The Republic:
Probably the most famous dialogue written by Plato ever, The Republic is a Socratic dialogue that deals with the nature of order and justice in the individual and the state. The dialogue discusses the meaning of the term, justice, and examines carefully, whether or not an unjust man is happier than a just man. It studies this idea by proposing the concept of a philosopher-king ruling over the kingdom and maintaining law and order in it. In this dialogue, Plato also discusses the immortality of the soul, his famous Theory of Forms and the different roles that a philosopher and a poet play in the functioning of a successful society. The Republic is considered by many scholars to be the best work of Plato and also the best depiction of politics and philosophy in history.

Politika (Politics) and Other Similar Works:
Aristotle, Plato’s most revered student, managed to follow the same idea about writing on the government’s functionality. He came up with a treatise named “Politika” which translated to “Politics”. However, Aristotle’s coveted work wasn’t written in the same manner as Plato’s i.e. it wasn’t written as a dialogue. It managed to systemize many of the concepts mentioned in Plato’s Republic. In some cases, Politika also leads the reader to different conclusions by providing the options that are most preferable. Scholars also suggest that Isocrates contradicted Plato’s Republic in his own work, Busiris by portraying the similarity Callipolis shared with an Egyptian state with the same name.

Zeno of Citium, known to be the founder of school of Stoicism, also wrote his own version of Plato’s Republic. Zeno’s version vouches for anarchism, which said that all the citizens of the state are philosophers. He also mentions the necessity to have a more radical version of sexual communism than the one proposed by Plato in The Republic.

Description: The Republic is a dialogue that is written by Plato and deals with the nature of the just individual and state. It is considered to be the best work of Plato and also the best depiction of politics and philosophy in human history.