Book · 1987 · Political science
The Republic
With Studies for Teachers
#74 of 16,793 books, ranked by how many different people bring it up on podcasts
- mentions
- 33
- people
- 23
- podcasts
- 19
- episodes
- 29
- critical mentions
- 0
Plato's Republic is probably the greatest book on justice ever written.
What they say about it
- Discusses political cycles“Plato talked about this cycle”3
- Creates an ideal society“he creates this ideal society”2
- Mentions censorship in the text“Plato argues for censorship”2
The best things said about it
To explain the nature of reality, I'm going to explain Plato's allegory of the cave, which he talked about in his book, The Republic.
Many people pick up Plato's Republic, and they come away thinking it's a mere homage to totalitarianism.
Tyler Cowen Conversations with Tyler · Mar 2026 I'm a big fan of Plato's Republic. And Plato's Republic begins with a long discussion of division of labor.
I will read the Republic and it's inevitably transformative.
Is it comfort those you want to reread after many years so tocqueville plato's republic adam smith the very best books.
Where and when it comes up
Mentions per year
1
3
6
1
10
5
7
How it comes up
23 people who brought it up
Why people recommend it
Plato's foundational classical text "The Republic" explores justice, political structures, and the nature of reality. Shilo Brooks appeared on Honestly with Bari Weiss to call it probably the greatest book on justice ever written and a core text for a proper liberal education. Ivanka Trump mentioned the book on David Senra to criticize publishers for charging students for public domain texts. Ross Douthat brought up the work on Interesting Times to ask Jennifer Frey whether there is inherent value in engaging with classical works even if they do not improve a person's character, while Ray Dalio used it on the same podcast to reference Plato's analysis of cycles and democracy. Professor Dieng referenced The Republic on The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett to explain the allegory of the cave, and Jiang Xueqin noted teaching the text on The Tucker Carlson Show as part of a classical curriculum. Harvey Mansfield discussed the book on Conversations with Tyler to highlight works that guarantee their own future, whereas Tyler Cowen mentioned how many readers mistakenly view it as a homage to totalitarianism.
Every mention
Shilo Brooks Yeah, so I think you know, you can't not read Plato's Republic. Plato's Republic is probably the greatest b… 1
Recommended
“Yeah, so I think you know, you can't not read Plato's Republic. Plato's Republic is probably the greatest book on justice ever written.”
Ray Dalio Plato talked about this cycle. And no. In the Republic. And he talked about the democracy and the problems… 4
Discussed
“Plato talked about this cycle. And no. In the Republic. And he talked about the democracy and the problems with the democracy, because the people don’t vote for what is good for them.”
Discussed
“Plato in his book, The Republic, you know, a couple of thousand years ago, more than that, um, wrote about it.”
Discussed
“Plato in his book The Republic builds about these Cycles over and over again”
Discussed
“and if you read history plato's republic you know he talks about the cycles democracy you know an autocratic and the benevolent despot and all of that each has their own vulnerability”
John Vervaeke I took an intro to philosophy course and we read the Republic and I met Socrates 3
Discussed
“I took an intro to philosophy course and we read the Republic and I met Socrates”
Discussed
“For me, the Republic does this for me, Plato's Republic. I will read the Republic and it's inevitably transformative. There's a reciprocal opening. I see something in the text I haven't seen. It opens me up. I go into my life. My lo my life opens up. I'm transformed.”
Discussed
“That opens me up. I now go out into — and that just keeps happening. And it's been happening since I first read The Republic, since I first read The Symposium.”
Agnes Callard if you think about Plato's Republic okay so in Plato's Republic he creates this ideal society 2
Discussed
“if you think about Plato's Republic okay so in Plato's Republic he creates this ideal society”
Discussed
“so Plato's Society is one that's rigidly socially immobile right and it does prevent a certain kind of strife”
Marilynne Robinson he's doing kind of like Plato in the Republic he's saying this is this is how we develop the idea of a comm… 2
Discussed
“he's doing kind of like Plato in the Republic he's saying this is this is how we develop the idea of a community”
Discussed
“he's doing sort of what Plato does you know in the Republic he's creating an ideal culture that with very ancient features”
Ryan Holiday CIS said something like he he thought he lived in Plato's Republic and forgot he lived in the dregs of Romu… 2
Discussed
“CIS said something like he he thought he lived in Plato's Republic and forgot he lived in the dregs of Romulus like he lived in Rome a flawed broken hegemonic Empire”
Discussed
“and then he's also like it seems like utterly exasperating and imposs possible to work with CIS said something like he he thought he lived in Plato's Republic and forgot he lived in the dregs of Romulus”
Tim Pool You can go back to Plato's Republic. They always want to undermine the family. They want to take children a… 2
Discussed
“You can go back to Plato's Republic. They always want to undermine the family. They want to take children away from parents as as early as possible.”
