Plato

Plato's Republic has shaped western thought for centuries. First written 2,400 years ago, this dialogue between Socrates and his interlocutors is an exhortation to philosophy and invites reader to reflect on the choices that need to be made in pursuit of the best available life. This edition also provides readers with a chronology, further reading, outline of the work's main arguments, and introduction. Translation by Christopher Rowe. 436 pages, softcover.

(PUBPrinceton University)Gathered into one place are top-notch translations of Plato's writings by Cornford, Guthrie, Jowett, Rouse, Taylor, Shorey, Tredennick, and others. This is a mammoth anthology with a comprehensive index; introductions have been written by Edith Hamilton. From a giant in Western thought. 1743 pages, hardcover.

This revised edition provides a fundamental view into the mind of one of classical Greece's foremost thinkers. Plato describes in detail a system for the agricultural utopia, Magnesia, including legislation, codes of conduct for all aspects of life, crime and punishment, and totalitarian views.

Timaeus and Critias is a Socratic dialogue in two parts. A response to an account of an ideal state told by Socrates, it begins with Timaeus's theoretical exposition of the cosmos and his story describing the creation of the universe, from its very beginning to the coming of man. Timaeus introduces the idea of a creator God and speculates on the structure and composition of the physical world. Critias, the second part of Plato's dialogue, comprises an account of the rise and fall of Atlantis, an ancient, mighty and prosperous empire ruled by the descendants of Poseidon, which ultimately sank into the sea. 176 pages, softcover.