PlatoRepublic (Hackett Classics)

The fact that The Republic itself is an invaluable classic work in Philosophy needs no argument. But it is available in many translations, and it's not always easy to know which one is the best one to buy, or even if it really matters. My opinion is that it does matter, and not just because certain interpretations of the text hinge on the translation of specific greek terms - general readability is also key.This work is based on the original Grube translation, widely accepted by scholars as the best interpretation to read, and has been revised by Reeve into fantastically clear, easy to read english, whether a scholar or just a casual reader. Plato's thought is crucially preserved. There is also an excellent introduction, and a concise and clear summary of each chapter at the beginning of each.Highly recommended - this is worth paying double the very reasonable price.

The text is very clear, I love how floppy the book is, and it came in good condition and was delivered quite quickly

I liked the prompt response to my order, and the numbering of captions in the printed version, needed for my study in a Yale University course. The numbering is not seen in the Kindle version.

I purchased this book as part of my university course, and despite the warning that it was close to out of stock, it arrived before the given estimate and showed only few signs of wear despite being a secondhand purchase.

The book took a little while to arrive, but was as described. Would recommend to others who wish to purchase this book.

perfect. has the numbering too so you can find certain quotes/extracts

The highest example of ancient ellenic culture and intelligence. This is a great book from back when people used to have extraordinary intelligent minds.

The paper on which it is printed is quite thin. I dislike reading this edition.

read this for university. socrates is simultaneously based and cringe. good read. gets a little dense at times but really made me think about ethics. goddamnit now i’m having thoughts.

Plato's Republic is of course one of the foundational texts of Western philosophy. It is a dialogue between Socrates and several interlocutors concerning, broadly speaking, the ideal city. Beginning with a discussion of the nature of justice, the dialogue turns into a thought experiment where Socrates builds the ideal city from the ground up. What are the basic needs of the people? Given these basic needs, what kinds of jobs will people in the city have? Given these jobs, what other jobs will citizens have? What kind of protection do the citizens need? How do we ensure that the next generation is adequately prepared for whatever we decide they will need in the future? etc. During the discussion, we see many of the ideas that Plato is known for, such as his theory of the forms via the allegory of the cave. This book is required reading for anyone who wishes to consider himself an educated human being. The ideas in this text have been commented on, expounded upon, refuted, defended, or extended by every philosopher who is worth studying. In particular, as an Aristotelian-Thomist, understanding Plato's views is essential to place in context his student's views.Although the book as a whole is excellent, there are nevertheless some grave errors. Less well known about Plato is the fact that there are some extremely disturbing ideas put forth in Book V. These ideas include an acceptance of infanticide and "breeding" the best possible humans, the later of which being justified in order to "make marriage as sacred as possible." Some would also argue that the city Plato allocates for is quite socialist or even communist. I do not know much about these systems, and I cannot comment on it other than to say that from what little I know and my reading of the text, such claims do not seem to me to be unjustified.I don't know much about different translations, but I can certainly say that this particular translation was easy to read. Each Book contained a few paragraphs introducing the main ideas that are found in the Book. The footnotes are plentiful but not overwhelming. They mostly give a citation for a quote, which more often than not is from Homer's Iliad or Odyssey. It should be noted that unlike some Platonic dialogues (and possibly some translations of The Republic), the author has chosen to NOT include the names of who is speaking (presumably this is more true to the original Greek). This can sometimes be a bit annoying if you don't keep careful track of who is speaking.Grube's version is a readable and helpful translation of The Republic. I would recommend this version to anyone who hasn't read The Republic yet.

Best translation out according to my Philosophy lecturer. Got this for a first year philosophy course - "ethics, morality, society"Sydney, Australia, August 2014.

This review is of ISBN-10: 0-87220-136-8, Plato * Republic, translated by G.M.A. Grube and revised by C.D.C. Reeve.I somehow made it through high school and college learning about Plato and Socrates without reading any full-length works. That's changing this spring as I'm taking a discussion-based class on Plato's Republic. This text was recommended by our instructor, and I can see why. The translation is not cumbersome by striving for sheer literalness, but instead seeks to capture the flavor of the discussions Socrates had with others that Plato as a youth observed.Footnotes are provided to explain the occasional word that has a different classical than contemporary meaning -- and yet you can read each of the 10 books (chapters) that comprise this volume first without attending to the footnotes, then re-reading the books along with their footnotes.After having seen what gifted vs. pedestrian translations can do to the vigor and beauty of classic works (Beowulf, the Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey come to mind), I can understand why Grube's translation is highly regarded. According to the scholar who performed the revision, no such work was called for until 20 years after publication (I am guessing to introduce more current English idiom and turn of phrase). The person who conducted the revision was encouraged to do so by the translator's family, which speaks to continuity.Given its impact on Western philosophy and thought, the book may at first seem slender to you. Keep in mind that much of it is in the form of dialog -- presented for the most part without space-consuming "I said"s and "he said"s; clarity is preserved with paragraph indents. The brief italicized introductions to each book help ensure ready comprehension without spoonfeeding any philosophy.The index and bibliography also are clear, well-presented and helpful. Note that the latter is toward the front of the book.I applaud the price point; however, I think purchasers would have been better served by paying a buck more for better-quality paper stock. This is a book that cries out to be kept on one's bookshelf well past the completion of a particular class or a once-over reading. Unfortunately, the paper stock already suffers from read-through, even before being subjected to the pencil/pen jottings that many readers will be compelled to make. Those of you who tend to use a highlighter, I'd advise to do so with caution because the paper seems pretty absorbent.

