The Republic
By Plato (375 BC)
This book is a dialogue between Socrates and a gang of old Greeks about the best and most just way to rule a state.
Reflections
Socrates is the (super)hero in this dialogue, it almost gets ridiculous. It's actually more of a monologue than a dialogue. None of Socrates's assumption or arguments gets challenged throughout the book. Everybody just hums along in awe to the point it gets silly. I wonder if that a sign of the cruder less evolved writing style of the time.
But why Socrates and why dialogue?
Plato was a student of Socrates and both Socrates and Plato hade the same ides, that reasoning and truth can only be gained through dialogue. According to sources, Socrates never wrote anything himself. So perhaps to honour his teacher Plato hade Socrates to play the philosopher in a lot of his dialogues.
So what about the actual content of the book, the monologues. Well, they are interesting so on many levels, apart from perhaps the actual philosophical insights. I feel that they have been sort of absorbed into the fabric of modern thinking and doesn't really come across as groundbreaking ideas anymore. But his argument skills are mad the points and very fun to witness, like a freestyle rap battle. And then we have the fact that the Republic is written over 2000 years ago, which gives an amazing window into the mindset of the time. What strikes me is how little that has changed in terms of hanging out and discussing ideas. We still value youth, food, health, sex and so on and argue the nuances how to run a country.
But why Socrates and why dialogue?
Plato was a student of Socrates and both Socrates and Plato hade the same ides, that reasoning and truth can only be gained through dialogue. According to sources, Socrates never wrote anything himself. So perhaps to honour his teacher Plato hade Socrates to play the philosopher in a lot of his dialogues.
So what about the actual content of the book, the monologues. Well, they are interesting so on many levels, apart from perhaps the actual philosophical insights. I feel that they have been sort of absorbed into the fabric of modern thinking and doesn't really come across as groundbreaking ideas anymore. But his argument skills are mad the points and very fun to witness, like a freestyle rap battle. And then we have the fact that the Republic is written over 2000 years ago, which gives an amazing window into the mindset of the time. What strikes me is how little that has changed in terms of hanging out and discussing ideas. We still value youth, food, health, sex and so on and argue the nuances how to run a country.
Takeaways
Boys and girls! Socrates (470 – 399 BC), Plato (428/423 – 348/347 BC) and Aristotle (384 – 322 BC), the great Greek philosophers, were closely connected. Like pearls on a string, Socrates was Plato's teacher and Plato Aristotle's. And then Aristotle went on to become Alexander the Greats teacher. Amazing.Cost-book-benefit analysis
Its a super easy and enjoyable read. Like most classics I've read is so much more accessible than my own preconceived biases. It's obviously a classic for a reason, definitely a must-read and if you have a nice bookshelf its a have-to-need.-> Buy
Borrow
Burn
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Deep web linkage
More about the author: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plato
Listen for free on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqGsg01ycpk
Listen for free on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqGsg01ycpk
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Philosopher gap
- Need the learn more about the old Greeks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greek_philosophy
- Read more of the worlds oldest book https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_literature
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