The Republic

Author: Plato, Lane, Melissa, Lee, Desmond

Western philosophy: Ancient, to c 500

Published on 30 May 2007 by Penguin Books Ltd (Penguin Classics) in the United Kingdom.

The classic translation of the cornerstone work of western philosophyPlato's Republic is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential works in the history of philosophy. Presented in the form of a dialogue between Socrates and three different interlocutors, it is an inquiry into the notion of a perfect community and the ideal individual within it. During the conversation other questions are raised: what is goodness; what is reality; what is knowledge; what is the purpose of education? With remarkable lucidity and deft use of allegory, Plato arrives at a depiction of a state bound by harmony and ruled by 'philosopher kings'. Translated by DESMOND LEE with an Introduction by MELISSA LANE