Plato's Republic is quite possibly the most paradigm-shattering book I've ever read, second to the Bible. Some will even claim,"If you've gone through college and you haven't had at least an introduction to Plato, you've been cheated..." What I do know is that once you've read The Republic you can never look at the world the same again.InfluentialIt's hard to overstate its influence: Augustine, Anselm, Boethius, Justin Martyr, Eusebius, (most of the church fathers), the Puritans, Jonathan Edwards, and C.S. Lewis were all deeply and profoundly influenced by Plato. Of all the Great Works of Western Civilization that came after Plato, some might ask, "Which works were influenced by Plato?" The better question is, "Which works were not influenced by Plato?"MisunderstoodIt is a general truth that the greatest works are often the most misunderstood. The Bible is the prime example of this, but second to that is The Republic. The primary error in interpreting this colossal dialogue, as C.S. Lewis would say, is being "concerned [more with] altering our own opinions than in entering fully into the opinion of others." So it is with the The Bible, and all other great works of literature.The CaveMany people have heard of the "cave analogy", but I'll go out on a limb and claim that even if you've heard of the cave, you might not understand it to its full extent. The reason is the testimony of a person that truly understands the cave is the one that lives free from "the shadows".The ShadowsNow that we're getting into deep waters, what are "the shadows"? The shadows are those illusory "images" on the cave wall or "copies" that resemble actual objects but are not the real thing. Like a photograph they are the pixelated representation of something of "substance", but they are not the "substance" itself. They merely "suggest" or "point to" the real thing, and are, in a sense, metaphors that are "like" the objects in representation, but are not in themselves the objects, and are thus "shadows" of no real "substance".The FormsHere's where it gets heady. Plato, by use of analogy, claims that the world is, at it's essence, a "Shadow" of the "True Form". Anything physical that we can see, hear, touch, smell, or taste is a "representation" of "substance" because they all point to the "True Form".JusticeThis is where the discussion on Justice comes in. Plato wants to figure out what Justice is. So, in platonic style, he uses another set of analogies.The RepublicThe Republic is often perceived, sadly even by academics, as Plato's view of how ideal government should work, and that's all. That is true, but I'm sorry to say, that is completely missing the point. The point is that Plato's "Republic", his view of how ideal government should work, is itself an analogy for the soul. Plato could care less about an ideal government, save for the fact that he cares in so far as it will tell him about the soul.The Republic is made up of three groups of citizens: The Guardians, The Auxiliaries, and the Money-makers.They represent the three parts of the soul: The Logical, The Spirited, and The Appetitive.Justice in government, according to Plato, is when the three groups of citizens each play their proper role and no group becomes too powerful.Justice in the soul, according to Plato, is when the three parts of the soul each play their proper role and no part becomes too powerful.The Just LifeThis is where Plato shines in practice. Aside from speculating if there really are three parts to the soul, we do know, at least, that in our lives when wisdom becomes king, when honor becomes king, and especially when the appetite becomes king that is the foreground to an immoral life. If the Good Life is letting each part of the soul play its role, the Bad Life is letting one part of the soul reign over the other two. The gravest life is the one that is controlled by the appetite, and lives by impulses and, more descriptively "erotic love".FreedomOne of my favorite points of The Republic was in Plato's description of true freedom. Most, he points out, believe that the tyrant who controls everything, and thus is able to do whatever he wishes is most free. On the contrary, he argues, the tyrant is the most enslaved of them all, namely to his own, lusts, passions, and as Plato puts it, "erotic love". True freedom, as the Bible puts it, is not the ability to do whatever you want, rather it is the power to not to.ChristianityWhile Plato's Republic is undoubtedly the best philosophy book of all time, like all philosophies, it is incomplete, and Plato knew that. He longed to understand the substance of the True Forms and to get free of this world of Shadows, but he did not know "what" or better yet "who" was behind the True Forms. Not surprisingly Augustine picked up on this missing link, and realized, that Christianity, namely the Trinitarian God of the Bible was the One behind it all. All justice points to the Justice of God, all beauty points to the Beauty of God, all love points to the Love of God, all the Shadows of this world point to the true form of God. Some say heaven will be more "real" than this world, and the reason is, I think, that we will come face-to-face with the Substance behind the Shadows. It will be the difference between seeing someone's shadow and seeing them face to face, or seeing the imperfect form of beauty in the sunset, and meeting Beauty face-to-face. Imagine meeting Beauty or Goodness face to face. Like the apostle John, and the prophet Isaiah, I could only fall down flat on my face in worship. Why worship? Consider the happiness we find in all the temporal shadows of beauty, goodness, and truth, and then consider the true joy we will find in meeting Beauty, Goodness, and Truth face-to-face.