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The Socratic Dialogues: Middle Period, Volume 3

The Republic

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The Socratic Dialogues: Middle Period, Volume 3

By: Plato, Benjamin Jowlett - translator
Narrated by: David Rintoul
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About this listen

The Republic is perhaps the single most important, the most studied and the most quoted text of all of Plato's Socratic Dialogues. Through the medium of Socrates, Plato outlines his view and ideas concerning the ideal working of the city-state.

Socrates narrates a conversation that took place the previous day with Cephalus, Glaucon, Thrasymachus and others. The dialogue is organised into 10 books and covers a broad range of topics, including the ideal community, the ideal rulers of the community - philosophers and the philosopher king - and various forms of government, including timocracy, oligarchy, democracy and tyranny.

Part of the Ukemi recording of the complete Socratic Dialogues by Plato, it uses the classic translation by Benjamin Jowett and is read with authority by David Rintoul.

Public Domain (P)2018 Ukemi Productions Ltd Ancient, Classical & Medieval Literature Classics Collections
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There aren’t many books that it is absolutely essential for every human being to read. This is one of them. If you haven’t read it yet, don’t read anything else until you have. This audiobook version is wonderful. David Rintoul is a masterful narrator, dramatising each of the characters in a way that Plato would thoroughly disapprove of ;-)

Essential knowledge

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The Republic is a truly fantastic work and David Rintoul's narration is incredible. Bear in mind that this translation is from the 19th century, so you'll hear words like 'husbandman' instead of 'farmer', but this isn't generally a problem.

Excellent

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Plato's Republic, as read by David Rintoul, is a necessary addition to anyone's audio library, and serves as a much needed compliment to the written text, allowing you to absorb the insights and arguments presented when a busy life disallows you the quiet solitude to read said text. Starting as a critique of tyranny, Plato, through the voice of Socrates, gives the quintessential 'Platonic' view of politics, ethics, epistemology and ontology, and remains the greatest achievement of Ancient Greek culture. I would also recommend Michael Sugrue's Great Course lectures on the Platonic Dialogues as a guide through this very deep text, and its context within Plato's other works and the contemporary philosophical atmosphere with which Plato was engaged.

A philosophical classic

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