Plato’s Republic is not only a foundational work in the history of Western political philosophy, but also a fascinating and beautiful work of literature. It has provocative and even radical things to say about human nature, ethics, education, family, government, and art. We will work our way methodically through the primary text while engaging with some of the best Plato scholarship along the way to aid our understanding. As participants in this seminar we will become a community of readers, writers, and thinkers, and thereby make our own contribution to the tradition of scholarship on this text.