The Republic of Plato: Summary Guide and Commentary

The Republic of Plato: Summary Guide and Commentary, by Mark S. Simpson, is an introduction to one of the great works of philosophy, offered as an aid to high school and junior college students as they explore the Socratic dialogues of the 4th Century BC. What is justice? Why should we strive to be just and virtuous? What does it mean to live a just life, or to be an unjust person, and is the just person also the happier person? What is the ideal form of government, and is such a state possible? Is a well-ordered, virtuous, and harmonious society ever attainable, and how do free societies avoid falling into tyranny? To these and many other questions of politics and ethics, The Republic gives answers that are as relevant and powerful as ever. Plato’s masterpiece has been a guiding light across 2,400 years, though to the modern student it can seem far away and unapproachable. With a relaxed, personal, and non-academic style, Simpson — a retired U.S. naval officer — helps readers to navigate this classic of the Western canon, so that they might fully experience a book for the ages. (This second edition of the study guide has illustrations in color.)