Plato
427-347 BC
Updated, 10/3/07
The Republic is one of Plato’s longer works (more than 450 pages in length).
It is written in dialogue form (as are most of Plato’s books), & it addresses major issues in almost all of the branches of philosophy.
The central theme in the book seems to be the nature of justice, a topic in political philosophy, but Plato also has his characters explore issues in
philosophical cosmology, philosophical theology, philosophical anthropology,
ethics, aesthetics, and epistemology.
The parts of the Republic that are contained in our text
(pp. 107-123) focus on Plato’s idea (ideal?) of the Philosopher Ruler.
According to Plato,
the
best possible political system (state) will be ruled (governed) by PHILOSOPHERS!
(Is he kidding?)
Our reading selection contains the following themes/sections:
Introduction on the unifying of philosophy & politics (107) Why "true philosophers" would make the best rulers (108-12)
• What is "true philosophy"? (108-11)
• Love of wisdom (108) • Knowledge of true reality (108-9) • The distinctions between knowledge, ignorance and opinion (109-11)
• How is a "true philosopher" different from a "lover of opinion"? (111-12) • Who is best suited to rule the state – lovers of opinion or "true philosophers"? (112)
Political leadership and knowledge of the Good (112-13) The ascent of the mind to knowledge of the Good (113-123)
• The analogy between the Good and the sun (113-15) • The image of the divided line (115-18) • The allegory of the cave (118-123)
The selection in the text begins at a point in the Republic after Socrates, Glaucon, & other characters have been discussing the nature of justice and the marks of a just political system for some time. So we are coming into the middle of the conversation where Glaucon is pressing Socrates to state whether it is possible for a really just political system to come into existence. Before answering
Updated, 10/3/07
The Republic is one of Plato’s longer works (more than 450 pages in length).
It is written in dialogue form (as are most of Plato’s books), & it addresses major issues in almost all of the branches of philosophy.
The central theme in the book seems to be the nature of justice, a topic in political philosophy, but Plato also has his characters explore issues in
philosophical cosmology, philosophical theology, philosophical anthropology,
ethics, aesthetics, and epistemology.
The parts of the Republic that are contained in our text
(pp. 107-123) focus on Plato’s idea (ideal?) of the Philosopher Ruler.
According to Plato,
the
best possible political system (state) will be ruled (governed) by PHILOSOPHERS!
(Is he kidding?)
Our reading selection contains the following themes/sections:
Introduction on the unifying of philosophy & politics (107) Why "true philosophers" would make the best rulers (108-12)
• What is "true philosophy"? (108-11)
• Love of wisdom (108) • Knowledge of true reality (108-9) • The distinctions between knowledge, ignorance and opinion (109-11)
• How is a "true philosopher" different from a "lover of opinion"? (111-12) • Who is best suited to rule the state – lovers of opinion or "true philosophers"? (112)
Political leadership and knowledge of the Good (112-13) The ascent of the mind to knowledge of the Good (113-123)
• The analogy between the Good and the sun (113-15) • The image of the divided line (115-18) • The allegory of the cave (118-123)
The selection in the text begins at a point in the Republic after Socrates, Glaucon, & other characters have been discussing the nature of justice and the marks of a just political system for some time. So we are coming into the middle of the conversation where Glaucon is pressing Socrates to state whether it is possible for a really just political system to come into existence. Before answering