Philosopher-Kings: The Argument of Plato's Republic

The distinctive aim of Philosopher-Kings is to show, by giving a rational reconstruction of its overall argument, that the Republic is not the flawed patchwork it is usually made out to be by interpreters, but a deeply consistent and systematic work, which raises fundamental problems for philosophy and develops powerful and probing solutions to them. The book's central innovative thesis is that Plato's psychology, more specifically his theory of desires, holds the key to this, his most ambitious work. "Although the Republic has come to seem frazzled from too much use in introductory courses, in Reeve's hands it is new and refreshing."--Paul Woodruff, Ancient Philosophy "Although the philosopher-kings of Reeve's title are central to the argument of this handsomely produced book, it is in reality nothing less than a complete reinterpretation of the Republic. . . . [Reeve], if I understand him correctly, has the temerity to work on the principle that Plato was a philosopher of genius, and that therefore a reading which makes coherence and sense of what he wrote is more likely to be acceptable than one which does not."--R.S.W. Hawtrey, The Classical Review