An Engagement with Plato's Republic

An Engagement with Plato's Republic PDF Author: Basil Mitchell
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351958976
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 190

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Book Description
Outrageous, unfashionable, politically incorrect though many of Plato's opinions undoubtedly are, we should not just dismiss them as thoughts now unthinkable, but think through them, recognising the force of the arguments that led Plato to enunciate them and consider the counter-arguments he might have marshalled to meet contemporary objections. This book encourages today's students to engage in Plato's thought, grapple with Plato's arguments, and explore the relevance of his arguments in contemporary terms. A text only comes alive if we make it our own; Plato's great work The Republic, often reads as though it were addressing the problems of the day rather than those of ancient Athens. Treating The Republic as a whole and offering a comprehensive introduction to Plato's arguments, Mitchell and Lucas draw students into an exploration of the relevance of Plato's thought to our present ideas about politics, society and education, as well as the philosophy of mathematics, science and religion. The authors bring The Republic to life. The first chapters help the reader to make sense of the text, either in translation or the original Greek. Later chapters deal with the themes that Plato raises, treating Plato as a contemporary. Plato is inexhaustible: he speaks to many different people of different generations and from different backgrounds. The Republic is not just an ancient text: it never ceases to be relevant to contemporary concerns, and it demands fresh discussion in every age.

An Engagement with Plato's Republic

An Engagement with Plato's Republic PDF Author: Basil Mitchell
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351958976
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 190

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Book Description
Outrageous, unfashionable, politically incorrect though many of Plato's opinions undoubtedly are, we should not just dismiss them as thoughts now unthinkable, but think through them, recognising the force of the arguments that led Plato to enunciate them and consider the counter-arguments he might have marshalled to meet contemporary objections. This book encourages today's students to engage in Plato's thought, grapple with Plato's arguments, and explore the relevance of his arguments in contemporary terms. A text only comes alive if we make it our own; Plato's great work The Republic, often reads as though it were addressing the problems of the day rather than those of ancient Athens. Treating The Republic as a whole and offering a comprehensive introduction to Plato's arguments, Mitchell and Lucas draw students into an exploration of the relevance of Plato's thought to our present ideas about politics, society and education, as well as the philosophy of mathematics, science and religion. The authors bring The Republic to life. The first chapters help the reader to make sense of the text, either in translation or the original Greek. Later chapters deal with the themes that Plato raises, treating Plato as a contemporary. Plato is inexhaustible: he speaks to many different people of different generations and from different backgrounds. The Republic is not just an ancient text: it never ceases to be relevant to contemporary concerns, and it demands fresh discussion in every age.

Understanding Plato's Republic

Understanding Plato's Republic PDF Author: Gerasimos Santas
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 9781444320145
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
Understanding Plato’s Republic is an accessible introduction to the concepts of justice that inform Plato’s Republic, elucidating the ancient philosopher's main argument that we would be better off leading just lives rather than unjust ones Provides a much needed up to date discussion of The Republic's fundamental ideas and Plato's main argument Discusses the unity and coherence of The Republic as a whole Written in a lively style, informed by over 50 years of teaching experience Reveals rich insights into a timeless classic that holds remarkable relevance to the modern world

Blindness and Reorientation

Blindness and Reorientation PDF Author: C.D.C. Reeve
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199934436
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 231

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Book Description
C. D. C. Reeve develops a powerful new account of the age-old argument over whether the just are happier than the unjust, drawing from a new understanding of Plato's conception of philosophy.

Plato the Teacher

Plato the Teacher PDF Author: William H. F. Altman
Publisher: Lexington Books
ISBN: 0739171399
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 512

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Book Description
The pedagogical technique of the playful Plato, especially his ability to create living discourses that directly address the student, is the subject of Plato the Teacher. “The crisis of the Republic” refers to the decisive moment in his central dialogue when philosopher-readers realize that Plato’s is challenging them to choose justice by going back down into the dangerous Cave of political life for the sake of the greater Good, as both Socrates and Cicero did.

Plato's 'Republic': An Introduction

Plato's 'Republic': An Introduction PDF Author: Sean McAleer
Publisher: Open Book Publishers
ISBN: 1800640560
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 233

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Book Description
It is an excellent book – highly intelligent, interesting and original. Expressing high philosophy in a readable form without trivialising it is a very difficult task and McAleer manages the task admirably. Plato is, yet again, intensely topical in the chaotic and confused world in which we are now living. Philip Allott, Professor Emeritus of International Public Law at Cambridge University This book is a lucid and accessible companion to Plato’s Republic, throwing light upon the text’s arguments and main themes, placing them in the wider context of the text’s structure. In its illumination of the philosophical ideas underpinning the work, it provides readers with an understanding and appreciation of the complexity and literary artistry of Plato’s Republic. McAleer not only unpacks the key overarching questions of the text – What is justice? And Is a just life happier than an unjust life? – but also highlights some fascinating, overlooked passages which contribute to our understanding of Plato’s philosophical thought. Plato’s 'Republic': An Introduction offers a rigorous and thought-provoking analysis of the text, helping readers navigate one of the world’s most influential works of philosophy and political theory. With its approachable tone and clear presentation, it constitutes a welcome contribution to the field, and will be an indispensable resource for philosophy students and teachers, as well as general readers new to, or returning to, the text.

