República VI

Sexta parte da República tratando da matemática, das ideias, da virtude, da causa.

Eudoro de Sousa: Tríptico da República

As imagens do Tríptico da República facilmente se reduzem ao esquema mais simples, uma vez traçada a linha principal que, no «Sol», separa o sensível, onde reina o astro do dia, do inteligível, onde reina a Ideia do Bem; na «Linha», o mundo das coisas, do mundo das ideias; e na «Caverna», o que se passa no interior, do que se passa no exterior. Essa linha é, designando-a por uma só palavra, a do horizonte.

Chambry: La République VI 484a-487a — A noção de filósofo-governante

1. 484 — Eh bien, dis-je, Glaucon, pour ce qui est des philosophes, et de ceux qui ne le sont pas, voici que parvenus au terme d’un long dialogue, et avec quelque difficulté, on a fait voir qui ils sont, les uns et les autres.

— C’est que peut-être, dit-il, le faire brièvement n’était pas faciIe.

— C’est en effet ce qui apparaît, dis-je. Moi en tout cas il me semble que ce serait apparu encore mieux si on n’avait eu à parler que de cela, et s’il n’était pas resté bien d’autres choses à exposer pour pouvoir distinguer en quoi la vie b juste diffère de la vie injuste.

Jowett: REP VI 508a-511e — Glaucon demanda uma reflexão sobre o Bem

May not the relation of sight to this deity be described as follows ?

How ?

Neither sight nor the eye in which sight resides is the sun ?

No.

Yet of all the organs of sense the eye is the most like the sun ?

By far the most like.

And the power which the eye possesses is a sort of effluence which is dispensed from the sun ?

Exactly.

Then the sun is not sight, but the author of sight who is recognized by sight ?

True, he said.

Jowett: REP VI 504d-511e — A Ideia do Bem

What, he said, is there a knowledge still higher than this — higher than justice and the other virtues ?

Yes, I said, there is. And of the virtues too we must behold not the outline merely, as at present — nothing short of the most finished picture should satisfy us. When little things are elaborated with an infinity of pains, in order that they may appear in their full beauty and utmost clearness, how ridiculous that we should not think the highest truths worthy of attaining the highest accuracy !