The Republic

Plato

Summary

"The Republic" by Plato is a Socratic dialogue written around 375 BC. Through conversations between Socrates and various Athenians, the work explores the meaning of justice and whether the just person is happier than the unjust. Socrates examines existing forms of government and proposes an ideal city-state ruled by philosopher-kings. The dialogue ranges across profound questions: the nature of the soul, the role of poetry, love, aging, and the purpose of political power itself. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Subjects

• Classical literature
• Justice — Early works to 1800
• Political science — Early works to 1800
• Utopias — Early works to 1800

Bookshelves

• Classics of Literature
• Philosophy & Ethics
• Philosophy

Translators