{ "schema": "prokopton42-public-passage-v1", "id": "socrates.plato_republic", "canonical_url": "https://prokopton42.com/en/works/plato/plato-republic/reference-421/", "language": "en", "title": "Socrates in Plato’s Republic", "author": "Plato", "date": "c. 390-370 BCE", "summary": "In the Republic, Plato gives Socrates construction of a city in speech to answer the challenge that injustice pays. The questioner of the opening exchanges also becomes narrator of highly developed educational, political, and metaphysical models.", "learning": "Distinguish questioning Socrates from the spokesman for Platonic constructions, follow his argument about justice, and limit biographical use of the dialogue.", "long_summary": "Socrates refutes Cephalus, Polemarchus, and Thrasymachus before Glaucon and Adeimantus ask why justice matters in itself. He then develops guardians, philosopher-rulers, tripartite soul, Form of the Good, cave, and succession of regimes.\n\nThe reach of this voice exceeds what other witnesses attribute to historical Socrates and strongly carries Plato’s project. Distinctions among character, literary spokesman, and biographical source are therefore essential. The dialogue illuminates philosophical reception of Socrates without making him author of the treatise.", "historical_context": "The corpus manifests do not yet establish the precise place and circumstances of composition. The images below document the author’s world or the text’s transmission. They do not claim to show the exact scene of writing.", "material_world_label": "Classical Greek world, 5th century BCE", "material_world": { "technology": "Bronze, iron, pottery, simple cranes, and shipbuilding sustain cities. Power still comes mainly from people, animals, wind, and water.", "science": "Geometry, astronomy, inquiry into nature, and rational argument advance without modern measuring instruments or standardized experiments.", "medicine": "Practitioners observe symptoms, diet, and seasons; healing sanctuaries and ritual treatment also remain common.", "transport": "Walking and animals dominate on land. Sailing ships and triremes connect islands, ports, and colonies.", "agriculture": "Small farms, grain, vines, olives, goats, and sheep shape the diet; harvests remain vulnerable to weather and war.", "communication": "Public speech, messengers, and handwritten letters carry news. Theatre, the civic square, and the banquet are major social media.", "clothing": "Women and men drape wool or linen as chitons, peploi, and cloaks. Garments are pinned, belted, and shaped by status rather than tailored like modern clothes." }, "material_world_scenes": [ { "asset": "/assets/timeline/landmarks/03-431-bce/world-01.webp", "title": "Technology, science, and care", "description": "Bronze, iron, pottery, simple cranes, and shipbuilding sustain cities. Power still comes mainly from people, animals, wind, and water. Geometry, astronomy, inquiry into nature, and rational argument advance without modern measuring instruments or standardized experiments. Practitioners observe symptoms, diet, and seasons; healing sanctuaries and ritual treatment also remain common." }, { "asset": "/assets/timeline/landmarks/03-431-bce/world-02.webp", "title": "Travel and communication", "description": "Walking and animals dominate on land. Sailing ships and triremes connect islands, ports, and colonies. Public speech, messengers, and handwritten letters carry news. Theatre, the civic square, and the banquet are major social media." }, { "asset": "/assets/timeline/landmarks/03-431-bce/world-03.webp", "title": "Farming and food", "description": "Small farms, grain, vines, olives, goats, and sheep shape the diet; harvests remain vulnerable to weather and war." }, { "asset": "/assets/timeline/landmarks/03-431-bce/world-04.webp", "title": "Clothing, women and men", "description": "Women and men drape wool or linen as chitons, peploi, and cloaks. Garments are pinned, belted, and shaped by status rather than tailored like modern clothes." } ], "intellectual_tradition": { "id": "platonism", "label": "Socratic and Platonic thought" }, "period": { "id": "ancient", "label": "Antiquity" }, "languages": [ "grc", "en", "fr" ], "manifestations": [ { "coverage": "complete", "file": "data/corpus/normalized/socrates/plato_republic/representations/grc.ndjson", "language": "grc", "records": 278, "role": "original_carrier", "sha256": "7dc449701aaf1ffec8fef2d39ff32ca385e4dc0a42829d12deec6e91090e910d", "source_id": "perseus-plato-republic-grc" }, { "coverage": "complete", "file": "data/corpus/normalized/socrates/plato_republic/representations/en.ndjson", "language": "en", "records": 278, "role": "historical_translation", "sha256": "d79b0d6967d5052225c6a8748c8e3d33a81a673fa92ebcf9be18c5be47b2e8f9", "source_id": "perseus-plato-republic-en" }, { "coverage": "complete", "file": "data/corpus/normalized/socrates/plato_republic/representations/ai-generated/fr-gpt-5-6-sol-corpus-passage-translation-v1.ndjson", "generated_on": "2026-09-11", "language": "fr", "model": "gpt-5.6-sol", "official_status": "non_official", "prompt_version": "corpus-passage-translation-v1", "provider": "codex_subscription", "records": 278, "role": "ai_generated_translation_non_official", "sha256": "420324474282df8deeb6178ab08ad7dfcd5f64b59be266f723f73f245548f5a2", "source_id": "prokopton42-codex-translation:gpt-5.6-sol:corpus-passage-translation-v1", "translation_type": "ai_generated_translation" }, { "coverage": "complete", "file": "data/corpus/normalized/socrates/plato_republic_fr_carrier/representations/fr.ndjson", "language": "fr", "records": 1, "role": "historical_translation", "sha256": "3dad3261b9d11f8139720d01ccef6673232d6f64a393bd2a363d905a448dfa62", "source_id": "wikisource-cousin-republic-fr-01" }, { "coverage": "complete", "file": "data/corpus/normalized/socrates/plato_republic_fr_carrier/representations/ai-generated/en-gpt-5-6-sol-corpus-passage-translation-v1.ndjson", "generated_on": "2026-09-11", "language": "en", "model": "gpt-5.6-sol", "official_status": "non_official", "prompt_version": "corpus-passage-translation-v1", "provider": "codex_subscription", "records": 1, "role": "ai_generated_translation_non_official", "sha256": "a63869d4fe5b145b888bb735902551580d841ad6f397e95b4271b7270f562248", "source_id": "prokopton42-codex-translation:gpt-5.6-sol:corpus-passage-translation-v1", "translation_type": "ai_generated_translation" } ], "concepts": [ { "id": "anger", "label": "Anger" }, { "id": "care_of_soul", "label": "Care of the soul" }, { "id": "civic_duty", "label": "Civic duty" }, { "id": "elenchus", "label": "Elenchus" }, { "id": "ether_field", "label": "Ether and field" }, { "id": "family", "label": "Family" }, { "id": "knowledge", "label": "Knowledge" }, { "id": "law", "label": "Law" }, { "id": "logos_nature", "label": "Logos of nature" }, { "id": "messiah", "label": "Messiah" }, { "id": "nature", "label": "Nature" }, { "id": "philosophical_eros", "label": "Philosophical eros" }, { "id": "philosophical_training", "label": "Philosophical training" }, { "id": "poverty_wealth", "label": "Poverty and wealth" }, { "id": "prayer", "label": "Prayer" }, { "id": "reason", "label": "Reason" }, { "id": "sin", "label": "Sin" }, { "id": "time", "label": "Time" }, { "id": "war_and_peace", "label": "War and peace" } ], "source_work_ids": [ "socrates.plato_republic", "socrates.plato_republic_fr_carrier" ], "passages": 278, "word_count": 124617, "word_counts_by_language": { "en": 124617, "fr": 120751, "grc": 88484 }, "editorial_status": "gpt_5_6_semantic_draft_v1", "structure": { "citation_scheme": "carrier-explicit-ancient-reference-v1", "kind": "native", "levels": [ { "key": "reference", "label_fr": "Référence", "label_en": "Reference" } ], "leaf_fr": "Passage", "leaf_en": "Passage" }, "canonical_passage_id": "passage:socrates.plato_republic:421", "canonical_ref": "421", "canonical_parent_ref": null, "canonical_parent_id": null, "representations": [ { "language": "grc", "text": "ἀλλʼ ἡμᾶς μὴ οὕτω νουθέτει· ὡς, ἄν σοι πειθώμεθα, οὔτε ὁ γεωργὸς γεωργὸς ἔσται οὔτε ὁ κεραμεὺς κεραμεὺς οὔτε ἄλλος οὐδεὶς οὐδὲν ἔχων σχῆμα ἐξ ὧν πόλις γίγνεται. ἀλλὰ τῶν μὲν ἄλλων ἐλάττων λόγος· νευρορράφοι γὰρ φαῦλοι γενόμενοι καὶ διαφθαρέντες καὶ προσποιησάμενοι εἶναι μὴ ὄντες πόλει οὐδὲν δεινόν, φύλακες δὲ νόμων τε καὶ πόλεως μὴ ὄντες ἀλλὰ δοκοῦντες ὁρᾷς δὴ ὅτι πᾶσαν ἄρδην πόλιν ἀπολλύασιν, καὶ αὖ τοῦ εὖ οἰκεῖν καὶ εὐδαιμονεῖν μόνοι τὸν καιρὸν ἔχουσιν. εἰ μὲν οὖν ἡμεῖς μὲν φύλακας ὡς ἀληθῶς ποιοῦμεν ἥκιστα κακούργους τῆς πόλεως, ὁ δʼ ἐκεῖνο λέγων γεωργούς τινας καὶ ὥσπερ ἐν πανηγύρει ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐν πόλει ἑστιάτορας εὐδαίμονας, ἄλλο ἄν τι ἢ πόλιν λέγοι. σκεπτέον οὖν πότερον πρὸς τοῦτο βλέποντες τοὺς φύλακας καθιστῶμεν, ὅπως ὅτι πλείστη αὐτοῖς εὐδαιμονία ἐγγενήσεται, ἢ τοῦτο μὲν εἰς τὴν πόλιν ὅλην βλέποντας θεατέον εἰ ἐκείνῃ ἐγγίγνεται, τοὺς δʼ ἐπικούρους τούτους καὶ τοὺς φύλακας ἐκεῖνο ἀναγκαστέον ποιεῖν καὶ πειστέον, ὅπως ὅτι ἄριστοι δημιουργοὶ τοῦ ἑαυτῶν ἔργου ἔσονται, καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἅπαντας ὡσαύτως, καὶ οὕτω συμπάσης τῆς πόλεως αὐξανομένης καὶ καλῶς οἰκιζομένης ἐατέον ὅπως ἑκάστοις τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἡ φύσις ἀποδίδωσι τοῦ μεταλαμβάνειν εὐδαιμονίας. ἀλλʼ, ἦ δʼ ὅς, καλῶς μοι δοκεῖς λέγειν. ἆρʼ οὖν, ἦν δʼ ἐγώ, καὶ τὸ τούτου ἀδελφὸν δόξω σοι μετρίως λέγειν; τί μάλιστα; τοὺς ἄλλους αὖ δημιουργοὺς σκόπει εἰ τάδε διαφθείρει, ὥστε καὶ κακοὺς γίγνεσθαι. τὰ ποῖα δὴ ταῦτα; πλοῦτος, ἦν δʼ ἐγώ, καὶ πενία. πῶς δή; ὧδε. πλουτήσας χυτρεὺς δοκεῖ σοι ἔτʼ ἐθελήσειν ἐπιμελεῖσθαι τῆς τέχνης; οὐδαμῶς, ἔφη. Ἀργὸς δὲ καὶ ἀμελὴς γενήσεται μᾶλλον αὐτὸς αὑτοῦ; πολύ γε. οὐκοῦν κακίων χυτρεὺς γίγνεται; καὶ τοῦτο, ἔφη, πολύ. καὶ μὴν καὶ ὄργανά γε μὴ ἔχων παρέχεσθαι ὑπὸ πενίας ἤ τι ἄλλο τῶν εἰς τὴν τέχνην τά τε ἔργα πονηρότερα ἐργάσεται καὶ τοὺς ὑεῖς ἢ ἄλλους οὓς ἂν διδάσκῃ χείρους δημιουργοὺς διδάξεται. πῶς δʼ οὔ; ὑπʼ ἀμφοτέρων δή, πενίας τε καὶ πλούτου, χείρω μὲν τὰ τῶν τεχνῶν ἔργα, χείρους δὲ αὐτοί. φαίνεται. ἕτερα δή, ὡς ἔοικε, τοῖς φύλαξιν ηὑρήκαμεν, ἃ παντὶ τρόπῳ φυλακτέον ὅπως μήποτε αὐτοὺς λήσει εἰς τὴν πόλιν παραδύντα. τὰ ποῖα ταῦτα;", "edition": "perseus-plato-republic-grc", "source_id": "perseus-plato-republic-grc", "translation_type": "original" }, { "language": "en", "text": "But urge us not to this, since, if we yield, the farmer will not be a farmer nor the potter a potter, nor will any other of the types that constitute state keep its form. However, for the others it matters less. For cobblers who deteriorate and are spoiled and pretend to be the workmen that they are not are no great danger to a state. But guardians of laws and of the city who are not what they pretend to be, but only seem, destroy utterly, I would have you note, the entire state, and on the other hand, they alone are decisive of its good government and happiness. If then we are forming true guardians and keepers of our liberties, men least likely to harm the commonwealth, but the proponent of the other ideal is thinking of farmers and happy feasters as it were in a festival and not in a civic community, he would have something else in mind than a state. Consider, then, whether our aim in establishing the guardians is the greatest possible happiness among them or whether that is something we must look to see develop in the city as a whole, but these helpers and guardians are to be constrained and persuaded to do what will make them the best craftsmen in their own work, and similarly all the rest. And so, as the entire city develops and is ordered well, each class is to be left, to the share of happiness that its nature comports. Well, he said, I think you are right. And will you then, I said, also think me reasonable in another point akin to this? What pray? Consider whether these are the causes that corrupt other craftsmen too so as positively to spoil them. What causes? Wealth and poverty, said I. How so? Thus! do you think a potter who grew rich would any longer be willing to give his mind to his craft? By no means, said he. But will he become more idle and negligent than he