Plato's Republic

In Our Time

BBC

History

4.6 • 9.2K Ratings

🗓️ 29 June 2017

⏱️ 49 minutes

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Summary

Is it always better to be just than unjust? That is the central question of Plato's Republic, discussed here by Melvyn Bragg and guests. Writing in c380BC, Plato applied this question both to the individual and the city-state, considering earlier and current forms of government in Athens and potential forms, in which the ideal city might be ruled by philosophers. The Republic is arguably Plato's best known and greatest work, a dialogue between Socrates and his companions, featuring the allegory of the cave and ideas about immortality of the soul, the value of poetry to society, and democracy's vulnerability to a clever demagogue seeking tyranny. With Angie Hobbs Professor of the Public Understanding of Philosophy at the University of Sheffield MM McCabe Professor of Ancient Philosophy Emerita at King's College London and James Warren Fellow of Corpus Christi College and a Reader in Ancient Philosophy at the University of Cambridge Producer: Simon Tillotson.

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is the BBC.
0:02.0	Thanks for downloading this episode of In Our Time.
0:04.5	There's a reading list to go with it on our website,
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0:10.0	at BBC In Our Time.
0:12.0	I hope you enjoyed the programs.
0:13.5	Hello, Plato's Republic written around 380 BC
0:17.0	explores whether it's always better to be just than unjust
0:20.0	and is seen as a cornerstone of Western philosophy.
0:23.0	It takes the form of a dialogue between Plato's teacher,
0:26.0	business companions, and is said around 430 BC
0:30.0	since when Athens had cheated between tyranny and direct democracy
0:33.0	and as a democracy had put Socrates to death.
0:37.0	One companion argues that we would all behave unjustly if we could get away with it.
0:41.0	To address this, Socrates imagines what a perfectly just city would be like
0:45.0	and applies lessons from that to the individual soul.
0:48.0	And if the soul is best ruled by reason, he argues the city would be best ruled by philosophers.
0:53.0	With me to discuss Plato's Republic are Angela Hobbes,
0:56.0	professor of the public understanding of philosophy of the University of Sheffield,
1:00.0	MM McCabe, professor of ancient philosophy,
1:03.0	Emeritor at King's College London, and James Warren,
1:06.0	a fellow of Corpus Christi College and a reader in ancient philosophy
	...

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