Poetic Justice

Poetic Justice PDF Author: Jill Frank
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022651577X
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 264

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Book Description
When Plato wrote his dialogues, written texts were disseminated primarily by performance and oral recitation. Literacy, however, was spreading, and Frank is the first to point out that the dialogues offer two distinct ways of learning to read. One method treats learning to read as being led to true beliefs about letters and syllables by an authoritative teacher. The other method, recommended by Socrates, focuses on learning to read by trial and error, and on the opinions learners come to have based on their own fallible experiences. In all the dialogues in which these methods appear, learning to read is likened to coming to know, and the significant differences between the two methods are at the center of Frank's argument. When learning to read is understood as a practice of assimilating true beliefs by an authoritative teacher, it reflects the dominant scholarly account of Plato's philosophy as authoritative knowledge and of Plato's politics as, if not authoritarian, then at least anti-democratic. Rulers should have such authoritative knowledge and be philosopher-kings. However, learning to read or coming to know by way of Socrates' method, leads to quite a different set of conclusions. Professor Frank resists the claim that Plato's dialogues seek to endorse or enforce a hierarchy of knowledge and politics. Instead, she argues that they offer a philosophical education in self-authorization by representing and enacting challenges to all claims to expert authority, including those of philosophy.

Plato's Republic, Books 1-10

Plato's Republic, Books 1-10 PDF Author: Plato
Publisher: Agora Publications, Inc.
ISBN: 9781887250252
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 414

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Book Description
The Greek philosopher Plato was born in Athens in 428 B.C. He created dramatic dialogues, probably intended for oral performance, but seldom presented in that format until Agora Publications launched this series of dramatizations in 1994. The Republic explores most of the fundamental questions of philosophy, beginning with a search for how to define justice, moving to a quest for a model of the best possible human community, and concluding with reflections on the immortality of the soul.

Plato's Republic

Plato's Republic PDF Author: D.J. Sheppard
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
ISBN: 0748631682
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 192

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Book Description
Everything you need to know about Plato's Republic in one volume.

Politics, Money, and Persuasion

Politics, Money, and Persuasion PDF Author: John Russon
Publisher: Indiana University Press
ISBN: 0253057698
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 227

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Book Description
In Politics, Money, and Persuasion, distinguished philosopher John Russon offers a new framework for interpreting Plato's The Republic. For Russon, Plato's work is about the distinctive nature of what it is to be a human being and, correspondingly, what is distinctive about the nature of human society. Russon focuses on the realities of our everyday experience to come to profoundly insightful assessments of our human realities: the nature of the city, the nature of knowledge, and the nature of human psychology. Russon's argument concentrates on the ambivalence of logos, which includes reflections on politics and philosophy and their place in human life, how humans have shaped the environment, our interactions with money, the economy, and the pursuit of the good in social and political systems. Politics, Money, and Persuasion offers a deeply personal but also practical kind of philosophical reading of Plato's classic text. It emphasizes the tight connection between the life of city and the life of the soul, demonstrating both the crucial role that human cognitive excellence and psychological health play in political and social life.

The Republic

The Republic PDF Author: Plato
Publisher: Cosimo, Inc.
ISBN: 1605203254
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 290

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Book Description
It is the first expression of the concept of a Utopia, a perfect society. It is the first thoughtful examination of the concept of an inner life. It is the classic discussion of concepts of justice. It is a profoundly reflective work on the nature of philosophy itself. It is 2,300 years old, and one of the greatest books humanity has ever produced. Written around 360 B.C., The Republicby the Greek philosopher and mathematician PLATO (c. 428 B.C.c. 347 B.C.)is the foundational work of Western thought, with notable influences on thinkers and writers as diverse as Shakespeare, Saint Augustine, and Bertrand Russell. It is impossible to overstate its importance, and its wisdom is so intense, wide-ranging, and often seemingly contradictory that it continues to generate heated debate, even controversy, to this day. Essential reading for anyone who wishes to consider him- or herself educated, this is the unabridged Republic presented in the highly readable 1894 translation by Benjamin Jowett.