was? Far more. Then he becomes a worse potter? Far worse too. And yet again, if from poverty he is unable to provide himself with tools and other requirements of his art, the work that he turns out will be worse, and he will also make inferior workmen of his sons or any others whom he teaches. Of course. From both causes, then, poverty and wealth, the products of the arts deteriorate, and so do the artisans? So it appears. Here, then, is a second group of things it seems that our guardians must guard against and do all in their power to keep from slipping into the city without their knowledge. What are they?", "translator": "Benjamin Jowett", "edition": "perseus-plato-republic-en", "source_id": "perseus-plato-republic-en", "translation_type": "historical_human_translation" }, { "language": "fr", "text": "Mais ne nous pousse pas à agir ainsi, car si nous cédons, l’agriculteur ne sera plus agriculteur, ni le potier potier, et aucun des autres types d’hommes qui constituent l’État ne conservera sa forme. Pour les autres, toutefois, cela importe moins. Car des cordonniers qui se dégradent, se corrompent et prétendent être les ouvriers qu’ils ne sont pas ne représentent pas un grand danger pour l’État. Mais des gardiens des lois et de la cité qui ne sont pas ce qu’ils prétendent être, et ne font qu’en avoir l’apparence, détruisent entièrement, je te prie de le remarquer, l’État tout entier. Inversement, ils sont seuls à déterminer son bon gouvernement et son bonheur. Si donc nous formons de véritables gardiens et défenseurs de nos libertés, des hommes aussi peu susceptibles que possible de nuire à la communauté, tandis que le partisan de l’autre idéal songe à des agriculteurs et à d’heureux convives comme s’ils participaient à une fête plutôt qu’à une communauté civique, c’est à autre chose qu’à un État qu’il penserait. Examine donc si, en instituant les gardiens, notre but est de leur procurer le plus grand bonheur possible, ou bien si nous devons veiller à ce que ce bonheur se développe dans la cité tout entière, tandis que ces auxiliaires et ces gardiens doivent être contraints et persuadés de faire ce qui les rendra les meilleurs artisans dans leur propre tâche, et de même pour tous les autres. À mesure que la cité entière se développe et s’ordonne convenablement, il faut laisser chaque classe recevoir la part de bonheur qui s’accorde avec sa nature. Eh bien, dit-il, je pense que tu as raison. Me jugeras-tu donc également raisonnable, dis-je, sur un autre point apparenté à celui-ci ? Lequel donc ? Examine si les causes suivantes ne corrompent pas également les autres artisans, au point de les gâter tout à fait. Quelles causes ? La richesse et la pauvreté, répondis-je. Comment cela ? Voici. Penses-tu qu’un potier devenu riche consentirait encore à appliquer son esprit à son métier ? En aucune manière, dit-il. Ne deviendra-t-il pas plus paresseux et plus négligent qu’auparavant ? Beaucoup plus. Il devient donc un plus mauvais potier ? Bien plus mauvais, lui aussi. D’autre part, si la pauvreté l’empêche de se procurer les outils et les autres choses nécessaires à son art, son ouvrage sera de moins bonne qualité, et il fera aussi de ses fils ou de tous les autres auxquels il enseigne de moins bons ouvriers. Bien sûr. Sous l’effet de ces deux causes, la pauvreté et la richesse, les produits des arts se détériorent donc, ainsi que les artisans ? C’est ce qu’il semble. Nous avons donc trouvé, semble-t-il, un deuxième groupe de choses contre lesquelles nos gardiens doivent veiller et qu’ils doivent empêcher par tous les moyens de s’introduire dans la cité à leur insu. Quelles sont-elles ?", "translator": "Codex gpt-5.6-sol", "edition": "Prokopton42 non-official AI translation, 2026-09-11", "source_id": "prokopton42-codex-translation:gpt-5.6-sol:corpus-passage-translation-v1", "translation_type": "ai_generated_translation", "official_status": "non_official", "generation_model": "gpt-5.6-sol" } ], "content_checksum": "2f269c657c2f3876dc0b3a80b86b4193000b160e0718ebae5ad4e56dca37d690" }