The Republic (Penguin Classics)

Desmond Lee's translation is no doubt very learned yet easy and convenient to read. His endnotes and annotations are on the whole exceedingly helpful. Still, an alternative edition, of the same quality standard but with a slightly different character, would be welcome, so that it could be read side by side with Lee's edition. Re the translation, one wonders whether Lee, in a bid to accommodate the modern reader, goes too far in rendering Plato's terms in a variety of modern terms. For some of the key concepts, Lee provides the original in endnotes, which is helpful but involves a lot of going back and forth (footnotes might have been preferable). For many concepts, he does not. This is not a call for having the original next to the translation, but for a more literal translation. Re Lee's annotations and appendices, they are helpful analytically but not as much philosophically. I would have loved to have brief philosophical essays on the key similes or concepts in the appendix. The list of secondary readings, which is almost entirely by so-called "analytical" philosophers, hence extremely one-sided and curtailed, gives it away: this edition is produced in an "analytical" tradition. The alternative edition I'd hope for would be furbished by philosophers. One finds them in German or French, of course, but I'd like to see that in English, too.

This read was enormously imperative for a student of philosophy. Learning importances of formations of different governments and how childhoods attribute towards such formations, relativity of the soul, and it's influences and immortality, the definition of the Forms, the illusions of life as depicted by Plato, and the importance of dialogue in philosophy such as dialects and many more. Congratulations to the initiator of this read as you will come out on the other end a far greater knower of the importance of knowledge and it's levels of ranking.

The forward was really easy to read. It gave a lot of context. I also really appreciated the recommendations of what books to read after this one. However when this book was shipped by Amazon the corner of it was a bit folded. I didn't bother returning it because it already arrived and I don't like wasting my time returning products. However if you care about damages I would buy this book in person at a bookstore to save time.

Was a gift for a friend, he seemed to like it

To those unfamiliar, The Republic is written in the form of a "Socratic dialogue", which is a long, continuous conversation between Socrates and his pupils. Sort of like an ancient podcast. That being said, this is not a very easy read, and you should probably read one of Plato's other works first before diving in. In particular, I recommend reading The Apology first, which mirrors the tone of this book. In The Apology, the superior wisdom and moral clarity of Socrates ultimately leads to his downfall at the hands of the Athenian state. In contrast, The Republic has a more optimistic vision; Socrates constructs a utopian state grounded by virtue and ruled by philosophers. I thought the translator did a fantastic job of preserving Socrates's playful style without compromising on the fundamental ideas. The summary/context at the beginning of each section was helpful, too. Even without today's advanced technology, Plato was able to pinpoint some of life's most valuable epistemological truths. This is why I love classical philosophy. The Republic is a life raft that guides us toward a kind of dialectic knowledge that is often overlooked in our chaotic, unfocused world.

The Republic, by Plato, is a very thoughtful and explorative writing about the perfect state, the role of justice in it, and how it could be materialized. Plato explores how a state should function, in terms of justice, and he discusses what justice is, how it governs human actions, and why it is so important. The society, according to him, has 3 classes, workers, warriors, and rulers, who must all coexist and work together. They are governed by appetite, spirit(honor), and thought, respectively. Someone who is governed by one thing, say appetite, but holds a position that should be governed by another idea(say ruler), becomes a bad thing for society, in this case a tyrant. Who should hold each postitions, how they should be trained, and what types of things should be allowed in the society, and in their lives are all discussed by Plato, but he does come to the conclusion, that although money can satisfy the appetite, it cannot satisfy the mind, and thought and understanding brings true happiness, and justice brings true good. Education should ensure that good rules the minds of society, for great knowlege combined with evil intentions causes trouble. The world inself has a visible and mental form, and Thinkers and Philosophers are those who access most the mental world. Justice however, is inherently good, and brings the most true good to a society. Plato's analysis of the state is quite a profound and interesting one, and this book is a simple translation to read and understand and is recommendable to anyone. It is truly a must read, especially in greek literature, as Plato is one of the great thinkers of all time.

Exactly what u would get from Barnes and Noble

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Schönes buch, gut lesbar

Must read for Plato and Greek Philosophy enthusiasts. It gives a deep insight into present day politics and life as well.

Decent book, but it’s very easy to get lost & there’s many words that probably you will have to look up to understand.

What you'd expect from a Penguin paperback, in terms of quality. This edition has quite a long introduction, plus analysis and summaries before every section. Overall I found these very welcome, with the density of the material and the vast cultural difference. The text itself is fascinating. Not at all rigorous, but something that covers so much ground in such an interesting way you can't help but respect it.