PLATO: THE REPUBLIC





CHARACTER
Characterization
SOCRATES Athenian citizen, stone-mason, semi-professional twit.
GLAUKON rich young man, brother of Plato
ADEIMANTOS rich young man, brother of Plato
THRASYMACHOS a Sophist, from Chalcedon, who demands payment for knowledge and truth
POLEMARCHOS son of Cephalos, brother of Lysias the Orator; killed in 403 B.C. by the 30 Tyrants (among whom were Plato's cousin Kritias and his uncle Charmides) [See the surviving speech delivered by Lysias, Against Eratosthenes].
CEPHALOS of Syracuse. Father of Polemarchos and of Lysias the Orator. A rich metic and weapons industrialist.
Others: Charmantides, Euthydemos, Kleitophon, Lysias, Nikeratos

DRAMATIC DATE
uncertain
Cephalos was old (he actually died in 430). Polemarchos died in 403. Plato was born in 427. That Plato's brothers are young men puts practical limitations on how far before or into the Archidamian War the dialogue could be placed.




BOOK
CONTENT
REFERENCES
BOOK I DEFINING JUSTICE
  • Speaking the truth and paying your debts
  • Helping friends and harming enemies
  • Stronger and Weaker

the 'ruler'
leadershipand craftsmanship
a speech about 'justice'
why people want to rule
The profitability of 'injustice'


327b–331d
331e–336a
336b–347e




347e–354c
BOOK II THE NATURE OF JUSTICE AND 'THE GOOD'
  • Which things are 'just'? (Glaukon)

things good in themselves?
things good and profitable?
things painful but good?

  • Origins of the State, and its needs
  • The Guardians, and their education


357a–367e





367e–374d
374e–383c
BOOK III







THE BASIC EDUCATION OF THE GUARDIANS
  • Tragedy and comedy
  • Censorship and limitation
  • Literature, music, art, and character, gymnastics:
    aim is harmony
  • Physical training for soldiers
  • (Addiction to physicians and law courts)


392c–398b
398c–400c
400c–403c


403c–412b
BOOK IV
  • SELECTION OF RULERS
  • Allegory of metals
  • Abolition of private property; communal living
  • The CARDINAL VIRTUES of the State:

philosopher-kings: WISDOM (gold)
soldiers: COURAGE (silver)
farmers-artisans: TEMPERANCE (bronze-iron)
Justice exists when each class carries out its own
function with harmony.

  • Virtue in the individual: Each part of the soul
    should practice its own virute in harmony:

reason–wisdom–rule
good emotion–courage–obedience
base emotion –temperance & control –subordination

  • Equality of women
412c–421c

421c–427c
427c–434d







441c–445b





445b–457b
BOOK V



  • Communal living of the Ruling Class
  • The city in war
  • Philosophers as kings
  • The Theory of Forms
457b–466d
466d–471e
472a–476a
476b–480a
BOOK VI THE PHILOSOPHER-KING
  • True philosophers
  • Not so good philosophers
  • Can Philosopher-kings exist?
  • The Idea of the Good
  • The Myth of the Divided Line


484a–487a
487b–497a
497a–502c
502d–509c
509d–511c
BOOK VII



THE EDUCATION OF THE GUARDIANS
  • The Allegory of The Cave
  • The six steps in education
514a–541b

514a–521b
535a-541b
BOOK VIII




SOULS AND SOCIETIES (The degenerate soul)
  • Timocracies
  • Oligarchies
  • Democracies
  • Tyrannies
543a–569c

543a–550c
550c–555b
555b–562a
562a–569c
BOOK IX




The Book of the Tyrant
  • The character of the tyrannical man
  • 'justice' = 'happiness'
  • 'justice' = 'profitable'
571a–592b

571a–576b

588b–592b
BOOK X LITERATURE AND IMMORTALITY
  • Poetry is the enemy
  • Justice: The Rewards
595a–621d

595a–608b
608c–621d




READING

  • George Klosko, Plato's Political Theory (Methuen/University Paperbacks 1986).
  • J. Gosling, Plato, pp. 52-71 ('Reason and Goodness')
  • R. Robinson, Plato's Earlier Dialectic (1953), pp. 180-201 ('The Line and The Cave')
  • K. Popper, The Open Society and its Enemies I. Plato (1966), pp. 86-119 ('Totalitarian Justice')
  • J. Annas, An Introduction to Plato's Republic (Oxford 1981).
  • R. C. Cross and A. Woosley, Plato's Republic: A Philosophical Commentary (London 1964).
  • N. R. Murray, An Interpretation of Plato's Republic (Oxford 1951).
  • N. White, A Companion to Plato's Republic (Indianapolis 1979).
  • Werner Jaeger, Paideia 3 volumes (Oxford).


7/17/2003

 

January 26, 2010 8:50 AM

John Paul Adams, CSUN
john.p.adams@csun.edu

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