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Plato’s Republic, one of the most influential philosophical works in Western thought, pursues a single great question—what is justice?—through an ascending inquiry into the soul, the ideal city, and the virtues that a just order demands of rulers and citizens alike.

The work’s reach extends across philosophy, political theory, ethics, and education; alongside the Bible, it has been called one of the most influential books ever written. At its center stands an enduring claim about the bond between personal virtue and the common good.

That bond is embodied in the figure of the philosopher-king. Having ascended from the cave and seen the truth, he does not remain in the light of contemplation where his own good lies. He descends again—back into the darkness, at real cost and real risk—to free those still in chains. His rule is an act of sacrifice rather than self-interest. Socrates lived that ideal to its end: refusing to compromise the truth, he accepted the sentence handed down for standing by his principles, though it cost him his life.

This critical, annotated edition of Plato’s Republic includes:

• an introduction to the work

• a summary and commentary on each book of the Republic

• Dr. John Teller’s classic essay, “Socrates as Proto-Christ: Socrates’ Cave and Christ’s Descent into Hades,” which casts Socrates—through his ethical teaching, his trial, and the allegory of the cave—as a foreshadowing of Christ

• a conclusion assessing the impact and significance of The Republic

• commentaries that build a bridge between Socrates and Jesus—two of the most consequential figures in human history.

Sofia Classics Library™ imprint

Sofia Classics Library™, whose name derives from the Greek word for wisdom, seeks to revive a passion for the classics, cultivate a love of wisdom, and promote the good, the true, and the beautiful in literature, philosophy, and art. To this end, Sofia Classics Library™ publishes the philosophical and literary masterpieces that transcend time and inspire excellence.

The volumes of Sofia Classics, focusing on the fathers of the Western philosophical and political tradition, begin with the ancient Greek works of Plato and Aristotle, and move on to the great books of the Enlightenment, including those of Locke, Rousseau, Kant, and Burke, and conclude with the writings of Mill, Bastiat, and others that shaped the transition of the nineteenth century into the modern era. Together, this corpus of writings has shaped and formed Western civilization as we know it.

In addition to its stand-alone volumes, Sofia Classics Library publishes complete collections that make fine additions to any bookshelf. Ornately designed in hard bound editions, these volumes are sure to bring a touch of elegance to any library.

The one-foot library, Masterpieces of Western Literature™, revives the epics, dramas, and novels of a wide range of authors, from Homer to Thucydides and Dante to Shakespeare, published in black leather-looking hardcover bindings with royal blue highlights ornamented with gold trim.

The one-foot library, Foundations of Western Civilization™, is comprised of the books that have shaped the Western philosophical canon, from Hellenistic and Roman thought to the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures to the classics of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, published in black leather-looking hardcover bindings with burgundy highlights ornamented with gold trim.

For the classics bibliophile, the Sofia Great Books Collection™ brings together all of the volumes of the Masterpieces of Western Literature and Foundations of Western Civilization collections in a two-foot library offered in elegantly designed black leather-looking bindings with royal blue and burgundy highlights embellished with gold trim.

Sofia Classics Library is divided into the following collections:

Ancient Philosophy

The Enlightenment

Nineteenth Century classics

Classics Libraries

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