About the Book: The Republic
Since the mid-nineteenth century, the Republic has been Platos most famous and
widely read dialogue. It presents the thoughts of Plato in the form of a
conversation, between Socrates, Plato, and three different interlocutors. The
conversation is themed to be an exploration into the notion of a perfect
community, and the ideal individual within it. In their discussion, many
intriguing questions about the nature of goodness, reality, and knowledge are
raised. The interlocutors extensively debate the answers to these among
themselves. This historical debate forms the cornerstone of western philosophy.
Plato starts off with defining a justice that appeals to human psychology,
rather