Rating: 
Summary: The Foundation of Most Subsequent Western Though
Review: Plato's "Republic" is probably the most important work in the history of Western Philosophy, or atleast I believe it is. The reader can literally flip from page to page counting how many subsequent philosphies arose from interpretations of the words on each page. Of all Western Philosophers, Plato was one of the greatest writers. Even though some readers may find the dialogue style exhausting, I find it enjoyable because it turns the real-life participants in the arguments into literary characters who can, at times, be quite humorous. All literary merits aside, the overabundance of profound thoughts to be found in "The Republic" make it a must-read for anyone who likes to think.
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Summary: Plato's Ideal State
Review: My three-star rating aside, Plato's "The Republic" is a must read for anyone interested in political science. It will make you think about the subjects it covers in a very critical way. Plato is not shy about his opinions and does not couch them in mysterious language. He confronts the reader with them and forces you to consider them.Of course, part of this directness is attributable to the translator, Desmond Lee. One of the things that makes the Penguin's Classics series so useful is the excellent introductions they contain. In this particular work, Lee presents Plato's contemporary society and how it affected his world view. Lee also prefaces each section with anywhere from two sentences to as much as a page or two in order to assist the reader with understanding some of the finer points of Plato's philosophy. "The Republic" is primarily concerned with four questions: 1) what is justice?, 2) is it better to be a just man or to only appear to be just?, 3) given our answer to #2, what is the ideal state?, and 4) how are contemporary Greek states imperfect?. The answer to the first three questions are closely related to Plato's philosophy of the Forms. Plato's Form can be thought of as perfection or the ideal. For instance, a carpenter may build a house. The house may appear real to us but it is only a representation of the ideal house, or the Form of a house. Plato says to think of a Form as being created by god and that, when the carpenter builds his house, he may build it in any number of ways and styles, but it will never be as perfect as the Form of the house. The philosopher should only be interested in the Form and not in the inferior representations. Now, if that sounds a little bit odd to you, then most of "The Republic" must be understood as an outsider looking in. Given that the first three questions are intimately related to that concept, I did find Plato's arguments very unconvincing. However, Plato's discussion of the imperfection of contemporary Greek states is very interesting and pertinent to our time. For those of us living in the United States, Plato's description of democracy, which he lived under in Athens, and the democratic character should be chilling. Of course, Athenian democracy and American democracy are not the same. The Constitution was written to a great extent to avoid the imbalances of ancient Greek democracies. In fact, in a technical sense, our state is not a democracy at all but a representative democracy. Plato's main critique of democracy was that it necessarily lead to a reduction in respect for authority and elders. Plato also criticized democracy for its weak leaders. He felt that the democratic character of a man living in a democracy would cause him to promote only those people like himself to positions of power within the state. Given that the average man is, by definition, of average intelligence, skill, and talent, the ablest of a democracy's citizens would be unable to attain the highest positions of power within the state. Since the elected leaders would only be able to keep their positions by pleasing the great mass of citizenry, they would enact laws and regulations which benefited those people to the detriment of the wealthiest. In other words, politicians in a democracy are prone to overtaxing the rich so that they can transfer their wealth and land to the poor. Plato believed that policies like this would unavoidably lead to class warfare and the forcible transfer of political power to one man, a tyrant, who would be able to secure the masses against the wealthy. Of course, the tyrant would eventually provide himself with a personal army and attempt to enslave the entire populace to his will, thereby securing only himself against the general population. The American Constitution and the American character have successfully prevented this scenario from occurring here but it cannot prolong it forever. Certain barriers built into the Constitution have already been breached: the income tax, direct election of Senators, and various programs like social security, medicare, and agricultural subsidies are all cracks in the armor of American liberty. If we continue on the path we are headed, American liberty will cease to exist by the end of this century. As a final note, some readers may find it difficult to follow the format that "The Republic" uses. In Plato's day, philosophical prose was often written in a dialogue format. In this work, Plato uses Socrates as his primary questioner and speaker. This may seem odd to have another, real person speak for you in a political treatise but just know that, every time Socrates speaks, it's really Plato's sentiments being expressed.
