Singpurwalla, Rachel. Review of G. R. F. Ferrari, ed. CAMBRIDGE COMPANION TO PLATO'S REPUBLIC. NDPR (July 2009).

Ferrari, G. R. F., ed. Cambridge Companion to Plato's Republic. Cambridge: CUP, 2007. This anthology contains sixteen new essays on Plato's Republic as well as a fine editor's introduction and an excellent bibliography. There is no shortage of philosophical anthologies on the Republic, but this collection is distinctive in that a number of its contributors pay special attention to the literary features of the dialogue. The anthology includes, for example, essays that address questions about Plato's use of literary techniques: Why does Plato make such heavy use of similes, images, and myths in the Republic (Yunis)? How does Plato use literary motifs from Homer and Hesiod for his own philosophical and rhetorical purposes (Halliwell, O'Connor)? In what sense is Plato aiming to supplant Homer by writing a philosophical epic of his own (Ferrari's Introduction, Yunis)? In addition, the anthology includes essays by authors who emphasize the dramatic features of the dialogue to guide their interpretation of Plato's philosophy (e.g., Blössner, Weiss). These authors hold, more or less explicitly, that we cannot understand Plato's position by focusing on Socrates' arguments alone, since Socrates makes certain arguments simply because they will be convincing to an interlocutor with a particular set of values and not necessarily because he endorses them himself. According to this view, appreciating the philosophical import of a dialogue involves attending to the complex interplay between the aim of the dialogue and the way in which the character of Socrates uses rhetoric to move his interlocutors towards a certain point of view. The essays cover as many topics as the Republic itself and display an admirable range of interpretive approaches. One theme, however, recurs throughout the collection: the question of why the philosopher returns to 'the cave' of politics, despite the fact that he has no interest in ruling. This question is crucial for understanding Plato's views on moral motivation and the relationship between justice and happiness; in spite of this, Plato leaves the answer somewhat open. Several authors in the anthology attempt to reconstruct Plato's position, each drawing on different aspects of the Republic. Some find the answer in Socrates' conversation with Thrasymachus in Republic I (Sedley, Weiss), others in his conception of education and politics (Morrison, Schofield), and others still in his account of the relationship between the philosopher and the forms (Miller). The order of the essays follows the sequence in which topics are presented in Plato's text. Nonetheless, I do not think this anthology as a whole is suitable for those new to the Republic. Many of the essays assume more than a passing acquaintance with both the Republic and the secondary literature, and some of them offer idiosyncratic interpretations without canvassing more standard views. For those familiar with the Republic, however, this anthology provides a rich source of novel ideas and approaches. Further, for those especially interested in literary themes and approaches to Plato, or in the problem of the philosopher-king's motivation to rule, this collection is indispensable. . . . Read the rest here: http://ndpr.nd.edu/review.cfm?id=16525.