Republic, The by Plato, Melissa Lane (Introduction), Desmond Lee (Translator); 401/2007. Softcover. (Penguin Classics) (CO)

Plato's The Republic is widely acknowledged as the cornerstone of Western philosophy.

Presented in the form of a dialogue between Socrates and three different interlocutors, it is an inquiry into the notion of a perfect community and the ideal individual within it. During the conversation other questions are raised: what is goodness; what is reality; what is knowledge? The Republic also addresses the purpose of education and the role of both women and men as "guardians" of the people.