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Summary: amazing. a must read for everyone
Review: Just read it. Plato's idea shaped so many other's after him. If you don't understand what Plato was trying to say then you're doing yourself a disservice. Just in readin this, the reader realyl begins to think. You'll get better at thinking by the time the book is done, for this book teaches the reader how to think. All the ideas are presented in dialog, but if you can just look at what is being said you'll begin to understand. If you only read one thing, make it be this.
Rating:
Summary: The Foundation of Most Subsequent Western Though
Review: Plato's "Republic" is probably the most important work in the history of Western Philosophy, or atleast I believe it is. The reader can literally flip from page to page counting how many subsequent philosphies arose from interpretations of the words on each page. Of all Western Philosophers, Plato was one of the greatest writers. Even though some readers may find the dialogue style exhausting, I find it enjoyable because it turns the real-life participants in the arguments into literary characters who can, at times, be quite humorous. All literary merits aside, the overabundance of profound thoughts to be found in "The Republic" make it a must-read for anyone who likes to think.
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Summary: The Excellent Society
Review: in the Republic, Plato. envisioned his ideology of what a free and fair society should look like. the book emphasises on the perfection of a perfect society, which will be free of corruption, discremination, race division, and partiality. the author was aware of the alarming rate of corruption gripping the world we are in. he sketched a plan for a state to be run and maintained. a state that will based on law and order. specifically, Plato was hitting the nail on justice and equity of law, he stressed that a society should not be making laws based on a portion of the jurisdiction rather order should be maintained on equality and fair justice. The book is a treaty on how a social society and a normal state is to be ressuracted from the clamouring segregation of the rich state and the poor society. in his work of art plato pulls the trigger of justice towards equity, unity and peace of justice. its such a great book, it is more than the wordings on it because it contains ancient landmarks of literary work of art, the work has been done long ago, and it grammer complex needs not be rushed but remember that the day a man stops reading, he stops growing intellectually. how i wished books were paste. i could have kept reading each day first thing as i woke up from the sleep. The Republic needs not be rush, just slow and steady because it is a treaty and not a mere thriller novel. but its a try from all intellectual aspirants. so dont let go. if you do, you missed a book from one great thinker.
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Summary: Interesting, not life changing
Review: The republic not only serves as a basis for western philosophy but is of central importance as a historical text. By observing staunch critics of Athenian society debate the nature of the ideal city, we come to understand precisely what Athens at the time was not like. By then noting all the specifics touched upon in the creation of this "kallipolis", we are provided with a subtle but vast account of how things actually were. Nevertheless, such politically colored views do not transfer so well into the actual philosophy. Plato, through the voice of Socrates, claims that he defines the city to help with the search for justice within the individual. More likely he is defining justice as a rationale for his elitist political views. So, as with anything powerful or important, treat this book with respect and fairness. Don't give the words more sanctity than they're due. Be prepared to sift through a considerable amount of semantics, wordplay, and blank assumptions before any of the gritty logical reasoning is found. Don't fall into the same trap of book's characters who are dazzled by Socrates' rhetoric. People will say that Plato is a genius- but that doesn't mean he can't make mistakes. All throughout the book there will be things that seem contradictory or illogical, and it doesn't make you stupid to think that Plato can be wrong. There are some fascinating and profound things that the careful reader can pull from this book, but as you read, keep in mind that Plato was a person and had his opinions like any other.
Rating: 
Summary: Historical interest only
Review: This book is most easily understood in the context of when it was written. Athens had been involved in a disastrous war with Sparta. As a result of the war Athens lost its empire, its fleet was disbanded and the walls from the city to the port were pulled down. The Democratic Party, which had ruled Athens, had been responsible for starting the war and also its outcome. Following the war the Spartans imposed on Athens an oligarchy dominated by aristocrats. Plato was a supporter of that government and an opponent of the supporters of democracy. In writing about politics Plato argued that a proper system of government excluded the general public from decision making. He suggested that government was a technical function that should be undertaken by an elite who are trained for it. Obviously this position reflects his distrust of the majority and his belief that some were better fitted for government than others. Modern notions of government being related to dealing with conflict in society and resource allocation would of course simply meant nothing to him. In discussing why he thought this was a just system the book suggests a theory of human nature which suggests that people are naturally limited in their abilities. Some people by birth are fitted to be shoemakers. Others might know how to till the soil. Society benefits from people occupying the place that fits them best. Again this view is reflective of the time and in reality large numbers of people are able to learn and to move between occupations and to fill different roles in society. Plato having outlined his theory of society and government then suggests that the key to building a good society relates to the training and selection of the class who will carry out the government function. The book is historically important as being one of the foundations of modern political thought but is not the sort of work that could be said to contain wisdom which is relevant today.
