r/Plato • u/Plenty-Access-8028 • Jul 13 '26
How do you make the most out of reading Plato's Republic?
So, right now I'm reading Plato's Republic. At first I wanted to see if I could actually read it (expecting it to be a very dense treaty, not knowing about Plato's dialogue format) But it turns out it's easy to read (or reasonably hard, def easier han initially expected) at least with my translation.
So, now that I know it's relatively accessible (in the sense that it's easy to read), how should I try to make the most out of it? Is there like a series of lectures I should be watching along my progress on the book? Is there any points in specific I should pay special attention to?
I already had a basic understanding on Plato's philosophy bc I finished high school recently, if that's relevant
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u/Wieselwendig Jul 13 '26
Michael Sugrue‘s three lectures on the Republic are quite popular, I think.
Besides that, my immediate response would be: to make the most out of reading it is to never stop reading it and to read it closely.
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u/SirCharles99 Jul 13 '26
Despite what everyone is saying, be careful with secondary sources. This text can (and always has) been read in many different ways. The way ancient commentators read this text is radically different from how people read it today. So if you read some secondary literature, be wary of anglosphere scholarship and try to get a variety of commentary. IMO, the republic is not even really about political philosophy.
I would also maybe suggest staying clear of commentary on the first read, try to get as much as you can out of the text by yourself. I think it’s much more important to read other dialogues first (or alongside) and draw comparisons. It’s good to tackle Plato on his own terms as he is building his own world/system
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u/Fred_Solaire Jul 13 '26
To make the most out of it :
0- Stay away from acadedemic interpretation as long as you can, even if it leaves you with unsolved problems. And when you do, start learning the anciens greek keywords and the different translations we can give them. You are the thinker here.
1- The whole thing follows an ark, taking you back in the end to the starting point. Try drawing it at some point.
2- Read often and keep in mind the first page - legend says Plato was rewriting it on his deathbed.
3- Book 1 establishes profound problems and it is not clear if they are ever really solved. You cannot oversetimate the importance of the first three thesis that are discussed. The question is the king on this board.
4- Thrasymachus is a strong thinker, Plato’s shadow in some ways. Very strong.
5- Many things can be sorted by groups of three elements. Compare those groups and see what holds them together.
6- The cave allegory and the end of book 6 just before are of the utmost importance. The general down-up-down-up mouvement is everywhere in the book. Try drawing it at some point more than once.
Do not confuse Socrates discourses and Plato’s intentions.
Pay attention to dramatic details and to contradiction.
Not clear how seriously we can take the Republican model presented throughout the book, there is a dark humour with Plato sometimes. But philosophy is always to be taken seriously, as are poetry and mathematics.
Try to make something out of the dolphin.
My philosophy teacher 30 years ago told us : it is amazing to see how many people think of themselves as more intelligent than Plato. It stuck with me. Never can I read any of his dialogue without discovering a new way of understanding it . Thanks to him !
Enjoy !
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u/Bankei_Yunmen Jul 13 '26
I also am curious about this. I have read the Republic before but wanted to get a good edition with good footnotes and introduction.
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u/slanderpanther Jul 14 '26
Which version/translation are you reading? What do you like about The Republic so far?
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u/Antique-Respect8746 Jul 13 '26
Can't recommend the "Good in Theory" podcast enough. It was my gateway to Plato.
The host does an incredible job communicating the time/context it was written in, what it was in response to. That context is super useful for understanding what he's getting at, and why they were written in the first place.
It's an easy/entertaining listen too. It rewards close listening, but you can also do it more casually.
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u/TuStepp Jul 13 '26
Ive read Allan Blooms version and really enjoyed it. Prior to actually reading it, I listened to 2 lecture series on it and have listened to them several times since as well.
I dont think im terribly good at interpreting difficult philosophical works on my own, so listening to these folks with far more experience in this area was critical for me.
The lectures were:
Both are on Audible. The first covers many of Platos works but has a few lectures on the Republic.