Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely necessary, but don't put it on a pedestal
Review: Plato's Republic is the fount from which nearly all Western thought flows. Pretty much everything written in that tradition either borrows from Plato or refutes him, and the Republic articulates his philosophies more fully than any of his other works(although the Timaeus is more mature and the Symposium is an amazing discussion on a single point). I must disagree with both of the main camps on this site; it is neither just a work of political philosophy NOR just a work of moral psychology(how to order your mind). Plato thought that all things should reflect the ultimate good, so that the ideal society would be ordered in the exact same way that the ideal human being would be. Thus, every part of one's psyche would correspond to a part of society(it's a microcosm!), and the "higher" parts of one's mind would be mirrored in the Guardians, the "higher" parts of society.With that said, it is easy to see that the Republic proposes many things that disgust most modern human beings: censorship for political stability, ostracism of those with "weak" (read: human, sensitive, or some equivalent) emotions, killing young children, government regulation of sexual activity, and such. Even when Plato tries to give women equal rights, an _extremely_ radical idea in Ancient Greece, his ancient prejudices show up when he calls them "equal but weaker in all ways(morally, intellectually, and physically)". Despite all of its shortcomings, the Republic was the work that singlehandedly separated the real from the ideal in Western civilization, and it also defined the kinds of questions that Western philosophers would try to answer until the 20th century. Pick up a book of Western philosophy at random, and I guarantee you that some issue introduced in the Republic will hit you within the first five pages. Even the Communist Manifesto rips off his discourse on women and his notion of work defining human beings. The Republic was the first work of real philosophy in the conversation of ideals that continues to this very day in fields as diverse as politics, philosophy, psychology, anthropology, and religion. (PS: If you think Plato's an idealistic fool, read Aristotle. So did he.)
Rating: 
Summary: Has great insight for philosophy but...
Review: Tends to be very circular in reasoning. I had a hard time understanding most of what was being said. I believe that there are better books in the PHIL department.
You decide
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting, not life changing
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: The Republic - 5stars, Dover Thrift - 0stars
Review: Translation is key when buying a book like this. The Republic is a must read for anyone and everyone, but not Dover Thrift.
The translator Allan Bloom has served me well for the past 5 years.
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