I have just read the book” Republic” written by Plato. From my perspective, this is an interesting book so today i would like to present this book to you guys.

 About the author: Plato  was a philosopher in Classical Greece and the founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Plato was the innovator of the written dialogue and dialectic forms in philosophy. The republic was written by this way.

The Republic is a Socratic dialogue, written by Plato around 380 BC, concerning justice, the order and character of the just city-state, and the just man.

The republic was divided into 10 books.Book here means chapter. Each chapter was formed through a discussion between Socrates ( Plato’s teacher) and various Athenians to clarify some issues. 

In book 1 and 2, they talked about the definition of justice. While Polemarchus says justice is "the art which gives good to friends and evil to enemies." Thrasymachus proclaims "justice is nothing else than the interest of the stronger. Glaucon  thought that the life of the unjust man is far more blessed than that of the just man.

In book 3,. Socrates breaks the educational system into two: One is music ( knowledge) and the second is  gymnastic ( Physical training). They suggest that guardians should be educated in these four virtues: wisdom, courage, justice and temperance. They also suggest that the second part of the guardians' education should be in gymnastics. With physical training they will be able to live without needing frequent medical attention: physical training will help prevent illness and weakness. Socrates asserts that both male and female guardians be given the same education, 

In book 4, Socrates assumes each person will be happy engaging in the occupation that suits them best. If the city as a whole is happy,then individuals are happy .Without controlling their education, the city cannot control the future rulers. Socrates says that it is pointless to worry over specific laws, like those pertaining to contracts, since proper education ensures lawful behavior, and poor education causes lawlessness. Socrates proceeds to search for wisdom, courage, and temperance in the city, on the grounds that justice will be easier to discern in what remains (427e). They find wisdom among the guardian rulers, courage among the guardian warriors (or auxiliaries), temperance among all classes of the city in agreeing about who should rule and who should be ruled. Finally, Socrates defines justice in the city as the state in which each class performs only its own work, not meddling in the work of the other classes.

In book 5, our characters just summarised what they have taught previously.

In book 6, Socrates' argument is that in the ideal city, a true philosopher with understanding of forms will facilitate the harmonious co-operation of all the citizens of the city. This philosopher-king must be intelligent, reliable, and willing to lead a simple life. However, these qualities are rarely manifested on their own, and so they must be encouraged through education and the study of The Good.Because Goodness  is considered as the source of truth makes it possible for the mind to know, just as light from the Sun makes the eyes able to see.

In book 7, they elaborate on the education of the philosopher king. Until age 18, would-be guardians should be engaged in basic intellectual study and physical training, followed by two years of military training. However, a correction is then introduced where the study of gymnastics (martial arts) and warfare - 3 plus 2 years, respectively - are supplanted by philosophy for 5 years instead. Next, they receive ten years of mathematics until age 30, and then five years of dialectic training. Guardians then spend the next 15 years as leaders, trying to "lead people from the cave". Upon reaching 50, they are fully aware of the form of good, and totally mature and ready to lead. To become a leader is not like a bed of roses.

In book 8, Socrates discusses four unjust constitutions: timocracy, oligarchy, democracy, and tyranny. He argues that a society will decay and pass through each government in succession, eventually becoming a tyranny, the most unjust regime of all.The starting point is an imagined, alternate aristocracy (ruled by a philosopher-king); a just government dominated by the wisdom-loving element. When its social structure breaks down and enters civil war, it is replaced by timocracy.

In book 9,   they disagreed with the statement in the book 1 that the life of the unjust man (here understood as a true tyrant) is more blessed than that of the just man (the philosopher-king) and stated that the most blessed life as that of the just man and the most miserable life as that of the unjust man.

In book 10, Socrate spoke about illusions and confusion. Things can look very similar, but be different in reality. Because we are human, at times we cannot tell the difference between the two. He concluded with the sentence that Sometimes we let our passions rule our actions or way of thinking, although they should be controlled, so that we can increase our happiness.

To put in the nutshell, through this book I have learnt that a frank discussion is a good way to find out the answer or the solution of some issues and  combat with problems. Through a discussion, we can more understand our companion. Time goes by, we have witnessed many things in our daily life. Somehow, I just wonder if justice rally exists in our daily life. I cannot see it. But through that book, I realise that just or unjust is not matter. the most important thing is what can wedraw out after each failure we have chance to experience.

After reading this book, I remembered the quote of Isaac Newton “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giant. . Reading ths book, I can meet some ideas used to write by the others. For example, in the book, Plato mentioned about the division of labour. If you used to read the book” An inquiry into the nature and the causes  of being wealth of a nation” of Adam Smith you can realise that Adam Smith or Plato both appreciated the importance od division of labour- a vital factor that forms the wealth of a nation . Or the idea of “ social contrast” used to be discussed by in book 2 was also the idea of Jean Jacques Rousseau or John Locke.

After reading this book, I have compiled some of the most striking and famous quotes by Plato in this write-up. I hope that these quotes inspire you to understand politics, love, and life in a better way.

With me, after reading this book, I have realised the reason why this book was listed as the must read book. Though this book was mentioned about state, or some other political issues or ideas. In the republic, Plato used to write “In politics we presume that everyone who knows how to get votes knows how to administer a city or a state. When we are ill ... we do not ask for the handsomest physician, or the most eloquent one.”or “Our object in the construction of the state is the greatest happiness of the whole, and not that of any one class.”  Somewhere in this book, it also mentioned about some issues in our daily life that we can still apply in our modern life ranging from education to some problems relating to our inner life. Just Read this book and find out your own thoughts and lessons.