The Republic book club questions

1. 1.

   Plato defines justice as each part doing its proper work. Does that definition seem like justice to you, or does it smuggle in a conservative assumption about natural hierarchy?

2. 2.

   The Allegory of the Cave suggests that most people mistake conventional opinion for knowledge. What equivalent 'cave' do you think you might be living in right now?

3. 3.

   Would you want to live in Plato's ideal city? What would you gain and what would you give up?

4. 4.

   Plato distrusts democracy because it treats all desires as equally valid. Is that criticism fair to any democracy you know, or does it miss something important?

5. 5.

   The philosopher-king is compelled to return to the cave and govern. Is it possible to have genuine expertise in political leadership, or is politics inherently different from other forms of knowledge?

6. 6.

   Plato's tripartite soul divides reason, spirit, and appetite. Can you identify a recent decision where those three were in conflict? Which won?

7. 7.

   Book X argues that poetry corrupts the soul by inflaming emotion at the expense of reason. How would you defend or criticize that claim given what you read or watch?

8. 8.

   The noble lie — rulers telling citizens myths about their origins to maintain social order — is one of the book's most provocative ideas. Can you think of modern equivalents that are accepted without controversy?

9. 9.

   Plato says the tyrant is the most miserable person despite appearing most powerful. Is that persuasive? What would have to be true about human psychology for it to be correct?

10. 10.

    The Republic excludes most people from political power on the grounds that they lack philosophical knowledge. What would a philosopher-king need to know today to be qualified?

11. 11.

    Does the degradation sequence from aristocracy to democracy to tyranny describe anything in contemporary politics, or is it too schematic to be useful?

12. 12.

    Plato's ideal city has no private property for the guardian class and no nuclear family. Are those features connected to his idea of justice, or are they separable from it?

How to run the discussion

• Pick six to eight, not all of them. An hour of real discussion covers fewer questions than anyone expects, and racing the list is what makes a book club feel like homework.
• Open with what people noticed, not what they concluded. Asking for a verdict first hardens opinions before anyone has heard each other.
• Let the disagreement run. The questions below that split a room are the ones worth the time; the ones everyone answers the same way can be skipped.
• Ask the quiet person a specific question. A direct, narrow question is far easier to answer than an open invitation to contribute.