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Plato's Republic

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Creative Commons Attribution

The 'Republic' is among Plato's most famous and longest works. In this course, we will read and discuss parts of Plato's text, and thereby explore his fascinating views on ethics, politics, metaphysics, psychology, and the nature of knowledge.

Date created:

2013-04-08 15:52
Tutor: 
Peter Wyss
Subjects: 
Philosophy
Keywords: 
Philosophy, Plato, Socrates
Course type: 
Weekly class

Course: Further details, online booking

Resources for this course

Displaying 1 - 23 of 23
Type Resource Description People Full details
Link Plato

Entry in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy by R. Kraut, 2011.

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Link Plato's Ethics and Politics in 'The Republic'

Entry in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy by E. Brown, 2009.

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Document Handout 1: Comparing Translations

The passage where Thrasymachus (336b) bursts into the discussion in five different translations.

 Peter Wyss view
Document Coursework 1: 327a–354c

Questions and background information for the second meeting.

 Peter Wyss view
Document Coursework 2: 357a–376c

Questions and background information for the third meeting.

 Peter Wyss view
Document Handout 2: A (Very) Rough Guide to The Republic

A two-page overview that merely touches on some of the main points.

 Peter Wyss view
Document Handout 3: The Arguments of Republic Bk I

A sketch of the main arguments in Book I: Cephalus, Polemarchus, and Socrates' attempts to refute Thrasymachus.

 Peter Wyss view
Document Coursework 3: 412b–427c

Questions and background information for the fourth meeting.

 Peter Wyss view
Link Plato and Totalitarianism

In this episode of philosophybites, Melissa Lane discusses the charge that Plato's ideal state is totalitarian.

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Link Plato's Cave

In this episode of philosophybites, Simon Blackburn explores the cave analogy (514a ff.).

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Link Ancient Theories of Soul

Entry in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy by H. Lorenz, 2009. See section 3 for Plato's account.

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Document Coursework 4: 427d–445e

Questions and background information for the fifth meeting.

 Peter Wyss view
Document Handout 4: Poetry and Soul

Two arguments against poetry from Bk II and III; an overview of the soul–city connections and the virtues in Bk IV.

 Peter Wyss view
Document Coursework 5: 471c–502c

Questions and background information for the sixth meeting.

 Peter Wyss view
Link Plato's stave: academic cracks philosopher's musical code

Link to J. Baggini's article on the harmonical analysis mentioned in our discussion.

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Document Coursework 6: 502c–521b

Questions and background information for the seventh meeting.

 Peter Wyss view
Document Handout 5: The Ship; Key Questions Bk V–VII

Analysis of the ship analogy (488a–489a); overview of some central questions that guide Bks V–VII.

 Peter Wyss view
Document Coursework 7: 543a–592b

Questions and background information for the eighth meeting.

 Peter Wyss view
Document Handout 6: Platonic Forms or Ideas

A sheet with background information about Forms or Ideas.

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Document Coursework 8: 595a–621d

Questions and background information for the ninth meeting.

 Peter Wyss view
Document Handout 7: The Line, Dialectics, and Good

A picture of the line, remarks on dialectics, a comparison with Descartes, and some comments on the Form of Good.

 Peter Wyss view
Document Handout 8: The Happiness Arguments in Bk IX, 576–92

An attempt to clarify the three (murky) arguments for the claim that the philosophical life is the happiest. Two passages from Mill.

 Peter Wyss view
Link Famous Last Words: Myth of Er

A link to J. Garvey's two-page draft of an editorial for The Philosopher's Magazine (2011, 53).

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