The Republic of Plato (edit title)

• Rated 5 stars

“ One of the supreme regrets of my life is that I have not (yet) learned Greek, so Ican read Plato in the original. As it is,I own three fascinating translations of On the Just, ( To give it its most literal title.) Each translation offers adifferent, fascinating slant: Bloom's " Straussian" approach, the" great books" translation by Joe Sachs of Saint John's, and finaly, this more analytic approach. Read carefully( I sound like a Straussian), the Republic revealds numerous layersof meaning. It is one of the richest books ever written,full of startling insights and remrkable provocatios. Plato is NOT offering a "system"; he is offering a series of challengesto thought. H is not constructinga utopian blueprint: he is constructinga city in speech to mirrorthe city he wants to found within ourselves. Truly, one of thegreatest books everwritten- and a pleasure to study if one has a first-rate teacher.”

• Rated 3 stars

“Actually I read it twice so you think I'd remember it. Still, I know I liked it, even though it was assigned reading.”

• Rated 3 stars

“Maybe I just did not get it but his imagined state just did not seem cohesive whatever the century.”

• Rated 3 stars

“One of the best philosophy books.”

• Rated 5 stars

“A classic”

• Rated 3 stars

“Because of it's age and fame this is a bit of a curiosity, which is why I read it. Plato's republic is frighteningly totalitarian and doesn't sound too much fun for any of the citizens. Practices such as killing 'weak' infants are pretty confronting to the modern reader.

This does contain his famous simile of the 'prisoners in the cave' in book 7 which is interesting to read first-hand. In all, relatively easy to understand considering it is an ancient work, although at times a little ponderous and irritating. But who am I to question Plato?”

• Rated 4 stars

“I am in no way an expert on philosophy and did not expect to enjoy the Republic and probably wouldn't have if it wasn't for the editorial inserts in italics before the beginning of each argument giving a quick laymans summary of what is to come. Without these additions i would have been lost. With them, i was able to come to terms with the ideas and ideologies of the Republic.”

• Rated 0 stars

“really strange how those people were thinking..
if "The Republic" is written in this age, i think it won't stand the critics of todays' thinkers.”

• Rated 5 stars

“Can you love and hate a book at the same time? So many things right -- so many things wrong. This is the book that gets the Western Tradition started.”

• Rated 0 stars

“the fact that i got my degree in philosophy and never actually read all of this is my dirty little secrete. I really do intend to get to all of it by the end of June.”