Philosophic Classics From Plato to Derrida

REPUBLIC(BOOKI) 59

Plato,Republic(Book I, 336b–342e, 347b–e; Book II, 357a–362c, 368a–376e; Book III, 412b–417b; Book
IV, 427c–445e; Book V, 449–462e, 473b–e; Book VI–VII, 502c–521b), translated by Joe Sachs
(Newburyport, MA: Focus Philosophical Library, 2007). Reprinted by permission of Focus Publishing/R
Pullins Company.

REPUBLIC* (in part)

Characters

Socrates

Glaucon

Adeimantus

Cephalus

Polemarchus

Thrasymachus

Cleitophon

Scene—Cephalus’ home at Pireus

BOOKI

[SOCRATES:] And when Thrasymachus many times, even while we were in the
middle of our conversation, was making motions to take over the argument, he was
prevented by those sitting by him, who wanted to hear the argument out. But when
we paused as I said this, he could no longer keep still, but having gathered himself to
spring like a wild animal, he launched himself at us as if to tear us to pieces. Both I
and Polemarchus were quaking in fear, and he, snarling into our midst, said: “What
drivel are you people full of now, Socrates? And why do you act like idiots kowtow-
ing to each other? But if you truly want to know what’s just, don’t merely ask and
then, as befits someone with a passion for honor, cross-examine whenever anybody
answers, knowing that it’s easier to ask than to answer, but also answer yourself and
tell what you claim the just thing is. And don’t give me any of that about how it’s the
needful or the beneficial or the profitable or the gainful or the advantageous, but tell
me clearly and precisely what you mean, since I won’t stand for it if you talk in such
empty words.”

336b

c

d

*The only speaker in the dialogue is Socrates. He begins recounting a conversation he had on the
occasion of a foreign religious festival that took place just outside Athens. Between the day and night portions
of the festivities, a group of young men latches on to Socrates, who could be expected to provide entertaining
talk. Polemarchus takes the group to his house, where they meet his father Cephalus, a very old man preoccu-
pied with making amends before his death for any injustices in his life. Socrates asks him what he understands
justice to be and begins to examine the implications of his answer. [We pick up the conversation as
Thrasymachus, a well-known sophist, breaks in to the conversation.]