Rather, the Republic is a meditation on the nature of human beings, specifically on what “justice” is. Plato does not actually envision these proposals being enacted. The notes are invaluable they really should have been printed alongside the text, like a study Bible.Ī common confusion about the Republic is that it is a plan for political reform. I read this book with two bookmarks: one to keep my place in the main text and one in the endnotes, so I could keep flipping back as I went along. Bloom’s interpretive essay is not required reading, but the textual notes in the back of the book are. Make sure you get Bloom’s edition if you really want to read the book as Plato wrote it. Then it’s time for the big plunge: Allan Bloom’s edition of Plato’s Republic.
On the other hand, the question of how Christianity relates to philosophy is a deep one with a long history, and this book at least raises it. I think that’s basically right as far as the ancients go. Chesterton understands philosophy, as practiced by the ancients, essentially as an alternative form of religion -the major alternative to pagan mythology. While it is not explicitly a work of political philosophy, it gives you a really valuable insight on how philosophy relates to religion and how both of these affect the way political communities think and act. This gives you an idea of (1) what philosophy is, and (2) why philosophy matters for the life of a political community.Īnother good book to read at the outset, I think, would be G. Most political thought programs start with Hackett’s The Trial and Death of Socrates, which collects four dialogues of Plato (the Apology, the Euthyphro, the Crito, and the death scene from the Phaedo). Those who are interested may also want to take a peek at my book The Contested Public Square, which is an introduction to the history of Christianity and political philosophy.
I put one together for political philosophy and he was good enough to post it. For those who are students and who are considering this as a field of study, I would recommend first reading Hunter Baker’s Political Thought: A Student’s Guide (which Forster himself reviewed here).īack in 2005, Joe Carter asked readers of his blog to contribute their suggested reading lists for a “do it yourself MA” in their subject areas. I am grateful for his extensive recommended reading list below, which also functions as a nice overview of the big brush strokes of political philosophy. Greg Forster (PhD, Yale University)-an insightful thinker on American history, economics, and religion-is the author of Contested Public Square and Starting with Locke, as well as the editor of “ Hang Together,” a new group blog on religion, politics, and national identity.
0 kommentar(er)
