View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. With whom does Socrates discuss the education of soldiers and philosophers?

2. According to Socrates' radical math, the tyrant's life is 729 times________.

3. Why would candidates for a philosopher-king class in the republic be tested?

4. The tyrannical man, according to Socrates, is characterized by___________.

5. Which one of the following scenarios, according to Socrates, would most likely give rise to a tyrannical government?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is the tyrannical man the most miserable, according to Socrates?

2. How can tyranny arise in a democratic state?

3. What are the five tell-tale traits of an aspiring philosopher, according to Socrates?

4. What is the point of Socrates' discussion of evil and injustice after death?

5. Why does Socrates think that the forms of government are like forms in the human soul?

6. What, does Socrates think, is the best form of government?

7. Why are poets dangerous, according to Socrates?

8. Why does Socrates think that aspiring philosophers should be instructed in dialectic only at the end of their educations?

9. Why does Socrates say in Book VII that "philosophers don't want to rule"?

10. What objection does Cebes raise about Socrates view on death?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the first book of The Republic, Socrates seems more confused about justice and what it actually means, but by Apology it seems that Socrates has a clearly picture of justice. Compare/contrast these two viewpoints. What has changed in Socrates' mind? What does this say about Plato's philosophy?

Essay Topic 2

What is the role of the "philosopher king" in The Republic? Do you agree or disagree with Plato's vision of a land ruled by philosophers instead of by politicians? Be sure to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each approach.

Essay Topic 3

Choose your favorite Sophist and write a paper arguing for his thesis. You may choose "justice is the power of the stronger," or "the unjust life is more rewarding than the just one" or anything else you find in the text. Address the Socratic counter arguments to these claims and rebut them as best you can. Make sure to use textual evidence for your reasoning on both sides of your argument.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,137 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample