The Republic of Plato

Volume 1 of this landmark 1902 edition focuses on Plato's treatment of justice and the ideal society.

In this influential two-volume edition, first published in 1902, the Scottish classicist James Adam examines the text of Plato's monumental political and philosophical dialogue. Volume 1 focuses on Books 1–5 and their reflections on justice and the ideal society.James Adam (1860–1907) was a Scottish classics scholar who taught at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. A strong defender of the importance of Greek philosophy in a well-rounded education, Adam published a number of Plato's works including Protagoras and Crito. This two-volume critical edition of the Republic (1902) was another major contribution to the field. Though his preface claims 'an editor cannot pretend to have exhausted its significance by means of a commentary,' Adam's depth of knowledge and erudite analysis of the Greek text ensured that his edition remained the standard reference for decades to follow, and it remains a thought-provoking evaluation of one of the great works of Western thought. Volume 1 is devoted to Books 1–5, which discuss justice and the ideal society.