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Title: Plato: The Republic (Penguin Classics) by Plato, Desmond Lee ISBN: 0-14-044048-8 Publisher: Viking Press Pub. Date: September, 1955 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $8.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.34 (47 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Interesting, not life changing
Comment: The republic not only serves as a basis for western philosophy but is of central importance as a historical text. By observing staunch critics of Athenian society debate the nature of the ideal city, we come to understand precisely what Athens at the time was not like. By then noting all the specifics touched upon in the creation of this "kallipolis", we are provided with a subtle but vast account of how things actually were. Nevertheless, such politically colored views do not transfer so well into the actual philosophy. Plato, through the voice of Socrates, claims that he defines the city to help with the search for justice within the individual. More likely he is defining justice as a rationale for his elitist political views. So, as with anything powerful or important, treat this book with respect and fairness. Don't give the words more sanctity than they're due. Be prepared to sift through a considerable amount of semantics, wordplay, and blank assumptions before any of the gritty logical reasoning is found. Don't fall into the same trap of book's characters who are dazzled by Socrates' rhetoric. People will say that Plato is a genius- but that doesn't mean he can't make mistakes. All throughout the book there will be things that seem contradictory or illogical, and it doesn't make you stupid to think that Plato can be wrong. There are some fascinating and profound things that the careful reader can pull from this book, but as you read, keep in mind that Plato was a person and had his opinions like any other.
Rating: 1
Summary: Historical interest only
Comment: This book is most easily understood in the context of when it was written. Athens had been involved in a disastrous war with Sparta. As a result of the war Athens lost its empire, its fleet was disbanded and the walls from the city to the port were pulled down. The Democratic Party, which had ruled Athens, had been responsible for starting the war and also its outcome. Following the war the Spartans imposed on Athens an oligarchy dominated by aristocrats. Plato was a supporter of that government and an opponent of the supporters of democracy.
In writing about politics Plato argued that a proper system of government excluded the general public from decision making. He suggested that government was a technical function that should be undertaken by an elite who are trained for it. Obviously this position reflects his distrust of the majority and his belief that some were better fitted for government than others. Modern notions of government being related to dealing with conflict in society and resource allocation would of course simply meant nothing to him.
In discussing why he thought this was a just system the book suggests a theory of human nature which suggests that people are naturally limited in their abilities. Some people by birth are fitted to be shoemakers. Others might know how to till the soil. Society benefits from people occupying the place that fits them best. Again this view is reflective of the time and in reality large numbers of people are able to learn and to move between occupations and to fill different roles in society.
Plato having outlined his theory of society and government then suggests that the key to building a good society relates to the training and selection of the class who will carry out the government function. The book is historically important as being one of the foundations of modern political thought but is not the sort of work that could be said to contain wisdom which is relevant today.
Rating: 3
Summary: Plato's Ideal State
Comment: My three-star rating aside, Plato's "The Republic" is a must read for anyone interested in political science. It will make you think about the subjects it covers in a very critical way. Plato is not shy about his opinions and does not couch them in mysterious language. He confronts the reader with them and forces you to consider them.
Of course, part of this directness is attributable to the translator, Desmond Lee. One of the things that makes the Penguin's Classics series so useful is the excellent introductions they contain. In this particular work, Lee presents Plato's contemporary society and how it affected his world view. Lee also prefaces each section with anywhere from two sentences to as much as a page or two in order to assist the reader with understanding some of the finer points of Plato's philosophy.
"The Republic" is primarily concerned with four questions: 1) what is justice?, 2) is it better to be a just man or to only appear to be just?, 3) given our answer to #2, what is the ideal state?, and 4) how are contemporary Greek states imperfect?. The answer to the first three questions are closely related to Plato's philosophy of the Forms. Plato's Form can be thought of as perfection or the ideal. For instance, a carpenter may build a house. The house may appear real to us but it is only a representation of the ideal house, or the Form of a house. Plato says to think of a Form as being created by god and that, when the carpenter builds his house, he may build it in any number of ways and styles, but it will never be as perfect as the Form of the house. The philosopher should only be interested in the Form and not in the inferior representations.
Now, if that sounds a little bit odd to you, then most of "The Republic" must be understood as an outsider looking in. Given that the first three questions are intimately related to that concept, I did find Plato's arguments very unconvincing. However, Plato's discussion of the imperfection of contemporary Greek states is very interesting and pertinent to our time.
For those of us living in the United States, Plato's description of democracy, which he lived under in Athens, and the democratic character should be chilling. Of course, Athenian democracy and American democracy are not the same. The Constitution was written to a great extent to avoid the imbalances of ancient Greek democracies. In fact, in a technical sense, our state is not a democracy at all but a representative democracy.
Plato's main critique of democracy was that it necessarily lead to a reduction in respect for authority and elders. Plato also criticized democracy for its weak leaders. He felt that the democratic character of a man living in a democracy would cause him to promote only those people like himself to positions of power within the state. Given that the average man is, by definition, of average intelligence, skill, and talent, the ablest of a democracy's citizens would be unable to attain the highest positions of power within the state. Since the elected leaders would only be able to keep their positions by pleasing the great mass of citizenry, they would enact laws and regulations which benefited those people to the detriment of the wealthiest. In other words, politicians in a democracy are prone to overtaxing the rich so that they can transfer their wealth and land to the poor.
Plato believed that policies like this would unavoidably lead to class warfare and the forcible transfer of political power to one man, a tyrant, who would be able to secure the masses against the wealthy. Of course, the tyrant would eventually provide himself with a personal army and attempt to enslave the entire populace to his will, thereby securing only himself against the general population.
The American Constitution and the American character have successfully prevented this scenario from occurring here but it cannot prolong it forever. Certain barriers built into the Constitution have already been breached: the income tax, direct election of Senators, and various programs like social security, medicare, and agricultural subsidies are all cracks in the armor of American liberty. If we continue on the path we are headed, American liberty will cease to exist by the end of this century.
As a final note, some readers may find it difficult to follow the format that "The Republic" uses. In Plato's day, philosophical prose was often written in a dialogue format. In this work, Plato uses Socrates as his primary questioner and speaker. This may seem odd to have another, real person speak for you in a political treatise but just know that, every time Socrates speaks, it's really Plato's sentiments being expressed.
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Title: The Politics by Aristotle, T.A. Sinclair, Trevor J. Saunders ISBN: 0140444211 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: June, 1992 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title: The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Martin Edward Malia ISBN: 0451527100 Publisher: Signet Pub. Date: October, 1998 List Price(USD): $5.95 |
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Title: The Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle, David Ross, W. D. Ross, J. L. Ackrill, J. O. Urmson ISBN: 019283407X Publisher: Oxford University Press Pub. Date: June, 1998 List Price(USD): $9.95 |
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Title: Utopia by Thomas More, Paul Turner ISBN: 0140441654 Publisher: Viking Press Pub. Date: January, 1965 List Price(USD): $7.95 |
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