I've become preoccupied with actor-centered theories of justice lately, and that lead me back to Plato and re-reading The Republic. I also picked up
Julia Annas' Introduction to Plato's Republic as I remember one of my undergraduate professors used a chapter in this book. The entire book is a terrific guide through The Republic, and Annas is a marvelous writer. I did part company with her, however, towards the end; unlike me, Annas has no time for Book 10 of The Republic, whereas I love that Book. Plato is so wonderfully playful throughout all his writings, but Book 10 is one of those places where he is both playful and somewhat mystical, and for such an analytical man who was terribly hard on poets, it's great fun to see him cutting loose with his own flight of fancy. I suspect that it's all to impressionistic for most Platonists, given the significance of his other writings.
Just as a refresher, Book 10 is where Plato develops his Myth of Er, and where Socrates turns to his friend (and Plato's brother Glaucon) with the pronouncement that the soul is, of course, immortal! For me, I've always found the last chapter to be a delightful surprise, even if I've never been 100 percent clear on its interpretation. Annas, however, brooks no sympathy with this odd book: she refers to Book 10 and the myth as "lame" and "messy." Nonetheless, Annas helped me out tremendously with my studies in humanism.
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