The Oedipal Complex of Plato's Republic

33 Pages Posted: 19 Aug 2013

Date Written: 2013

Abstract

Plato's Republic is a response to a work that hardly appears in the Republic, Sophocles' Oedipus the King (OT). Like OT, the Republic is about the relationship between Truth and the Good; like OT, the Republic features a hero of truth who contends that Justice and Truth and Happiness are all on the same page; and like OT, this hero of truth ends up discovering a solution which ends up sanctioning his eviction. In the end, Truth goes one way, and Happiness, the other. Sophocles thought he had articulated the perfect tragedy. Plato shows in the Republic that he has him beat. This paper will provide an account of the tragic character of Plato's Republic, and, in turn, political life.

Suggested Citation

DeLuca, Kenneth, The Oedipal Complex of Plato's Republic (2013). APSA 2013 Annual Meeting Paper, American Political Science Association 2013 Annual Meeting, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2301249

Kenneth DeLuca (Contact Author)

Hampden-Sydney College ( email )

Hampden-Sydney, VA 23943
United States

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