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  • 柏拉图: 理想国
    PLATO: Republic (The)
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• • 柏拉图: 理想国 / PLATO: Republic (The)
  • [ 读物介绍 ]
  • PlatoThe RepublicPlato and Socrates Plato was an Athenian aristocrat, born around 429BC, and inthe normal course of events, he might have expected to play a prominent part inAthenian political life. However, he grew up as Athens was losing the longPeloponnesian War against the Spartans — a defeat, which provoked a civil warin which democrats were victorious, and aristocrats were largely discredited.Having also seen his friend and mentor Socrates put to death by the newlyrestored democracy, Plato for the most part avoided politics, and spent histime in philosophical inquiry. He founded one of the first schools ofphilosophy — the Academy — in Athens. Socrates was born in 469BC, and put to death in 399BC.Sentencing him to death was, as he pointed out to the jury, a stupid thing todo. ‘For just a small gain in time you will now have the reputation andresponsibility … of having put to death Socrates, that wise man. They will sayI am wise, the people who want to blame you, even though I am not. If you hadwaited a little, you could have had what you wanted without lifting a finger.’ It is a problem to know exactly what Socrates believed. Hewrote nothing himself, and our picture of him comes almost in its entirety fromPlato, who makes Socrates the mouthpiece for his most important views. So whenthe Socrates of a Platonic dialogue says something, we have no cast-iron way ofknowing whether this is what the real-life Socrates believed, or whether it isan opinion of Plato’s, attributed to Socrates as a mark of respect. A commonly held view is that the short early dialogues giveus an accurate picture of the historical Socrates, that the late dialogues aremostly Plato, and that the middle dialogues (of which The Republic is one) markthe point at which Plato’s ideas begin to diverge from those of Socrates, as hebegins to see more and more of the problems and complexities inherent in theviews held by Socrates. We can be fairly sure, however, that the real-life Socrateswas an innovator in at least two ways. He was one of the first, if not thefirst, to maintain that a good man will never do harm to anyone — not even tohis enemies. And he more or less invented the technique of argument by agreedsteps from agreed premises, most argument up to that time having consisted inthe adversarial expression of conflicting views. Both these innovations arewell exemplified in The Republic. The Republic In The Republic, Socrates is asked the question ‘What isjustice?’ And in order to answer it, he draws a long and detailed analogybetween the individual and the city. If we can see what makes a justcity, he says, we may find it easier to see what makes a just individual. Suchan answer immediately leads him into the realms of political theory and ethics,with extended digressions into artistic and literary criticism, and the theoryand practice of education. But there is more to The Republic than this. Since acity can only be just when those who’s principal concern is wisdom andknowledge rule it, Plato is necessarily drawn also into questions about thenature of knowledge (epistemology) and the nature of reality (metaphysics). So The Republic compels our attention because it lays thefoundation for the whole division of Western European philosophy (by Aristotle,a generation after Plato) into the categories of metaphysics, epistemology,ethics, aesthetics and political theory. It does this withouttechnical jargon, in clear simple language, using everyday examples andmetaphors drawn from farming and seafaring, or from the making of shoes,weapons, musical instruments and music. That is one reason why The Republic is better suited tobeing read aloud than any other work of Western philosophy. Another reason isthat the arguments are for the most part cumulative, and not sequential. Platodoes not repeat himself, but arguments produced in one place both rely on andsupport arguments used in another place. So if there is something you don’tfollow in Book 2, or if your attention wanders in Book 3, this won’t stop youunderstanding and enjoying Book 4. The same arguments won’t be used, butsimilar arguments will, and from those you can generally reconstruct whateverit was you missed the first time. A third — and the most powerful — reason lies in the powerof the images Plato brings before us: of human life as imprisonment in a cave,watching a sequence of shadow-pictures on the wall opposite; of democracy as anunending squabble aboard a ship at sea over who is to take the tiller; of soulsafter death, choosing the lives into which they will be reborn. Plato in hisyouth was a poet, and although in The Republic he declares war on poets, he cannever rid himself of the poetry, which pervades his own perception, andportrayal of everything he sees. Notes by Tom Griffith
  • • 作品列表
    • • CD01
      • 作品编号：23377  The Republic

      • 'I Went Down To Piraeus Yesterday With Glaucon'

      • 'With Pleasure, Cephalus'

      • 'What Would You Say Is The Greatest Benefit You Have Derived From Your Possession Of Great Wealth?'

