The Routledge Guidebook to Platos Republic Routledge Guides to the Great Books

Plato, often cited as a founding father of Western philosophy, set out ideas in the Republic regarding the nature of justice, order, and the character of the just individual, that endure into the modern day. The Routledge Guidebook to Plato’s Republic introduces the major themes in Plato’s great book and acts as a companion for reading the work, examining: The context of Plato’s work and the background to his writing Each separate part of the text in relation to its goals, meanings and impact The reception the book received when first seen by the world The relevance of Plato’s work to modern philosophy, its legacy and influence. With further reading included throughout, this text follows Plato’s original work closely, making it essential reading for all students of philosophy, and all those wishing to get to grips with this classic work. Machine generated contents note: pt. I General introduction -- 1. Plato and the Republic -- Historical background -- The life of Plato -- Platonic dialogue -- Literary antecedents -- The Republic -- Suggestions for further reading -- pt. II The argument of the Republic -- 2. What is justice? (Book 1) -- The peculiar nature of Book 1 -- Cephalus 338b-331d) -- Polemarchus (331e-335e) -- Suggestions for further reading -- 3. What good is justice? (Books 1-2) -- Thrasymachus (336b-3544C) -- Claucon and Adeimantus -- Suggestions for further reading -- 4. Justice in the city (Books 2-4) -- The city and the soul (368b-369b) -- The first and second cities (369b-373e) -- The guardians (373e-412b) -- Class relations and the justice of a city (412b-434c) -- Suggestions for further reading -- 5. Justice in the soul (Book 4) -- Justice in the soul (434d-445e) -- Further discussion -- Suggestions for further reading. 6. Radical politics (Books 5-7) -- The digression -- Two waves of paradox (451C-471b) -- Philosopher-rulers (471C-502C) -- Philosophers in the good city (502c-541b) -- Suggestions for further reading -- 7. Metaphysics and epistemology (Books 5-7) -- The problem with particulars (475e-480a) -- The Form of the Good (503e-518b) -- An education in metaphysics (521c-539d) -- Review of Books 5-7 -- Suggestions for further reading -- 8. Injustice in the soul and in the city (Books 8-9) -- Degenerate forms of the city and the soul (544a-576a) -- Three comparisons between just and unjust lives (576b-587b) -- Conclusion (587c-592b) -- Suggestions for further reading -- 9. Art and immortality (Book 10) -- The argument against all poetry (595a-608b) -- More consequences of justice and injustice (6088c-621d) -- Suggestions for further reading -- pt. III General issues -- 10. Plato's ethics and politics -- What is the calculating part of the soul (reason)? -- Postscript on two philosophers -- Is the Republic's political philosophy paternalistic? -- Is Plato a theorist of totalitarian government? 11. Plato's metaphysics and epistemology -- How do the Republic's treatments of Forms compare to one another? -- What sorts of properties have Forms associated with them? -- 12. Plato's abuses and uses of poetry -- How does the early censorship of poetry in Books 2 and 3 compare to the final rejection of all artistic imitation? -- How is Plato's view of art related to his view of beauty? -- How can the rejection of poetry be squared with Plato's own use of literary devices, myths, and images? -- Aristotle on Plato and poetry -- 13. The afterlife of the Republic -- Plato in later antiquity -- The Republic in later antiquity -- The Republic in modernity -- A last word -- Suggestions for further reading. Plato, often cited as a founding father of Western philosophy, set out ideas in the 'Republic' regarding the nature of justice, order, and the character of the just individual, that endure into the modern day. This title introduces the major themes in Plato's great book and acts as a companion for reading the work. This book introduces the major themes in Plato's Republic and aids the reader in understanding this key work