Rating:
Summary: A thorough view of 400 B.C. Greece
Review: Here one can found Plato's view on many topics important to philosophical thinking of all times, but which could be summarized by the search of the true meanings of the adjectives "just" and its antinomy "unjust", and if it pays to be just and, if so, what is the proper reward for such a conduct and the proper punishment to its contrary behavior.
The method utilized by Plato is the dialectical method and the reader is guided trough discoursive logical reasonning till he arrives at Plato's conclusions on many matters he sees as essential to pursue the objective of knowing what is the reward of a just conduct in human life. Issues like infanticide, women's position in society, slavery and many others are approached in a very direct way and one can be surprised at the position Plato takes in regard of each one of them. The Introductory explanation made by the translator, which also guides all of us trough the intrincacies of the challenges he faced in the translations, addds value and concistency to the reading, which is a classic and a must for everyone interested in History of Greece, the heritage it bequeathed to the Western civilization and the fist sound steps of philosophical thinking, which can be traced back to no the Greece Antiquity.
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Summary: Read this and learn about morality
Review: This translation is superb. This book provokes us with questions. It challenges our assumptions. It asks questions. It also provides few answers. Don't read this thinking that you'll find the ideal government, because you won't, and as the introduction points out, it was never really the point. Instead, read this to find out about morality. It cannot help but point a person in the right direction. I don't think it answers the question of what morality is completely, but for that matter, I can't do much better. This is one of my sources. Clearly, I can't take much of this and apply it directly to politics. I value diversity and conflict. I think that those things help us. Truth can only be found when we seek freely in society. In short, I love democracy. That said, it is very applicable for my inner-life. If I fill my mind with garbage, that is exactly what I will give out. I need to censor the citizens of my mind or else my inner polis will be corrupted more than it is. It's criticisms of democracy, especially the democratic mind, are particularly poignant. Read it side-by-side with Thucydides and an account of the French Revolution and find the limitations of what we take for granted. If someone thinks they shouldn't read a book like this because they have the Bible, then they would be in error. I am a Christian, and reading the Bible usually leaves me with more questions than answers. If a person thinks that way he aren't reading the Bible, and should begin criticising his own beliefs. Start by reading Ecclesiastes, and then this, for Ecclesiastes teaches one of Socrates' main points: we know nothing, and in the end, all that matters is how we lived. Now when such a person finishes this book, he may find that you think that Paul borrowed some from this text's ideas about the Church as the Body of Christ and every person having a specific part to play through their spiritual gifts, and the Body becoming ill if any one member of the body does not act in his role. I offer such a long statement having to do with Christianity, because reading these works, and those who read them, have been undully criticized by those who have not read them. It is simply that morality is not an exclusive thing. A Christian should realize that the Bible assumes that much of what is moral can be plainly known. To neglect what has been said elsewhere is to suffer from a myopic vision of morality. This book will make a person ask questions, and that is its goal. It is not all compatable, but some is. Please do not dismiss it just because one is a Christian. I am, and I greatly enjoy Plato's works.
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Summary: Buy this book!
Review: This is more of a review of the translation, as opposed to the text itself. The Republic is a classic, and like Shakespeare, or the Mona Lisa, needs no review or comment. This is not to say that I agree with everything Socrates-Plato says, but that this book lifts you higher, weather you agree or disagree. Tom Griffith deserves an award for rendering a bouncy translation that makes the text come alive. This translation ranks among my favorites. Its strength is that it renders the Greek into a colloquial, conversational English, as opposed to the stiff and ossified academic dronings that make higher education such a joy! He follows the pattern set by Seamus Heany ("Beowulf), and J. B. Phillips ("The New Testament in Modern English"), where the language illuminates the text, and engages your mind. Too often, the translators' end product-the language-gets in the way of the ideas and joys of the text. I was able to plow through this book in a fortnight because the language flowed so well. I wish we could get more translators to get the gift of tongues, and to render these classic texts into the tongue of angels!
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