What follows is a brief introduction to Plato’s Republic intended for the undergraduate or beginner. This introduction should in no way be understood as a replacement for reading the text – or even as a complete introduction to a very complex work. Actually reading Plato will repay the effort at least a hundredfold. However since Plato’s time is very far removed from our own a little help might be in order. There are hundreds of excellent scholarly works on Plato available for the novice. One that I have used in class and really admire is Socrates Against Athens: Philosophy on Trial by James Colaiaco. Although the focus is on Plato’s Apology the reader gets an excellent view of Socrates and the particular environment out of which Plato’s philosophy developed.
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