      • Polemarchus 'Inherits The Discussion' On The Definition Of Justice

      • 'All Right Then. When People Are Unwell...' - The Just Man

      • Thrasymachus Takes Control Of The Argument

      • Thrasymachus: 'Some Cities Are Tyrannies, Some Are Democracies And Others Aristocracies'

      • Socrates: 'It's Neither Here Nor There, Polemarchus,' I Said

      • Glaucon Puts The Argument For Injustice

      • Socrates Defends Justice

      • Glaucon: The Legend Of Gyges The Lydian

      • Socrates: 'The Origin Of A City Lies...In That We Are Not, Any Of Us, Self-Sufficient'

      • Socrates: 'In Which Case, Where Exactly Are Justice And Injustice To Be Found In It'

      • The Origin Of War And The Need For Guardians - Soldiers

      • CD02
      • 作品编号：23377  The Republic

      • Socrates: Which Of These People Are To Rule, And Which To Be Ruled?'

      • The Full Guardians And The Auxilaries, The Defenders Of The Rulers' Beliefs

      • The Phoenician Story And The Training Of The Auxiliaries

      • The Four Elements Of A City Which Is Wholly Good: Wisdom, Courage, Self-Discipline And Justice

      • Wisdom

      • Courage

      • Self-Discipline

      • Justice

      • The Role Of The Classes In Society - The Skilled Worker Or Businessman; The Warriors; The Guardian,

      • The Rational And The Spirited

      • Socrates: 'Which Is More Profitable: Just Actions, Good Behaviour...Or Unjust Actions And Being Unju

      • Adeimantus Raises The Question Of The Role Of Women In Society

      • Socrates Continues The Discussion

      • The Situation Of Children

      • Socrates: 'The Greatest Good...And The Greatest Evil...In The Organisation Of Our City'

      • On Campaign With The Children

      • The Treatment Of The Enemy - Enslavement?

      • CD03
      • 作品编号：23377  The Republic

      • A Model Of Justice And A Model Of Injustice

      • Socrates: 'There Is No End To Suffering...Unless Either Philosophers Become Kings...Or Kings...Becom

      • The Training Of The Rulers

      • Glaucon: 'Yes, He Said. 'It Is A Good Idea To Find That Out'

      • Socrates: '...The Most Important Branch Of Study Is The Form Or Character Of The Good'

      • The Faculty Of Sight

      • Socrates: 'This Is What You Must Take Me To Mean By The Child Of The Good'

      • The Ruler Of What Can Be Understood And The Ruler Of What Can Be Seen

      • The Metaphor Of The Community In The Cave

      • Returning To Everyday Life After The Contemplation Of The Divine

      • 'In Which Case, Glaucon, You Should Bear In Mind'

      • The Agreed Characteristics Of The City

      • The Four Regimes Of Rule: The Cretan Or Spartan (Honour-Loving - Timocracy), Oligarchy, Democracy, T

      • Timocracy Or Timarchy

      • I Imagine The Next Regime...Oligarchy

      • CD04
      • 作品编号：23377  The Republic

      • Democracy

      • '...That Leaves Us With The Task Of Describing...Tyranny'

      • Socrates: 'What Prompts The Change From Champion To Tyrant?'

      • The Verdict: 'The Best...Is The One Who Is Most Kingly, The One Who Is King Over Himself'

      • A Second Proof - The Three Parts Of The Soul: Pleasure, Desire, Rule

      • 'Here Are Three Men...'

      • Glaucon: 'Explain, please, Why Pleasure Is A Shadow-Picture'

      • Socrates: ' Do You Know What Sort Of Thing These Pleasures And Pains Are Then'

      • Socrates: 'A Great Prize Is At Stake, Glaucon...For Being Good Rather Than Bad'

      • The Tale Of Er, The Son Of Armenius

      • A New Journey To The Light - And Eight Whorls

      • '..When They Arrived They Had To Go Immediately Before Lachesis'

      • Choice: The Middle Way

      • 'This Choice Of Lives Among The Various Souls...'

      • Socrates: 'Practise Justice With Wisdom'