The Republic of Plato

By Plato and H. D. P Lee

Book Overview

The definitive translation of Plato's Republic, the most influential text in the history of Western philosophy.

"To read The Republic as Bloom means it to be read is to question everything we think we know about government, politics, the best human life, and the nature of truth." --Adam Kirsch, from the introduction

A cornerstone of Western thought, The Republic remains an unmatched exploration of justice in which lofty ideals collide with the practicalities of human existence. Just as the ancient city-states grappled with the notion of virtue and the proper role of the citizen, so too do we today face profound questions about our own society and its values.

In this masterful translation by Allan Bloom, readers encounter Plato's timeless insights with clarity and vigor. And whether you're approaching this seminal text for the first time or the fiftieth, Bloom's insightful commentary provides a deeper understanding of Plato's philosophical arguments.

The Republic of Plato invites you to engage with the eternal struggle to define justice and the nature of human flourishing.

"No one else has even come close to balancing Bloom's fidelity to Greek with intelligible English prose. Add a lengthy, provocative interpretive essay and extensive textual notes, and one could almost be forgiven for playfully referring to the book as Bloom's Republic." -National Review

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0465094082
• ISBN13: 9780465094080
• Release Date: November 2016
• Publisher: Basic Books
• Length: 528 Pages
• Weight: 1.27 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 5.9" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

They sent me the wrong book, The Rise Of The Dutch Republic by J.L. Motley from Everones library #87

I would like to read the books I purchased, if only I was sent the correct order

Very good for an inexpensive translation

I'm wrapping up a semester of teaching this translation of Republic, and I've had few complaints. Waterfield's editorial hand is visible, but that in itself, in the hands of a competent teacher, leads to good discussions above and beyond Plato's ideas. With regards to Plato's masterwork, there's no good place to start save reading it for oneself. Plato is dead wrong in places (with regards to poetry and marriage just to get rolling), but his genius is that he's wrong as an idealist philosopher, encouraging readers to assert and refine their own ideals as counter-arguments. In other words, in order to refute Plato, one must out-Plato Plato. Deconstruction is fine for deconstructionists, but a good discussion of this juggernaut of ancient thought is the life for me.