An engagement with Plato's Republic : a companion to the Republic

Bibliographic Information

An engagement with Plato's Republic : a companion to the Republic

Basil Mitchell, J.R. Lucas

Ashgate, 2003

  • : pbk

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Note

Includes bibliographical references and index

Description and Table of Contents

Volume

ISBN 9780754633655

Description

Outrageous, unfashionable, politically incorrect though many of Plato's opinions undoubtedly are, the authors of this text believe that we should not just dismiss them as thoughts now unthinkable, but think through them, recognising the force of the arguments that led Plato to enunciate them and consider the counter-arguments he might have marshalled to meet contemporary objections. This book encourages contemporary students to engage in Plato's thought, grapple with Plato's arguments, and explore the relevance of his arguments in contemporary terms. A text only comes alive if we make it our own; Plato's great work "The Republic", often reads as though it were addressing the problems of the day rather than those of ancient Athens. Treating it as a whole and offering a comprehensive introduction to Plato's arguments, Mitchell and Lucas draw students into an exploration of the relevance of Plato's thought to our present ideas about politics, society and education, as well as the philosophy of mathematics, science and religion. The first chapters help the reader to make sense of the text, either in translation or the original Greek. Later chapters deal with the themes that Plato raises, treating Plato as a contemporary. Plato is inexhaustible: he speaks to many different people of different generations and from different backgrounds. "The Republic" is not just an ancient text: it never ceases to be relevant to contemporary concerns, and it demands fresh discussion in every age.

Table of Contents

  • Can morality be justified?
  • Return of the self
  • Knowledge and opinion
  • The theory of forms
  • The theory of argument
  • The search for the good
  • Morality and happiness
  • Plato and pluralism
  • Sex, self and power
  • Education
  • The quarrel with the poets
  • Envoi.
Volume

: pbk ISBN 9780754633662

Description

Outrageous, unfashionable, politically incorrect though many of Plato's opinions undoubtedly are, we should not just dismiss them as thoughts now unthinkable, but think through them, recognising the force of the arguments that led Plato to enunciate them and consider the counter-arguments he might have marshalled to meet contemporary objections. This book encourages today's students to engage in Plato's thought, grapple with Plato's arguments, and explore the relevance of his arguments in contemporary terms. A text only comes alive if we make it our own; Plato's great work The Republic, often reads as though it were addressing the problems of the day rather than those of ancient Athens. Treating The Republic as a whole and offering a comprehensive introduction to Plato's arguments, Mitchell and Lucas draw students into an exploration of the relevance of Plato's thought to our present ideas about politics, society and education, as well as the philosophy of mathematics, science and religion. The authors bring The Republic to life. The first chapters help the reader to make sense of the text, either in translation or the original Greek. Later chapters deal with the themes that Plato raises, treating Plato as a contemporary. Plato is inexhaustible: he speaks to many different people of different generations and from different backgrounds. The Republic is not just an ancient text: it never ceases to be relevant to contemporary concerns, and it demands fresh discussion in every age.

Table of Contents

  • Contents: Introduction
  • Questions asked
  • Morality as mental health
  • Return of the self
  • Knowledge and opinion
  • Theories of forms
  • Plato's theory of argument
  • The search for the good
  • Morality and happiness
  • Plato and pluralism
  • Sex, self and power
  • Plato and education
  • The quarrel with the poets
  • Envoi
  • Index.

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Details

  • NCID
    BA6298643X
  • ISBN
    • 0754633659
    • 0754633667
  • LCCN
    2002026232
  • Country Code
    us
  • Title Language Code
    eng
  • Text Language Code
    eng
  • Place of Publication
    Burlington
  • Pages/Volumes
    xi, 177 p.
  • Size
    24 cm
  • Classification
  • Subject Headings
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