Customer Reviews

Plato's the Republic (Barron's Book Notes)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a good helper to make it through Plato's Republic. However, some of the most important parts (e.g. the abolition of the family and the equality of women) are skipped over. Also, the term paper ideas are not very original... most college students could come up with these ideas on their own. But, it does help if you have trouble interpreting the Socratic dialogs. For the price, it's a good deal.

It has been said that all political theory books are meer footnotes to Plato's masterpiece, the Republic. This is probably true on a descriptive scale. Plato puts forth the basic essentials of any and all forms of government and the men who support it. He laid the groundworks for generations of philosophers, government officials, and nations. However, Plato's idea of the utopian state is rather flawed and impractical. He preaches the dissolustion of private property, sharing of all possesions (including women and children!), censorship, a class system, and rule by philosopher kings. But he also brings forth ideas that were well ahead of their time, such as equal rights for women, monotheist beliefs, free and public education, education techniques, and more. Anyone interested in politics and the nature of society should read this book as a basis for exploration of this wide and interesting field.