideal State: A blueprint for a utopia, balancing freedom and order.
• Education and Governance: Role of knowledge and the philosopher-king.
• Allegories and Symbolism: The Cave, the divided line, and the Sun.

Why Read Plato Today?

• Relevance to modern dilemmas:
  • Ethics in leadership and governance.
  • Individual versus collective good.
  • Philosophy as a tool for better decision-making.
• Inspires deeper thought about society’s values and personal responsibility.

Testimonials & Legacy

• Described as “the most studied book in top universities worldwide.”
• Martin Luther King Jr.: “The Republic would be my only choice alongside the Bible on a desert island.”
• Alfred North Whitehead: “Western philosophy is a series of footnotes to Plato.”

Audience Appeal

• Who should read this book?
  • Philosophy and literature enthusiasts.
  • Students and educators seeking a comprehensive resource.
  • Anyone passionate about the origins of Western thought.

 

Step into Plato’s mind. Experience a journey into the roots of justice, governance, and human values.

Let ‘The Republic’ challenge and inspire you today

 

Πολιτεία, published on 375 BC, by Plato (428/427 or 424/423 BC – 348/347 BC)
Translation by Benjamin Jowett (1817 – 1893), Published by The Colonial Press in 1901
Special Introduction by William Cranston Lawton (1853 – 1941)
Introduction by Nicolae Sfetcu
Cover: Plato in his academy (cropped), 1879 – Unknown xylographer, After Carl Wahlbom (1810–1858)

The Republic of Plato is considered an integral part of the utopian literary genre. The book is divided into 10 books: the first deals with the subject of justice; in the next two books Plato expounds his theory of the “ideal state”; the fourth and fifth books deal with the relationship between things and ideas, between the sensitive and supersensitive world (hyperuranion); books six and seven describe the theory of knowledge; the eighth and ninth books talk about the state and the family; and the last book examines the idea of the immortality of the soul with the Myth of Er.
The central theme of the book is justice, argued with the help of several Platonic theories, including the allegorical myth of the cave, the doctrine of ideas, dialectics, the theory of the soul and the project of an ideal city. A book of moral philosophy, in which the real questions are how to live best, and what is the best order or organization of human society.
The Republic is considered by many academics to be the greatest philosophical text ever written, being the most studied book in top universities.

CONTENTS:

Introduction
– Plato
– – Biography
– – Travels
– – Socrates
– – Academy
– – Plato’s work
– – – Classifications of works
– – – – Chronological
– – – – Tetralogy
– – – – Trilogies
– – – – Lexical grouping
– Plato’s philosophy
– – Soul
– – The function of the myth
– – Ideas – Theory of Forms
– – Ontology
– – Epistemology
– – Ethics
– – Politics
– – The philosophical state
– – Art
– – Unwritten doctrines: One and the Dyad
– The Republic
– – Characters
– – Summary
– – Topics
– – – Justice and righteousness (Book I)
– – – The Ideal State (Books II-III)
– – – The city-soul analogy. Harmony of the parties (Books IV-V)
– – – Form Theory (Metaphor of the Line and the Myth of the Cave, Books VI-VII)
– – – Family and State (Books VIII-IX)
– – – Myth of Er (Book X)
– Dialectics
– Education
– Philosopher-king
– Bibliography
Special introduction
Book I. Of wealth, justice, moderation, and their opposites
Book II. The individual, the state, and education
Book III. The arts in education
Book IV. Wealth, poverty, and virtue
Book V. On matrimony and philosophy
Book VI. The philosophy of government
Book VII. On shadows and realities in education
Book VIII. Four forms of government
Book IX. On wrong or right government, and the pleasures of each
Book X. The recompense of life

MultiMedia Publishing https://www.telework.ro/en/e-books/the-republic-on-justice-annotated-by-plato/ https://www.cartilibrarie.com/carte/the-republic-on-justice-annotated/
– Digital: EPUB (ISBN 978-606-033-652-5), Kindle (ISBN 978-606-033-653-2), PDF (ISBN 978-606-033-654-9)
Tipărit: Format B5 176 x 250 x 14 mm, 501 g, 266 pagini. ISBN 978-606-033-878-9
DOI: 10.58679/MM91136

Publishing date: 17.02.2022

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