Finally, in terms of my own experience of these last twenty-five years,
after the Republic I translated Rousseau Emile, the greatest modern book
on education. Rousseau was one of the great readers of Plato, and from my
time on that work I gained an even greater respect for the Republic. Emile
is its natural companion, and Rousseau proved his greatness by entering
the lists in worthy combat with it. He shows that Plato articulated first and
best all the problems, and he himself differs only with respect to some of
the solutions. If one takes the two books together, one has the basic training
necessary for the educational wars. And wars they are, now that doctrine
tells us that these two books are cornerstones of an outlived canon. So, I
conclude, the Republic is always useful to students who read it, but now
more than ever.

I have corrected many minor mistranslations or misleading formula-
tions for this second edition. I must also add that there are certainly many
more I did not catch. This is regrettable but inherent in the nature of the
task and the nature of this translator.

Paris, 1991

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