Reading List

The Republic, by Plato. I ran across an English translation of this book, originally written in Greek around 380BCE, and decided to read it out of curiosity. The translation was done in the UK on or before 1852 (when the first edition was published), and my copy was printed in 1943 (the 40th printing). I've noticed "shew" where we would write "show", but no other differences in spelling.

The Republic takes the form of a dialog between Socrates, Plato's mentor, and a small group of friends. Mostly it's Socrates leading his audience through his arguments, and occasionally fielding a question or counter-argument. He expounds upon the nature of justice, forms of government, how to live one's life, and the nature of philosophy (what we would call science, I think).

I'm fairly certain I wouldn't have appreciated this book if I had read it when I was a teenager. (The subject matter is a bit dry, after all.) Observing the logic and forms of argument used by Plato is enlightening. There's a great deal to be learned about the art of persuasion.

I'm only partway through, so I may have more to say about The Republic later.

A little while ago I read "The Peolponnesian War", by Donald Kagan (2003), which puts The Republic in context. Athens and Sparta were in the long-running conflict from before Plato was born. In 404, when Plato was about 23 (the year of his birth is slightly uncertain), Sparta won and imposed a dictatorship on Athens, which is remembered mostly for executing or exiling many popular leaders. It was overthrown in late 403 by an exiled general who returned with allies. During the following times of turmoil and recovery, Socrates was put to death for "corrupting the minds of the youth of Athens" (399BCE). The Republic was written sometime around 380BCE, during Plato's 40s.