An enquiry into the nature of the ideal society, Republic is a series of dialogues between Socrates and various interrogators. It proposes a state organized and governed on philosophical principles and asks if goodness can exist—devoid of motive, obligation or supplication to a stronger power—solely by itself and translate into society as a whole. The work also contemplates the duality inherent in life: the reality we perceive through our senses and the truth we can gain through the world of ideas.
Although Plato is largely concerned with the definition of justice, the city-state and the just man, he also discusses a range of topics: social, moral, educational and psychological. Considered to be one of the bedrocks of Greek philosophy, Republic has had immeasurable impact on Western thought through the ages.