uestion, albeit in different philosophical categorizations. Plato the man was born around 427 B.C. and died in 347. He was a member of a wealthy and powerful Athenian family, and was even related to some of the more important political actors of the time. Because of his stature and wealth, it was natural that he become involved in the events surrounding Athenian politics. Plato eventually became a full time philosopher, organized a school called the "Academy," and was somewhat of an influential man in the city state of Athens. Nevertheless, the two major influences on Plato's life were that of the older Socrates, and his growing disillusionment with contemporary Athenian politics (Annas, 1981).
Plato's Republic is considered to be his greatest work, and it is also about five times longer than the longest philosophical dialogue from his earlier period. The Greek title of the word means "The State or On Justice," and its subject is "the nature of justice and injustice and their consequences for the just and unjust man." Plato states this early in the work, and it follows that the ideas presented are based upon the Aristotelian conception that justice and virtue are both linked in human interactions. Thus, in the Republic,
The good life can only be lived in a community, so it must be seen in its communal aspect; it calls for an understanding of human nature, that is, of the psyche (for without that one cannot know what is good for it), and most difficult of all, of the nature of goodness itself; and for all this the paramount need is the right sort of education. Many topic from other dialogues will recur, for basin himself on Socrates as he still does, Plato has written them will the same object in view the good life which he here treats more comprehensively than in any other. Most indeed of those so far considered may be regarded as, from one point of view, preliminary studies for the Republic. Virtue is knowledge thr...