Philosopher-Kings: The Argument of Plato's Republic

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"Philosopher-Kings is a remarkable book, in the breadth of its scope as well as in the texture of its execution. It constitutes the most ambitious contemporary reading of the Republic, the most persistent, single-minded effort to give a unified reading of this immensely complex text. It is innovative in its attention not to a particular passage, argument, or theory on Plato's part, but to the whole of the Republic as a deeply coherent text, with no loose ends." -Alexander Nehamas, Princeton University

C. D. C. Reeve is Delta Kappa Epsilon Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Philosopher-Kings broke new ground on its first appearance by delivering to an audience accustomed to looking for flaws in Plato's thinking an interpretation of the Republic that celebrates the coherence of Plato's argument as it ramifies through every cranny of that controversial work. Reeve's book swiftly became a classic of Platonic scholarship and has never lost its grip. Its reissue by Hackett is a very welcome event. --G. R. F. Ferrari, University of California, Berkeley Philosopher-Kings is a remarkable book, in the breadth of its scope as well as in the texture of its execution. It constitutes the most ambitious contemporary reading of the Republic , the most persistent, single-minded effort to give a unified reading of this immensely complex text. It is innovative in its attention not to a particular passage, argument, or theory on Plato's part, but to the whole of the Republic as a deeply coherent text, with no loose ends. --Alexander Nehamas, Princeton University Reeve's brilliant treatment of the unity of Plato's Republic is a unique contribution to our understanding of that dialogue. Elegantly written, philosophically rich, his book stands to this day as one of the most creative readings of a Platonic dialogue of the past several decades. No one interested in Plato's ethics, political thought, and moral psychology can afford to neglect the striking and provocative way in which Reeve traces the parallel structures of Plato's literary masterpiece. --Michael L. Morgan, Indiana University