Taming the Savage Beast: On Justice and Eros In Plato’s Republic

Abstract

This article provides a commentary on Plato’s Republic and focuses on the problems of justice and eros. The central contention of this study is that Plato presents apparent resolutions to these problems while alerting attentive readers of the irresolvable tension between justice and eros. Rather than simply resolve these interwoven problems, Plato repeats them; and, in so doing, he brings to light the nature of politics and philosophy. Although previous scholars have focused on how the Republic underscores these two themes, the broader significance of them remains obscure and unduly neglected. By focusing on the problems of justice and eros, this article revives and advances our understanding of key features of the Republic.