The Republic

Plato’s The Republic is one of his longest works, yet it is easily his most accessible and greatest. In this famous translation, Benjamin Jowett does a superb job of introducing Plato’s invaluable teachings to the modern world. The Republic, in essence, is the search for that most elusive yet formidable quality — justice. As a student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle, Plato was famous for founding that bastion of higher learning, the Academy. He is also widely regarded as modern philosophy’s father figure. Even a cursory read of The Republic will reveal that his towering intellect was only matched by his insatiable pursuit of truth.

The Republic’s influence on philosophical and political thought cannot be overestimated. By seeking to define justice, how an individual can be just, and how we can create a just society, Plato was asking questions the world should never stop seeking the answers to. The Republic is also famous for Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and the story of the legendary city of Atlantis. First-time readers will marvel at its simplicity while being stunned by its implications and complexity. The Republic remains a vast and deeply philosophical work. Its search for an ideal society where all individuals can flourish and live contented lives makes it a book that no serious reader should leave on the shelf.