Discussed
“currently reading Plato's the Plato's The Republic oh God and it covers the topics to a t reference the section”
Tyler Cowen Many people pick up Plato’s Republic, and they come away thinking it’s a mere homage to totalitarianism. 2
Discussed
“Many people pick up Plato’s Republic, and they come away thinking it’s a mere homage to totalitarianism.”
Discussed
“like what would you call plato's republic right”
Alex O’Connor Even even someone like Plato who we quite often think of as having a a very strong stable consistent set of… 1
Discussed
“Even even someone like Plato who we quite often think of as having a a very strong stable consistent set of made out of marble well as he if you if you you know is one of his earlier works which is both a kind of political treatise but also a theory of the human mind is called the republic”
Ben Bowlin I like I brought that around interestingly enough in the Republic Socrates student Plato argues for censorship 1
Discussed
“I like I brought that around interestingly enough in the Republic Socrates student Plato argues for censorship”
Bill Burr Plato wrote in his classic war the republic book 8 if you ever learn to read 1
Discussed
“Plato wrote in his classic war the republic book 8 if you ever learn to read”
Darren Beattie I think um I think censorship and information control are necessary to any type of regime. I think the impo… 1
Discussed
“I think um I think censorship and information control are necessary to any type of regime. I think the important issue is if the noble lie is necessary in in some degree as you know the famous thing from the Republic”
Harvey Mansfield Why is it that we still read Plato’s Republic, say, 2,500 years later? 1
Discussed
“Why is it that we still read Plato’s Republic, say, 2,500 years later?”
Ivanka Trump Right now, if you want to read Plato's "Republic," 1
Discussed
“Right now, if you want to read Plato's "Republic,"”
Jiang Xueqin I teach Plato, the Republic. I teach Dante the Divine Comedy. 1
Discussed
“I teach Plato, the Republic. I teach Dante the Divine Comedy.”
Jordan Peterson political philosophy begins with plato republic plato the professors are saying that democracy came from gr… 1
Discussed
“political philosophy begins with plato republic plato the professors are saying that democracy came from greek city-states”
Patrick Deneen I'm a big fan of Plato's Republic. And Plato's Republic begins with a long discussion of division of labor 1
Discussed
“I'm a big fan of Plato's Republic. And Plato's Republic begins with a long discussion of division of labor”
Philip Ball um a myth of the of of a chap called GES who is a Shepherd who finds a ring of invisibility 1
Discussed
“um a myth of the of of a chap called GES who is a Shepherd who finds a ring of invisibility”
Professor Dieng To explain the nature of reality, um I'm going to explain Plato's allegory of the cave, which he talked abo… 1
Discussed
“To explain the nature of reality, um I'm going to explain Plato's allegory of the cave, which he talked about in his book, The Republic.”
Richard Powers and when I went back to the key story I was really intrigued at his use of an epigraph from Plato's Republic 1
Discussed
“and when I went back to the key story I was really intrigued at his use of an epigraph from Plato's Republic”
Ross Douthat Would you say that there is a inherent value in being able to read and engage with Plato’s Republic, or bei… 1
Discussed
“Would you say that there is a inherent value in being able to read and engage with Plato’s Republic, or being able to listen to and experience Handel or Bach or anyone else who’s considered a great composer?”
Russ Roberts is it comfort those you want to reread after many years so tocqueville plato's republic adam smith the very… 1
Discussed
“is it comfort those you want to reread after many years so tocqueville plato's republic adam smith the very best books”
Sean Kelly plato plato says in the republic it's a kind of myth 1
Discussed
“plato plato says in the republic it's a kind of myth”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
Other mentions (3: passing, ad reads, own books)
Passing
“He was a man, Cicero would say, who acted as if he lived in Plato's Republic, not among the dregs of Romulus.”
Passing
“i'm aware through wikipedia and through surface reading of things that like a book called the republic was written once”
Passing
“well I think it's like you know Plato's Republic right the the ideal government is a philosopher-king”