The Republic

Original title: Πολιτεία

Plato (-428--348), trans. Benjamin Jowett

Translation en 118284 words First published 375 BC Greece

Plato's Republic, the founding dialogue of Western philosophy and political thought, in Benjamin Jowett's classic translation. Socrates asks what justice is — and to find it, builds a city in words, ruled by philosopher-kings, educated on a carefully designed curriculum, with its famous images: the Ring of Gyges, the Myth of the Cave, the Divided Line. Along the way it argues that the just life is happier than the unjust, whatever the world says. Everything in Western philosophy since, Whitehead said, is a footnote to this book.

Text sourced from Project Gutenberg (public domain in the United States); the Project Gutenberg trademark and license text have been removed on import. Public-domain status determined by the author's death year + 50 years rule.

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