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OverviewIn Plato's Republic, Socrates contends that philosophers make the best rulers because only they behold with their mind's eye the eternal and purely intelligible Forms of the Just, the Noble, and the Good. When, in addition, these men and women are endowed with a vast array of moral, intellectual, and personal virtues and are appropriately educated, surely no one could doubt the wisdom of entrusting to them the governance of cities. Although it is widely-and reasonably-assumed that all the Republic's philosophers are the same, Roslyn Weiss argues in this boldly original book that the Republic actually contains two distinct and irreconcilable portrayals of the philosopher. According to Weiss, Plato's two paradigms of the philosopher are the ""philosopher by nature"" and the ""philosopher by design."" Philosophers by design, as the allegory of the Cave vividly shows, must be forcibly dragged from the material world of pleasure to the sublime realm of the intellect, and from there back down again to the ""Cave"" to rule the beautiful city envisioned by Socrates and his interlocutors. Yet philosophers by nature, described earlier in the Republic, are distinguished by their natural yearning to encounter the transcendent realm of pure Forms, as well as by a willingness to serve others-at least under appropriate circumstances. In contrast to both sets of philosophers stands Socrates, who represents a third paradigm, one, however, that is no more than hinted at in the Republic. As a man who not only loves ""what is"" but is also utterly devoted to the justice of others-even at great personal cost-Socrates surpasses both the philosophers by design and the philosophers by nature. By shedding light on an aspect of the Republic that has escaped notice, Weiss's new interpretation will challenge Plato scholars to revisit their assumptions about Plato's moral and political philosophy. Full Product DetailsAuthor: Roslyn WeissPublisher: Cornell University Press Imprint: Cornell University Press Dimensions: Width: 15.20cm , Height: 2.40cm , Length: 22.90cm Weight: 0.907kg ISBN: 9780801449741ISBN 10: 080144974 Pages: 248 Publication Date: 16 August 2012 Audience: General/trade , General Format: Hardback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: Out of stock The supplier is temporarily out of stock of this item. It will be ordered for you on backorder and shipped when it becomes available. Table of Contents"Introduction: Two Paradigms 1. Philosophers by Nature 2. Philosophers by Design I: The Making of a Philosopher 3. Philosophers by Design II: The Making of a Ruler 4. Socratic Piety: The Fifth Cardinal Virtue 5. Justice as Moderation Conclusion: ""In a Healthy Way"" Works Cited Index"Reviews<p> Philosophers in the 'Republic' offers a new and challenging interpretation of Platonic moral philosophy. Roslyn Weiss focuses attention on a careful reading of the Republic as a philosophical and dramatic work and also has important things to say about the history of Western moral philosophy and the structure and identity of moral philosophy generally. Weiss develops her case with extraordinary care, meticulously examining both the form of the arguments and the dramatic character of the dialogue. -Gerald M. Mara, Georgetown University, author of Socrates' Discursive Democracy <p> Philosophers in the 'Republic' offers a new and challenging interpretation of Platonic moral philosophy. Roslyn Weiss focuses attention on a careful reading of the Republic as a philosophical and dramatic work and also has important things to say about the history of Western moral philosophy and the structure and identity of moral philosophy generally. Weiss develops her case with extraordinary care, meticulously examining both the form of the arguments and the dramatic character of the dialogue. Gerald M. Mara, Georgetown University, author of Socrates' Discursive Democracy Philosophers in the 'Republic' offers a new and challenging interpretation of Platonic moral philosophy. Roslyn Weiss focuses attention on a careful reading of the Republic as a philosophical and dramatic work and also has important things to say about the history of Western moral philosophy and the structure and identity of moral philosophy generally. Weiss develops her case with extraordinary care, meticulously examining both the form of the arguments and the dramatic character of the dialogue. Gerald M. Mara, Georgetown University, author of Socrates' Discursive Democracy Author InformationRoslyn Weiss is Clara H. Stewardson Professor of Philosophy at Lehigh University. She is the author of The Socratic Paradox and Its Enemies, Virtue in the Cave: Moral Inquiry in Plato's 'Meno,' and Socrates Dissatisfied: An Analysis of Plato's 'Crito.' Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |