Book: Platos Republic
Essays should first present Plato’s perspective on the issue using adequate textual support. Once this is
accomplished, students must relate and compare his views to those of contemporary culture. Ultimately, if
contemporary culture diverges from the views offered in the Republic students should say which is preferable
and why. If a student intends to show that Socrates’ views are inadequate or deficient in some manner, the
student must first demonstrate that he or she fully comprehends those views by proving that he or she knows
why Socrates says what he says in the context of the book. Papers that are all response without first proving
you understand what you are responding to will earn minimal credit. Requirements: • Papers must be at
minimum 3 full typed double spaced pages in 12 Times New Roman font. The quickest way to lose points is to
turn in 2 ¾ pages. • Students must incorporate textual support from the primary source (Republic) into the body
paragraphs in the form of direct quotations and cite them properly (MLA). • Students must find adequate
examples from contemporary culture that relate to the ideas discussed in the book and document them. As
with the primary source, students are required to integrate direct quotations from secondary sources into the
body paragraphs. (American or International examples are both welcome.) • In addition to the 3 pages,
students must submit a separate works-cited page citing all sources (MLA). This is a formal paper
Sample Solution
