Contents

The Republic Message Board

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Key Literary Elements
• The Author and His Times
• Some Basics about the Book
• Socrates as a Teacher
• Form and Style

The Dialogue-Summaries with Notes

Book I
• What are the Current Views on Justice?
• Speaking the Truth and Paying One's Debts (327a-331d)
• Helping Friends and Harming Enemies (331e-336a)
• The Advantage of the Stronger (336b-347e)
• Injustice is More Profitable Than Justice (347e-354c)
Book II
• Justice Writ Large
• Statement of the Problem (357a-367e)
• Origins and Needs of the State (367e-374d)
• The Excellence and Education of Guardians (374e-383c)
Book III
• The Basic Education of the Guardians
• Proper Musical Training (386a-403c)
• Physical Training (403c-412b)
• The Selection of Rulers (412b-414b)
• The Myth of the Metals 414c-417b)
Book IV
• Justice Discovered
• The Happy State (419c-427c)
• Virtues of the State (427c-434d)
• The Virtues of the Individual (434d-445e)
Book V
• Women, Wives, Warfare, and Philosphers
• The Equality of Women (451c-457c)
• The Communal Family (457d-466c)
• The Etiquette of War (466d-471e)
• Philosopher as Kings (472a-476a)
• The Theory of Forms (476b-480a)
Book VI
• The Philosopher King
• Attributes of True Philosophers (484a-487a)
• Why Philosophers are Considered Bad Sorts (487b-497a)
• The Possibility of Philosopher Kings (497a-502c)
• The Idea of the Good (502d-509c)
• The Divided Line (509d-511c)
Book VII
• The Higher Education of the Guardians
• The Allegory of the Cave (514a-521b)
• Higher Education (521c-531c)
• Six Educational Stages (535a-541b)
Book VIII
• Degenerate Societies and Souls
• Timocracy (543a-550e)
• Oligarchy (550c-555b)
• Democracy (555b-562a)
• Tyranny (562a-569c)
Book IX
• The Miserable Tyrant
• The Tyrannical Man (571a-576b)
• Justice is Happiness (576b-588a)
• Justice is Profitable (588b-592b)
Book X
• Poetry and Immortality
• Poetry as the Enemy of Philosophy (595a-608b)
• The Eternal Rewards of Justice (608c-end)

A Step Beyond
Tests and Answers
• Test 1
• Test 2
• Answers - Test 1
• Answers - Test 2

Term Paper Ideas
• Term Paper Ideas

Reference
• Glossary
• The Critics
• Advisory Board
• Bibliography
• The Author's Other Works