The Republic

By Plato and H. D. P Lee

Book Overview

"The Republic" is a cornerstone of Western philosophy and political theory, presented as a Socratic dialogue concerning justice, the order of the city-state, and the character of the just individual. Written by Plato, the work explores the ideal society through a series of intellectual inquiries led by Socrates. It delves into the nature of reality, the immortality of the soul, and the responsibilities of the "philosopher-king" in a harmonious community.

Through its famous analogies, including the "Allegory of the Cave" and the "Analogy of the Divided Line," Plato examines the relationship between the visible world of appearances and the intelligible world of the Forms. The text addresses fundamental questions about ethics, education, and the structure of a virtuous government. "The Republic" remains an essential study for anyone interested in the foundations of political thought, ethics, and the pursuit of a meaningful life. This masterpiece continues to challenge readers to consider the true meaning of justice and the optimal way for humans to live together in a civil society.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 102590933X
• ISBN13: 9781025909332
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Tradd Street Press
• Length: 474 Pages
• Weight: 1.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.2" x 1.1" x 6.1"

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.