"Killing a man involuntarily is a lesser crime than misleading men about the nature of law and its relation to beauty, goodness, and justice." -Socrates
The Republic is one of Plato's many documented dialogues of Socrates. This site is dedicated to Plato's masterpiece, a true classic which has lived throughout the ages. As with all of the Socratic dialogues, it is hard to distinguish between Platonic thought and Socratic thought; that is part of what makes these works such great pieces of literature. Not only do they give us an insight as to what philosophers were thinking in ancient Greece, but they offer the key to unlock the mysteries behind these thoughts. In order to understand what Socrates is saying, it is very important to remember that everything mentioned in the book is vital to the meaning of the book: the characters, the sentences, the analogies, and even the location of the dialogue. With these very basic thoughts in mind, go deeper into the City in Speech and learn more about one of the most influential pieces of literature in history.
Note: the picture above is not Socrates- it is Plato!
Also, if you are in Center and are reading the material on this site to prepare for the Republic quiz, the only sections you need to read are the Waves. The rest are things we have done in class or that we have already learned, but if you have a chance look at them! Also, I realize that the wave sections are a little lengthy, but this book is one of the longest in the piece and deals with three distinct categories that involve much detail. I have placed a "Conclusion" section at the bottom of each wave, so look over those after reading the section. Enjoy the site!
Socrates' ideas were not received as positively as they are today. The Thirty Tyrants of Athens saw him as a bad influence on society, and wanted to get rid of him. He was charged with denying the gods and corrupting the young, and was sentenced to drink poisonous hemlock, resulting in his death.
The Republic is one of Plato's many documented dialogues of Socrates. This site is dedicated to Plato's masterpiece, a true classic which has lived throughout the ages. As with all of the Socratic dialogues, it is hard to distinguish between Platonic thought and Socratic thought; that is part of what makes these works such great pieces of literature. Not only do they give us an insight as to what philosophers were thinking in ancient Greece, but they offer the key to unlock the mysteries behind these thoughts. In order to understand what Socrates is saying, it is very important to remember that everything mentioned in the book is vital to the meaning of the book: the characters, the sentences, the analogies, and even the location of the dialogue. With these very basic thoughts in mind, go deeper into the City in Speech and learn more about one of the most influential pieces of literature in history.
