Books with author Plato

The Republic by Plato is a landmark achievement in Ancient Greek philosophy - this edition combines an authoritative translation with affordability. The Republic is the most famous text written by Plato, which takes the form of a philosophical dialogue. The text is part conversation between a group of friends active in the Athens intellectual community, and part monologue from various participants in the discussion. The narrator and lead character is Socrates, Plato's friend and mentor, who appears in most of his pupil's dialogues and acts as surrogate to Plato's ideas. Throughout the text the 'Socratic method', whereby Socrates feigns ignorance and questions an adversary to receive insight on a given subject, is demonstrated. Ten books in total comprise The Republic, the divisions thought to have been made due to the length of a roll of papyrus in Ancient Greece. The discussion begins with an attempt to find a definition for justice, wherein a disagreement between Thrasymachus - who believes justice is what is good for who is strongest at a given place and time - and Socrates, who believes that all members of society should, for the highest benefit of all, conform to just action. In Book II, the discussion expands to include justice in the sense of a social contract. Whether or not justice happens only due to fear of reprisal, and whether justice is truly a high virtue of itself, are among the questions considered. Eventually the discussion expands further into the idea of a just city state: ideas of how such a society, embodying justice and order, might work commences with Socrates proposing an educated 'guardian' class of able-bodied men and women who would uphold order and defend such a city against threats from outside. After expanding their ideas on the guardians, the dialogue proceeds onto other classes. It is here that Plato's famous idea of the philosopher king arises - the notion of a ruler who is appointed for holding the highest understanding of good and just rule, imparted to him at an early age by capable educators. Plato as Socrates eventually proposes that the essence of justice is fulfilling one's role in society. The correct assignment of an occupation to each citizen, to which they can happily commit, will result in a just and capable society. Further stipulations upon this ideal society are given; that education be strictly regulated and human reproduction made a matter for the state, with no offspring knowing their parents. The Republic then covers four forms of injustice manifested in systems of government - timocracy, oligarchy, democracy, and finally tyranny. How these unjust societies occur is talked about at length, with examples from Ancient society cited as Socrates/Plato develops theories on how societies go astray. The most unjust ruler - the tyrant - is discussed at length, and determined to be among the most unhappy, unfree and unfulfilled types of man owing to his thrall to passions, and friendless owing to his commitment to hierarchy. Such malfeasant politics are excoriated; in the end, Socrates says, all are harmed and none benefit from tyranny. Between books VII and VIII Socrates establishes the famous Allegory of the Cave as a way of demonstrating education's effects upon the human mind. By using the image of people who have only lived in a dark caves their whole lives, he illustrates how mere shadows against the walls are the closest such individuals come to seeing reality. Philosophy, Socrates argues, is the way by which humans are freed from this cave of ignorance and propelled to an enlightenment. Socrates concludes the discussion of city politics and rulers, and commences to focus upon the nature of art and its place in the just and ideal city. He also discusses reincarnation, the indestructible nature of the human soul, concluding the epic text on a spiritual note.

The Theaetetus is one of Plato's dialogues concerning the nature of knowledge, written circa 369 BC. In this dialogue, Socrates and Theaetetus discuss three definitions of knowledge: knowledge as nothing but perception, knowledge as true judgement, and, finally, knowledge as a true judgement with an account. Each of these definitions is shown to be unsatisfactory.

•This e-book publication is unique which includes detailed Biography and Notes.•This edition also includes exclusive Introduction, Historical work and literary critiques. . •A new table of contents has been included by a publisher. •This edition has been corrected for spelling and grammatical errors.The Republic is a Socratic dialogue, written by Plato around 380 BC, concerning the definition of justice, the order and character of the just city-state and the just man, reason by which ancient readers used the name On Justice as an alternative title (not to be confused with the spurious dialogue also titled On Justice). The dramatic date of the dialogue has been much debated and though it must take place some time during the Peloponnesian War, "there would be jarring anachronisms if any of the candidate specific dates between 432 and 404 were assigned". It is Plato's best-known work and has proven to be one of the most intellectually and historically influential works of philosophy and political theory. In it, Socrates along with various Athenians and foreigners discuss the meaning of justice and examine whether or not the just man is happier than the unjust man by considering a series of different cities coming into existence "in speech", culminating in a city (Kallipolis) ruled by philosopher-kings; and by examining the nature of existing regimes. The participants also discuss the theory of forms, the immortality of the soul, and the roles of the philosopher and of poetry in society.

The question The Republic sets out to define is "What is justice?" Given the difficulty of this task, Socrates and his interlocutors are led into a discussion of justice in the city, which Socrates suggests may help them see justice in the person, but on a grander (and therefore easier to discuss) scale ("suppose that a short-sighted person had been asked by some one to read small letters from a distance; and it occurred to some one else that they might be found in another place which was larger and in which the letters were larger," 368, trans. Jowett). Some critics (such as Julia Annas) have adhered to this premise that the dialogue's entire political construct exists to serve as an analogy for the individual soul, in which there are also various potentially competing or conflicting "members" that might be integrated and orchestrated under a just and productive "government."

“Love is a serious mental disease.”~ Plato, Phaedrus.One of the first and greatest literary works concerning love. Socrates and his friend Phaedrus discuss the different loves that exist between humans. The dialogue includes the famous simile in which the soul is compared to a charioteer (the rational element) driving a black steed (the irrational appetites) and a white steed (the spiritual element). Although ostensibly about the topic of love, the discussion in the dialogue revolves around the art of rhetoric and how it should be practiced, and dwells on subjects as diverse as metempsychosis (the Greek tradition of reincarnation) and erotic love.The dialogue consists of a series of three speeches on the topic of love. They encompass discussions of the soul, madness, divine inspiration, and the practice and mastery of art.'Phaedrus' is widely recognized as one of Plato's most profound and beautiful works.This edition includes a newly revised text and a lengthy introduction by classical scholar Benjamin Jowett.

“Love is a serious mental disease.”~ Plato, Phaedrus.One of the first and greatest literary works concerning love. Socrates and his friend Phaedrus discuss the different loves that exist between humans. The dialogue includes the famous simile in which the soul is compared to a charioteer (the rational element) driving a black steed (the irrational appetites) and a white steed (the spiritual element). Although ostensibly about the topic of love, the discussion in the dialogue revolves around the art of rhetoric and how it should be practiced, and dwells on subjects as diverse as metempsychosis (the Greek tradition of reincarnation) and erotic love.The dialogue consists of a series of three speeches on the topic of love. They encompass discussions of the soul, madness, divine inspiration, and the practice and mastery of art.'Phaedrus' is widely recognized as one of Plato's most profound and beautiful works.This edition includes a newly revised text and a lengthy introduction by classical scholar Benjamin Jowett.

The Apology of Socrates by Plato, is the Socratic dialogue that presents the speech of legal self-defence, which Socrates presented at his trial for impiety and corruption, in 399 BC.Plato (428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was a philosopher in Classical Greece and the founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Translated by Benjamin Jowett (1817 – 1893)

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Crito is a dialogue by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato. It is a conversation between Socrates and his wealthy friend Crito regarding justice, injustice, and the appropriate response to injustice. Socrates thinks that injustice may not be answered with injustice, and refuses Crito's offer to finance his escape from prison. This dialogue contains an ancient statement of the social contract theory of government.The dialogue begins with Socrates waking up to the presence of Crito in his prison cell and inquires whether it is early in the day. Crito informs Socrates that it is indeed early and that he, Crito, chose to let Socrates sleep in peace, especially given Socrates' current distressful circumstance of awaiting his own execution.