Book III
21 argumentative units
- 01Censoring Tales of Death and Grief
Poetry must be censored to remove fear of the underworld, excessive lamentation, and immoderate laughter among guardians.
- 02Truth, Temperance, and Poetic Censorship
Rulers may use falsehoods as medicine, but youth must be taught temperance by censoring tales of lust, greed, and cruelty.
- 03The Three Styles of Poetic Narrative
After discussing content, the focus shifts to style, identifying simple, imitative, and mixed forms of narrative.
- 04The Dangers of Imitation for Guardians
Guardians should not be imitators, but if they must imitate, they should only portray good and noble characters.
- 05Purging Music of Unsuitable Harmonies
Music must be purged, leaving only the Dorian and Phrygian harmonies for war and peace, played on simple instruments.
- 06Simplicity in Art and Its Influence
All art must be simple and harmonious to instill good taste and a sense of beauty in the guardians' souls.
- 07Gymnastics, Diet, and Simple Medicine
Guardians require simple gymnastics and diet, avoiding the complex medicine and law that arise from luxury and intemperance.
- 08The Asclepian Method of Medicine
The physician Asclepius's method of treating only curable, productive citizens and letting the intemperate die is praised.
- 09The Ideal Judge, Music, and Gymnastic
The ideal judge has observed evil but not practiced it; music and gymnastic must be balanced to harmonize the soul.
- 10Balancing Reason and Passion
Music and gymnastic must be harmoniously blended to balance the soul's two principles, reason and passion, creating a true musician.
- 11Selecting and Testing the Rulers
The rulers, or guardians, must be the best of the elders, selected after being tested throughout their lives against hardship and temptation.
- 12The Noble Falsehood of the Metals
A foundational myth will be told, claiming citizens are born of the earth with souls of gold, silver, or brass and iron.
- 13The Guardians' Ascetic Lifestyle
Guardians must live ascetically without private property or money, after which some lesser points of the education will be considered.
- 14Commentary on Plato's Use of Homer
A commentary notes Plato's ironic and interpretive use of Homer as a witness for his ethical and psychological arguments.
- 15Commentary on Style and Obscurity
A commentary discusses Plato's rule that style must match subject, criticizing obscure poets both ancient and modern.
- 16Commentary on Plato's Theory of Art
A commentary summarizes Plato's theory of art as simple, moral, and influential, while noting his silence on the great creative arts.
- 17Commentary on the Ideal Judge
A commentary discusses Plato's remark that a judge, unlike a physician, should not have personal experience of evil.
- 18Commentary on Transposition of Ranks
A commentary explores Plato's un-Greek concept of transposing ranks based on merit, conveyed through the "monstrous fiction" of the metals.
- 19Commentary on Music's Exaggerated Power
A commentary discusses the paradox of music's great power in Plato's theory, suggesting some exaggeration and Pythagorean influence.
- 20Commentary on Mind-Body Control
A commentary explores the paradox of the mind's control over the body and criticizes Plato's depreciation of diet's role.
- 21Commentary on Lesser Stylistic Matters
A final commentary points out several of Plato's stylistic techniques, such as his affected ignorance and satirical tone.