We will read together Plato's masterpiece (with members of the course reading the characters' parts in the dialogue: so hone your thespian skills!). The English philosopher Whitehead famously remarked: 'All western philosophy is a series of footnotes to Plato'. This was not merely a joke. 'The Republic' is an in-depth exploration of the concept of justice. It opens with an aggressive attack on Socrates: Thrasymachus argues that moral values are relative and that (effectively) might is right: justice is whatever is in the interest of the stronger party. This real justice is called 'unjust' by those who are too weak to assert their will. Plato then endeavours to disprove this thesis. I shall provide a running philosophical analysis, and facilitate discussion. You will need the Cambridge University Press edition of 'The Republic', translated by Tom Griffith. (Remember you are entitled to a U3AC reduction from the CUP Bookshop.)