The Republic is one of history's most important works of political philosophy, written by Plato, one of Socrates' students in ancient Greece, as a dialogue about justice on both the individual and social level.

What is the best way to govern human society? And how can we govern others if we cannot govern ourselves?

Many of today's major questions about politics and human nature were already being asked over 2,000 years ago by the ancient Greek thinker Socrates.

And while Socrates left no written works, his student Plato wrote down a series of dialogues in which the teacher and his students explore the fundamental issues of philosophy.

The Republic is Plato's most famous work, spanning ten chapters in which Socrates and his student Glaucon, as well as several other participants, discuss the nature of justice, governance, and human reason.

While it is likely that Plato used the character of Socrates as a mouthpiece for his own thought rather than simply recording his teacher's words, The Republic remains a foundational text for political philosophy.