Plato’s best-known and most influential work, The Republic, was written around 380 BCE. In this Socratic dialogue, Plato explores the topic of justice by describing various actual and hypothetical approaches to government including his utopian city-state that is governed by a philosopher-king.

Summary

Read the detailed book-by-book Summary & Analysis or the Full Book Summary of The Republic.

Key Terms

Reference this list of key terms as you study The Republic.

Quotes

Find the quotes you need to support your essay, or refresh your memory of The Republic by reading these key quotes.

Deeper Study

Go deeper into The Republic by reading essays providing background and context for the work.

Quick Quiz

Test your knowledge of The Republic with these quiz questions.