“Justice”
How can anyone call themselves a political theorist or take part in the political intelligentsia, having not read The Republic? Every theorist must have an analysis of Plato’s Republic because it is the first and most sweeping of the earliest Western philosophical texts. Alfred North Whitehead said all philosophy is a footnote to Plato. This is an oversimplification. But philosophy was an oversimplification, Socrates was an oversimplification.
Derrida read Plato and was admittedly jealous of him. So was Nietzsche. Many theorists I draw from have had serious contempt for Plato and wanted to supersede him altogether. Plato created an elaborate hoax, the “noble lie.” His book The Republic is the best example of this idea.
Read this book along with me, post your notes on your blog or put your comments here.
Here is an excerpt from a documentary on The Republic to get us started.
UTOPIA or: BUST 
(Long time reader/first time commenter and all that.)
I’m shamefully ignorant of most things classical. Maybe I should take you up on this.
That would be great. I’ll start posting my notes soon. Long time reader, wow, didn’t know I had any! Welcome 🙂
The Republic……………………… maybe I would join in on something shorter – an article; discussion of an event; a chapter. But, this is a bit too much for me atm. Too many other books to get through.
Good luck 😀 Hope you’re well?
Wit
Yeah things are good, I recently took a trip to California so I haven’t been posting much lately. I’m planning a new project as well — an anarchist distro and magazine.
Cool – glad you’re well. How’s this magazine going to go? Will it be local or international? Who are you working on it with?
I haven’t been posting much of late either as things have been a bit shitty. But, getting back into the swing of things.
Best,
Wit
Ah – is it Autonomy253 you’re working on?
No actually a new magazine called Potlatch. It’s going to be locally based, but at times with international focus. A website should be coming.
Ah, cool. I’ll look out for it. How come you decided to use the Letterist rag’s name?
Best,
Wit