Republic of Plato

Whoever has less suspicion in the influence of Plato? Look at the Academy he founded: the first universities in history and the longest-lasting. Look at the general interest and the repeated renewal that was part of his philosophy. Look at the position he achieved in medieval culture and the influence of his thought on modern theological discussions. And remember that one hundred thousand students or more around the civilized world are still today devoted to his "Republic and Dialogues." It is among the most valuable artifacts that humans possess, for in it philosophy first took a definite form, and when Plato poured into it his youthful emotions, rich and diverse, he reached the highest peak of creativity. And the Republic! In it, you find metaphysical discussions, ethics, philosophy of the soul, theology, politics, and art. In it, you find the principles sought by women seeking liberation, and the foundations called for by biologists to determine reproduction, and the principles of socialism (and communism), eugenics, aristocracy, democracy, psychoanalysis, and the doctrine that life is a manifestation of chemical interaction. No wonder Emersen says in this book: "Burn all books, for in this book there is enough." And De La Fontaine, author of "The Story of Philosophy" and "The Palaces of Philosophy."