Victor Nuovo: Plato’s ‘Republic’: City and soul

“The Republic” of Plato (426-346 BCE), which may be the greatest philosophical work ever written, has two themes, the soul and the city.

Plato was not only a profound philosopher, but also a consummate artist, and reading his works is not only interesting and intellectually challenging, but an aesthetic delight.

Eighth in a series. Not long after he finished writing “The Republic” Plato, changed his mind — or so it seems. This happens often among philosophers, but when great philosophers like Plato change their minds, it is worth noticing. To put it briefly, in h … (read more)

Seventh in a series. This essay continues my Platonic digression on the theme of a moral universe. A moral universe is one in which Good is as basic to our existence as Heat and Energy. In a moral universe, Good is empowered to triumph over Evil, Truth ov … (read more)

Editor’s note: Sixth in a series. The previous essay concluded on a new note: the idea of a moral universe, and I have returned to Plato as my guide. Plato did not suppose that a moral universe is a world where everyone may expect rewards for their good d … (read more)

The title of this essay calls for an explanation. Four weeks ago, I began a series entitled “The Life of the Mind in America.” This essay, the fifth in the series, is about Plato. But what does Plato have to do with America? He was an Athenian who lived m … (read more)