PLATO'S REPUBLIC, BOOKS ONE & TWO

A Platonic dialogue attempts to find truth through the push-pull of dialectic, that verbal give-and-take that stimulates thought and uncovers falsehood. Agora Publications has recorded some of Plato's most famous dialogues and also publishes the modernized texts by Albert A. Anderson of Benjamin Jowett's 1873 translations used for these recordings. All of the tapes make for a lively exposure to Platonic thought. In Books One and Two of The Republic, Socrates (William Sigalis) and five others consider the nature and merits of justice in relation to the comforts of materialism, fame and self-indulgence. In one of literature's most famous passages, they debate different designs for the ideal life. The philosophical nature of the talks makes the printed manual a valuable supplement to these audiobooks. The ideal preparation is to read the dialogue before listening to the tapes. Director Raymond Munro establishes a relaxed, conversational pace that allows the listener unfamiliar with Plato to absorb the ideas and follow the developing thought. Agora should be applauded for its plan to record all of Plato's dialogues. Both students and the interested general listener will welcome the tapes as a vivid way to experience classical literature. G.H. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC/JAN 99]