The Cambridge Companion to Plato's Republic

by G.R.F. Ferrari (Editor )

This Companion provides a comprehensive account of this outstanding work, which remains among the most frequently read works of Greek philosophy, indeed of Classical antiquity in general. The sixteen essays, by authors who represent various academic disciplines, bring a spectrum of interpretive approaches to bear in order to aid the understanding of a wide-ranging audience, from first-time readers of the Republic who require guidance, to more experienced readers who wish to explore contemporary currents in the work's interpretation. The three initial chapters address aspects of the work as a whole. They are followed by essays that match closely the sequence in which topics are presented in the ten books of the Republic. Since the Republic returns frequently to the same topics by different routes, so do the authors of this volume, who provide the readers with divergent yet complementary perspectives by which to appreciate the Republic's principal concerns.

Genres: Philosophy, Politics, Nonfiction, Essays, Reference

562 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2007

About the author

G. R. F. Ferrari is professor of classics at the University of California, Berkeley, the author of Listening to Cicadas: A Study of Plato's Phaedrus, and the editor of the Cambridge Companion to Plato's Republic.

Reviews

[Edward Butler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed this for Metapsychology Online here.

[Blaze-Pascal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was EXCELLENT! So many fascinating essays which help bring more depth to The Republic. This is the kind of book that you can refer back to, for all sorts of questions, especially philosophical ones, and the many issues which are pertinent to The Republic... I imagine as I am reading more and more Hegel I may come back to this book to help bring greater insight that Plato offered in his book. If you want to read The Republic, and also learn about it in greater depth, make sure to read this book. It is just a collection of essays...

I think for Hegel scholars, read G.R.F. Ferrari's "The Three Part Soul". I particularly loved that one.

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tough read for me...