The Republic Of Plato: Second Edition and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more



or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering
Sell Us Your Item
For a $2.25 Gift Card
Trade in
More Buying Choices
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Start reading The Republic Of Plato: Second Edition on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.
Sorry, this item is not available in
Image not available for
Color:
Image not available

To view this video download Flash Player

 

The Republic Of Plato: Second Edition [Paperback]

Plato , Allan Bloom
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)

List Price: $22.95
Price: $16.44 & FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $6.51 (28%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
Only 15 left in stock (more on the way).
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.
Want it Tuesday, May 28? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
Kindle Edition $13.77  
Paperback $16.44  
Sell Back Your Copy for $2.25
No matter where you bought them, get up to 70% back when you sell your books at Amazon.com.

Book Description

October 3, 1991
Long regarded as the most accurate rendering of Plato’s Republic that has yet been published, this widely acclaimed work is the first strictly literal translation of a timeless classic. This second edition includes a new introduction by Professor Bloom, whose careful translation and interpretation of The Republic was first published in 1968. In addition to the corrected text itself there is also a rich and valuable essay—as well as indexes—which will better enable the reader to approach the heart of Plato’s intention.

Frequently Bought Together

The Republic Of Plato: Second Edition + The Prince: Second Edition
Price for both: $24.45

Buy the selected items together
  • The Prince: Second Edition $8.01

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought


Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Greek

About the Author

Allan Bloom is professor of social thought at the University of Chicago. The author of many books, including The Closing of the American Mind, he is also the translator of Rousseau’s Emile (Basic Books, 1979).

Product Details

  • Paperback: 512 pages
  • Publisher: Basic Books; 2 Sub edition (October 3, 1991)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0465069347
  • ISBN-13: 978-0465069347
  • Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 1.4 x 9.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,212 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

This translation by Allan Bloom is perhaps the most recent 'Republic' I have read. FrKurt Messick  |  11 reviewers made a similar statement
That being said, Plato's Republic stands as THE most important book of Political Theory ever written. D. W. MacKenzie  |  11 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
141 of 146 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A great translation that does justice to a great work October 17, 2001
Format:Paperback
Plato's Republic is really beyond reviews, and it would be presumptuous do anything other than encourage potential readers to study it for themselves. As the overt political slants of some of the other reviews suggest, his ideas resonate in the modern world as much as they did in his own. Whether a reader approaches Republic with positive or negative prejudices, the actual text of the argument forces constant reevaluation and refinement of those preexisting opinions.

Allan Bloom has created a literal translation that is ideal for those who truly wish to engage with Plato. Most other translators have used non-literal methods that attempt to convey in a more contemporary form what Plato "meant" by his arguments. However, in this process the translator's own interpretation of Plato's argument inevitably influences the language in which he renders his translation. Bloom has attempted, with a great degree of success, to separate the processes of translation and interpretation. Rather than imposing his reading on the text itself, he express it in a thought-provoking interpretive essay that follows the text

This is probably not the easiest translation of Plato to read, because Bloom does not attempt to serve as a baby-sitter for his readers. However, the extra time spent in reading this version will be well rewarded by a deeper understanding of Plato's argument.

Was this review helpful to you?
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars a translation of substance and a great edition June 17, 2007
Format:Paperback
i add my praise of bloom's *translation*, which avoids many of the historical pitfalls in rendering plato's language and concepts and, on the whole, is idiomatic, consistent and accurate. the few criticisms of the translation posted here seem to me to turn on bloom's educational background, which is a silly cavil, or on his translation, which as far as i can tell is objectionable only to readers lacking greek themselves.

i especially praise bloom's *edition*, which provides excellent endnotes to some of the disputed passages and, in particular, clarifies the meaning of key greek words (eidos, doxa, nomos, arete, politeia, etc.) and the translation difficulties the words create. i cite for example his gloss on greek "thymos" (passion) which bloom represents as "the seat of anger" (a common straussian misconception) but consistently translates as "spirit" or "spiritedness", which is about as accurate as english can render its complex meaning. the point is that without this kind of annotation the reader is hostage to the translator's whims. bloom discloses his choices at every turn, so that the reader is aware of the translator's challenge, can approve or evaluate his translation choices, and has the context for further exploration of plato's ideas if that seems fruitful. in this respect, the endnotes are at least as stimulating as the text.

the edition also includes a very useful index to proper names and a separate index to subjects (really, a synoptic index of concepts such as "virtue" or "justice"), which allows the reader to retrace page by page the steps in the argument that hinge on particular words (in the original greek) or specific philosophical ideas. of course the edition uses the berlin marginal numbering which is the standard method to cite passages in plato, but the indices are conveniently keyed to pages or endnote numbers.

finally, bloom's apparently controversial interpretative essay does presume a careful and skeptical reader. while clearly tendentious in certain respects it is also an excellent gloss on the outline and argument of the dialog; a kind of cliff's notes for the mature reader. i see this essay as a culmination in the invitation -- through the text, the notes to the text, the inquiry through the indices, and the questions all these raise -- to encounter the book in a spirit of self inquiry and self education. the book is a fine example of "paideia".

my disappointments are with the typeface, which is a bit small and stodgy, with the paper (too rough and heavy), and with the binding: as with many basic books paperbacks, the glue will split and shed pages if the book is used too familiarly.

materials aside: for a modern american reader with little knowledge of classical greek or of the three centuries of philological and literary scholarship laid over it, this is far and away the best english translation and nonscholarly edition for getting back at least part of the original meaning of plato's supreme political tract, with all the tools necessary for a lifetime of self study.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
22 of 24 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A literal Republic September 11, 2005
Format:Paperback
Plato's 'Republic' is one of the most important works of ancient Greek philosophy, and one of the foundation pieces of political science and political philosophy of that and subsequent ages. It was one of the first pieces I read when undertaking a political science degree. This translation by Allan Bloom is perhaps the most recent 'Republic' I have read.

