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The Republic and other great dialogues by the immortal Greek philosopher Plato, masterpieces which form part of the most important single body of w...
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Sep 01, 2011
Jay
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DONE! Been reading this book for just almost two years!! Faithfulness to the original style and structure of the dialogues is both strength and weakness: it recreates the experience of Socrates' teaching and questioning and including and creates a compelling narrative by following Socrates through his trial and execution. Unfortunately, it is also a bit rambling and takes some time getting to the point of a line of questioning. Many anecdotes and turns of phrase are extremely anachronistic (a fe
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Aug 12, 2008
Maureen
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From Meno, the dialogue between Socrates and Menon:
"Menon: And how will you try to find out something, Socrates, when you have no notion at all what it is? Will you lay out before us a thing you don't know, and then try to find it? Or, if at best you meet it by chance, how will you know this is that which you did not know?
...(nine pages later}...
Socrates: Yes, I think that I argue well, Menon. I would not be confident in everything I say about the argu More...
"Menon: And how will you try to find out something, Socrates, when you have no notion at all what it is? Will you lay out before us a thing you don't know, and then try to find it? Or, if at best you meet it by chance, how will you know this is that which you did not know?
...(nine pages later}...
Socrates: Yes, I think that I argue well, Menon. I would not be confident in everything I say about the argu More...
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Dec 09, 2011
Erik
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This was probably the first book of Plato's dialogs, some of them at least, which I ever owned. I believe it was purchased used from the Maine South H.S. bookstore and may actually have been read before college matriculation. Later it was replaced on the shelves by Jowett's complete, two-volume edition.
Jun 14, 2011
Nathanael
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I only read The Republic out of this edition. The translation is clear and readable, but with only a few explanatory footnotes throughout, it was difficult to grasp complex ideas. There were some diagrams to help with some of the more famous passages. On the whole, a good edition.
Jul 23, 2011
Brian
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Really essential reading. The Republic is a remarkable establishment (and great to compare with Lycurgus from Plutarch's Lives). The Symposium is an intriguing series of philosophies on love. The Apology is a stunning argument for rule of law even in the face of injustice.
May 11, 2007
Tenzing
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Old man Plato has some thought provoking things to say, the most famous being the claim that the life of your average Joe is no better than living in a cave mistaking shadows on the wall for real existence. Plato urges us to value wisdom and reason above all, to use these to achieve an understanding of the eternal and the unchanging, and not the illusory and temporal. I'm not yet convinced of the existence of this greater reality Plato values above all else, and wonder if there is really anythin
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Feb 08, 2012
David
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A good translation. Includes The Apology, The Republic, Symposium, Crito, Phaedo, Meno, and Ion. The first two are a must read for everyone. The Republic takes some work getting through, but it is worth it.
Aug 01, 2011
Eleni
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If you don't know the Allegory of the Cave, then get reading. Get to know Socrates and his method. It's not the most thrilling thing ever written but it has its moments and those moments influenced western thought ever since.
Feb 17, 2011
Shawn
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Not pleased with the translation. It was tough to understand. Very disappointing as most of these works chronicled the thoughts of Socrates who is one of my favorite philosophers.
Apr 05, 2009
Ramona
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Didn't read it all. Read selected chapters for a university course. Some very interesting ideas. Plato was really into censorship to promote a well ordered society.
Oct 02, 2008
Ritch
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I bought this on my honeymoon after finishing Steve Martin's "Born Standing Up," and feeling vaguely guilty that the only book I was reading was "The Wolf's Hour" about a Russian born member of the British Secret Service, expert lover and werewolf who is doing covert ops behind enemy lines in WWII. According to this book, the D-Day invasion might never have succeeded if not for the efforts of this, well, werewolf.
Anyway, yeah- and the Steve Martin book got me thin More...
Anyway, yeah- and the Steve Martin book got me thin More...
Jan 15, 2011
Tom
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First Plato I ever read (about 1962). Changed my life forever. there may be better translations since but this one was pivotal to me.
Nov 08, 2007
teresa
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I have read many of his dialogues about 10X in undergrad, grad, and teaching them. I used to have the fancy big Collected Dialogues of Plato but I think I borrowed it to a student and never saw it again.
My favorites: Crito, Apology, Phaedo, and Symposium.
Because the dialogue form can be a little awkward to get used to and there are clunky translations and a new reader might not realize that Socrates is often being snarky might cause some readers to not be immediately More...
My favorites: Crito, Apology, Phaedo, and Symposium.
Because the dialogue form can be a little awkward to get used to and there are clunky translations and a new reader might not realize that Socrates is often being snarky might cause some readers to not be immediately More...
Jul 23, 2011
Gb240
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Socrates (or at least the character of Socrates as Plato depicts him) is the Man. Required reading.
Jan 19, 2009
Fypast
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I just really don't think this has aged well... but not many seem to agree.
Aug 04, 2011
Keith
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One of the best greek philosophers.
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May 11, 2011
Chris
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Wow! What a marvelous book. Wonderful dialogue between Socrates and his "friends." I read most of it but even without reading The Apology, which is included in this book and is considered to be the best part, I still give it five stars.
Jan 05, 2009
Clint
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From the point of view of philosophy, this is probably the most important book ever written. But from the point of view of literature, I'd have to say it was a little lacking. Basically it's Socrates rambling about a ton of things, going off on 100-page tangents, interspersed with his friends breaking up his line of speech with lines like, "Exactly." "Certainly." "Of course, that is clear." And so on and so on.
Aug 06, 2007
Brook
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I particularly like the dialogue where Socrates destroys a basically Nietzschean will-and-power view of the world. I don't care much for his blathering about how he knows the afterlife must exist, but all philosophies have flaws & everyone picks something to believe in.
Nov 15, 2008
ahh, ancient philosophy.
i studied part of some of these in one or two classes in college. i figured it would be good to have this on hand, so i can work my way through it gradually. the fact that it only cost me a dollar helped me to make this decision.
i studied part of some of these in one or two classes in college. i figured it would be good to have this on hand, so i can work my way through it gradually. the fact that it only cost me a dollar helped me to make this decision.
Oct 06, 2008
John
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While Rouse's translations of Homer are a little less than desirable, he still is the king of cheap, affordable, easily accessible translations of Plato. My humble guess is that this little book has launched many a false start into Philosophy as a career path...
Aug 05, 2007
Jeremy
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Of course this book is a bit thick in its vernacular and hard to fully get with one read through. It is worth the patience, though. A lot of the ideas and points made in later works (all the way up to the present) steal quite a bit from Plato.
Jul 21, 2010
Nick
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Of inestimable value as a continuation of Socrates' work, I have to agree with a friend of mine. Many of the dialogues eventually breakdown to an ancient Greek equivalent of a Victorian gentleman's club, with here-here's all around.
Aug 16, 2007
Indah
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Dialogues of Plato basically give you the insight look of Plato thought. The cave theory explaines well the sitauation/reality of idealisme methodelogy that still exsit in this 21st century. It's quite an 'open' dialogue.
