Plato's Republic

What is Justice? It's a question Socrates and his friends ask on a leisurely walk. As they walk along, they imagine what the most just city might look like. Who runs it? What does its culture look like? How might a city mirror a human soul? They then move on to muse about the role of poetry and the arts in the city. Plato wrote his most enduring images in this book: The Ship of State, The Allegory of the Cave, The Philosopher King, and The Myth of Er.

Like Socrates and his pals, we'll leisurely take our time and read through The Republic. This class will not be a lecture, but an open discussion. Students will be expected to have read the assigned reading before class. The instructor will begin class with an opening question to orient the discussion. The role of the instructor in this course is to model what a good discussion partner is like. There are no recommended translations of The Republic, but be sure to find a copy that includes Stephanus numbers. Stephanus numbers are found in most modern editions of The Republic. They’re found alongside each paragraph. They will help us find passages no matter what translation we’re using.