Plato was not only a great philosopher, but also a great writer. While few master the classical Greek language sufficient to undertake its study in the original language, the text appears in countless translated forms of varying degrees of integrity. This translation by Bloom is one of the best literal translations - it stays very closely to the original, explaining things that do not translate easily, but avoiding many interpretation issues that often show more of the philosophy and/or politics of the translator than of Plato.

The text is traditionally divided into ten sections, although some scholars see this as being a function of the papyrus and scrolls of original composition more than being integral to the structure of the text itself. One of the interesting features of the Republic is that it was not originally intended for scholars and philosophers primarily, but for the common (albeit educated) reader, and remains one of the more accessible texts of ancient Greek philosophy.

In typical fashion, this is done in a dialogue fashion, with the lead character Socrates (fashioned after Plato's teacher, the great philosopher Socrates, although the words Socrates utters in this and many other Platonic dialogues are undoubtedly Plato's own). There is a discussion on method (the Sophist Thrasymachus shows up early to make disparaging comments about the Socratic method) whilst trying to determine an adequate definition of justice, as well as a discussion on the virtues and/or utility of wealth and old age early in the text. Socrates moves the discussion of justice away from the individual toward the communal, and this is where the political philosophy gets played out in full.

Book II shows the setting out of an ideal city (city-states being the most common form of political organisation in Greece at the time of Plato, with Athens and other cities competing for dominant role). Division of labour becomes an immediate necessity if a city grows beyond a small village setting, according to the theory here. These essentially become classes of people, with different rights and responsibilities, and different expectations of education and material well-being. The guardians or army class is the first one introduced, including an extensive discussion of the type of education and indoctrination such a class should have - this involves political and religious aspects.

It follows from this discussion that censorship is not only tolerated, but selectively preferred. The guardian class is elaborated upon - they are to be divided into rulers and helpers (officer and enlisted class, perhaps?), and they should live separately from the city they guard, owning no private property so as to not be corrupted or corruptible.

After establishing the just foundation of the city, the discussion returns to justice for the individual (interesting to note that what is not discussed is if justice is attainable in a non-ideal city). Justice, after all, is that state when everyone is doing what he or she should be doing, not meddling in other affairs, and exhibiting the virtues of moderation, wisdom, and courage. Justice becomes one of the virtues, and is part of an inner state of the soul of one living in such a society.

Interesting parts of the Republic include the very early idea for equal rights and responsibilities for women, particularly in the guardian class. It is unclear whether Plato was aware of how self-serving his dialogue would seem, since his argument leads to the `natural' conclusion that the only ones who could really be in charge in such an ideal city would be the philosophers. Plato is not an advocate for democracy, and pokes fun quite a bit at democratic structures; he similarly disapproves of most of other types of government (oligarchy, plutocracy, timocracy, etc.) - one can discern the frustrated politician here.

However, the real power of the Republic lies in Plato's remarkable images and metaphoric stories in the second half of the dialogue. These include his expositions on theories of the Forms, and trying to explain what the Good is, and how humankind interprets such things. The images of the ship, the Sun, and the men in the cave are powerful images that have lasted in popular literature since the time of Plato.

This is a classic of Western literature and of world literature.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars A Most Pleasant Stroll Through Plato's Republic with Allan Bloom.
The Commentary to this major work of Plato is wonderful. Allan Bloom not only 'walks one through the Republic but he also makes perceptive and illuminating comments along the way. Read more
Published 6 days ago by Claudius Clear
4.0 out of 5 stars Platos Republic
Reviewing Plato's Republic is pointless, in a way because this great work don't really need any review. However I think there's no harm if I review it one more time. Read more
Published 27 days ago by M Parvez
3.0 out of 5 stars it was ok
Had to read this for a PSC class. I should of bought a hard copy instead of kindle addition. I think I'm one who likes to actually have the book in front of my not an electronic... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Amber
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a difficult translation
I love the translation, although its heavy slogging, this being my
first time though it. I also like Bloom's interpretive essay for the
entire book and each chapter which... Read more
Published 2 months ago by William J. Staub
5.0 out of 5 stars Joe Sachs on Bloom's Republic: "by far the most accurate available"
Joe Sachs, the author of the 2007 translation of Plato's Republic, and a translator of numerous books by Plato and Aristotle says on p. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Brisbane reader
5.0 out of 5 stars Quite possibly the best translation I have read!
This translation of The Republic is one of my favorites! Everything is very plainly laid out for the reader and the translator does an excellent job of making the concepts clear... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Alexander Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars Great condition
the book is in great condition, no marks or tears on the pages.
serves its purpose well...
just like the description said
Published 3 months ago by Tracy
5.0 out of 5 stars Thank for fast service
This was a very very fast and super easy way to obtain a book that is needed for school cheap.
Published 4 months ago by wesley
1.0 out of 5 stars NEED citations on the side. Also, page number wouldn't hurt.
While the book is phenomonal, the kindle version really needs citations on the side like the regular book would have. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Daniel Villalobos-terrazas
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Most Rewarding and Important Texts Ever Written!
Plato's Republic is a book that will change an individual's understanding and approach to life. This is one of those books that you hear about, usually in your High School years... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Brian J. Hendricks
Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews




What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?


Forums

Topic From this Discussion
Which translation of Plato's Republic do you recommend?
I'm no scholar but Allan Bloom's is the one we used in a great books based course in college. The footnotes can be very good.
Mar 7, 2013 by Tell City-Perry County Public Library |  See all 3 posts
Have something you'd like to share about this product?
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions




Look for Similar Items by Category