From the Beginning to Plato

INTRODUCTION 7
dialogue embraces the nature of knowledge and its relation to belief. Knowledge
is a grasp of reality, and in particular of the reality of goodness; hence basic
metaphysics is included. The account of the training of the rulers to achieve that
knowledge constitutes a fundamental treatment of the philosophy of education,
literature and art. Some of these topics are explored by Plato in other dialogues,
some of which individually excel the Republic in their particular fields (see the
discussions in Chapters 10–12). No single work, however, better encapsulates
Plato’s unique contribution to the development of Western philosophy.