Understanding Plato's Republic

Gerasimos Santas is Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus, at the University of California, Irvine. He has taught courses in Ancient Greek Philosophy, Plato's Republic, and Ehics for fifty years in American Colleges and Universities. He is author of Socrates (1979), Plato and Freud (1988), Goodness and Justice (2001), and editor of The Blackwell Guide to Plato's Republic (2006).

"Santas's critical engagement with the text and emphasis on getting the reader involved in its debates and arguments…is the real strength of this book. Someone who reads it will come away with an appreciation for the continued relevance and value of the arguments in the Republic, and that is, in my mind, something very good indeed." (Michelle Jenkins, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews, August 27 2011)"Santas's long career in philosophy and in the classroom has resulted in a wonderful new reading of Plato's Republic. The analysis is close, fresh, and revealing, and at the same time remarkably concise.... Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty." (Choice, 1 July 2011)

• Preface xi1 Introduction: The Style, Main Argument, and Basic Ideas of the Republic 11 The Dialogue Style and the Characters 22 The Main Argument and Plot of the Republic 53 The Fundamental Ideas of the Republic 82 Is Justice the Interest of the Rulers? Is It Good for Us? The Challenge of Thrasymachus 151 Why does Thrasymachus Think that Justice is the Interest of the Rulers? 162 Socrates’ Refutations of Thrasymachus’ Premises 193 Is [the] Justice [of Thrasymachus] Good for Me? 244 Thrasymachus Unconvinced, Socrates Dissatisfied. What Has Gone Wrong? 313 Justice by Agreement. Is It Good Enough? The Challenge of Plato’s Brothers 361 What is Justice? Glaucon’s Theory of a Social Contract 362 Glaucon and Thrasymachus on what Justice is: Results and Methods 413 Why should I be Just? 444 What is a Just Society? Plato’s own Social Ideal 551 What is Justice? Socrates Divides the Question 552 What is a Just Society? The Problem of Justice, and How Socrates Tries to Solve It 593 The Functional Theory of Good and Virtue 634 Plato’s Defi nitions of Justice and the other Virtues of his Completely Good City 675 Return to Plato’s Methods for Discovering Justice 715 Plato’s Ideal of a Just and Good Person 761 The Analogy between a Just City and a Just Soul 772 Plato’s Analysis of the Human Psyche 793 Parts of the Human Psyche: Faculties or Agents? 814 Just, Temperate, Brave, and Wise Human Souls 895 Plato’s Ideal of Rationality 936 The Virtues and Vices of the City-soul Analogy 1006 The Equality of Women: Plato’s Blindfold 1071 The Blindfold of Justice 1072 Does Plato’s Justice wear a Blindfold? 1093 The Gender Blindfold of Plato’s Justice 1104 Was Plato an Advocate of Women’s Rights? Was He a Feminist? 1147 Knowledge and Governing Well: Opinions and Knowledge, Forms and the Good 1201 Ideals as Standards and their Approximations 1202 The Paradox of the Philosopher-king: Knowledge and Political Power 1223 Knowledge and Opinions 1244 Platonic Forms and Physical Particulars 1275 Plato’s Theory of the Form of the Good 1376 Knowledge of Good 1437 How Elitist is Plato’s Completely Good City? 1468 Plato’s Criticisms of Democracy and the Democratic Character 1581 Political Equalities and Economic Inequalities 1592 Platonic Knowledge and Democratic Ruling 1653 Plato’s Criticisms of Democratic Freedoms 1704 Plato’s Democratic Character: Freedom and Equality in the Human Psyche 1745 Plato’s Criticisms of his Democratic Character 1779 Plato’s Defense of his Social and Psychic Justice 1871 Is Plato’s Social Justice Justice at all? 1892 Is Plato’s Political Justice Better for me than the Justice of Thrasymachus or the Justice of Plato’s Brothers? 1923 Is Plato’s Political Justice Good for All the Citizens? 1944 Plato’s Defense of his Just Person: The Sachs Problem 2025 The Defense of Justice as the Health of the Soul 2086 The Defense of the Just Life as the Pleasantest 212Bibliography 220Index 227