Plato's Republic

I've read most of it, but that was some years ago. I'm more familiar with some of the other dialogues. When I was in high school, The Republic or other dialogues were required reading.

Q: What do you know about Plato's [The] Republic?

A: Read it. Enjoyed it. Still have Allan Bloom's translation of it sitting around here on a shelf. If you want a great society, build it upon a lie. A noble one. (But is it possible for that which is an untruth to also be possessed of virtue? News at eleven...)

Like Alleycat, ancient history for me - so I guess I'd answer B. Puma

b) I read it at one point, but didn't find it terribly enthralling, and have not retained all of the information.

It involved a rather disturbing, oligarchical system which made use of propaganda and injustice to maintain social order. I expect that it was an inspiration for the system in Brave New World which made the artificial castes that Plato recommended real through the miracle of genetic engineering.

This book was one of the centerpieces of a college political class I took, as an example of teleocracy: Government established to accomplish and impose some goal upon its subjects, rather than government established simply to support the society of the citizens.

I found Aristotle's Politics to be a far more practical discussion of how government works.

Hey, Sarpedon!

I read part of it many, many years ago because I thought I should. Didn't retain a word.

B. Read parts of it in high school and college.

I read it and enjoyed it .. but haven't read it for a while.

One anecdote: As I grew up in a fairly conservative area, nobody had told me that Plato was gay*

So I never understood how these two bits of Plato's system fit together:

1) Men should be in the military, but women shouldn't be

2) Men should be posted in the military alongside their lovers, so they would be more inclined to fight bravely

Everything made so much more sense when I found out the truth !

Mac
(*PS: I realise that that's also an oversimplification - an attempt to characterise their relationships by our pigeonholes.)

Read it. Taught it. Wrote a study guide. Think Phaedo and the Symposium are way more betterer.

I don't know everything about it; far from it. But I've read it through choice a few years back, so I guess my answer is B.

Read it recently. Enjoyed it.

I'd say ab) I took detailed notes and my thoughts on it while I read it, so I'm not an expert but I'd say I have a really good understanding of it.

B. read it as a part of government theory major in college...haven't had a reason to think about it in years. Could refresh easily though

All I remember is him talking about an ideal state, and how it served as a setup for his later discussion about Atlantis...