10 Essential Plato Quotes from The Republic (With Philosophy Lessons for 2026)
10 Essential Plato Quotes from The Republic (With Philosophy Lessons for 2026)
Written around 375 BCE, Plato’s The Republic remains the cornerstone of Western philosophy. Here are the ten quotes that still hit hardest in 2026 – all linked directly to the original text (Jowett translation, public domain).
1. “The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.”
Book 6 – Full text – Project Gutenberg
2026 lesson: Voter apathy and political disengagement in one sentence.
2. “The heaviest penalty for declining to rule is to be ruled by someone inferior to yourself.”
Book 1 – Full text – Project Gutenberg
2026 lesson: Why good people must step up – or suffer bad leadership.
3. “We are twice armed if we fight with faith.”
Book 5 – Full text – Project Gutenberg
2026 lesson: Conviction + action beats skill alone.
4. “The beginning is the most important part of the work.”
Book 2 – Full text – Project Gutenberg
2026 lesson: Habits, culture, education – get the foundation right.
5. “Courage is knowing what not to fear.”
Book 4 – Full text – Project Gutenberg
2026 lesson: True bravery isn’t recklessness – it’s discernment.
6. “The soul takes nothing with her to the next world but her education and her culture.”
Book 6 – Full text – Project Gutenberg
2026 lesson: Skills, money, status – none travel. Only wisdom does.
7. “Necessity is the mother of invention.”
Book 2 – Full text – Project Gutenberg
2026 lesson: Constraints breed creativity – the original startup mantra.
8. “Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something.”
Book 4 – Full text – Project Gutenberg
2026 lesson: The original explanation for most of social media.
9. “The measure of a man is what he does with power.”
Book 1 – Full text – Project Gutenberg
2026 lesson: Still the ultimate test of character in politics and business.
10. “One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.”
Book 1 – Full text – Project Gutenberg
2026 lesson: Civic duty in one brutal line.
Why a Plato Bust Is the Perfect Daily Philosophy Reminder
Reading Plato is step one. Having the philosopher who wrote these words watching you work is step two.
Source
All quotes from Benjamin Jowett’s public-domain translation of The Republic: Project Gutenberg – The Republic
