The Mistranslation That Hid Plato's Psychology

"Plato never wrote a dialogue called "The Republic." He wrote the Politeia (Πολιτεία), which translates to "constitution." But here's what few people know: ancient editors felt this title alone was insufficient. They added a clarifying subtitle that appears in our earliest sources: peri dikaiou, meaning "On the Just Person." Not "On Justice" as it's sometimes translated. The Greek word for justice is dikaiosyne. The word dikaiou specifically means "of a just person" or "concerning the just person.""

"This dual title appears in Diogenes Laertius (3rd century CE), who attributes it to Thrasyllus of Mendes, the scholar who organized Plato's works into the manuscript tradition we inherited. Whether or not Thrasyllus originated this subtitle, its presence reveals something significant: ancient editors understood that the work's true subject needed clarification. They weren't confused about political theory. They saw that Plato was exploring human psychological architecture."

"The Double Mistranslation We've lost both parts of Plato's message. First, Cicero translated politeia as " de res publica" (of public matters) rather than " constitutio" (constitution). This shifted focus from internal ordering to external politics. Then, somewhere in the eighteenth or nineteenth century, the clarifying subtitle "On the Just Person" quietly disappeared from translations. The result: generations of readers approached this work expecting political philosophy when they were actually encountering sophisticated psychological insight about self-governance."

Plato wrote the Politeia (Πολιτεία), which translates as "constitution." Ancient editors appended the subtitle peri dikaiou, meaning "On the Just Person," clarifying the dialogue's focus on the individual's moral character rather than abstract justice. The Greek term dikaiou denotes "of a just person," distinct from dikaiosyne, the term for justice. Diogenes Laertius attributes the dual title to Thrasyllus of Mendes, who organized manuscript traditions. Cicero's translation of politeia as de res publica shifted emphasis toward public affairs, and the clarifying subtitle disappeared from modern translations in the eighteenth or nineteenth century. Readers consequently often interpret the work as political philosophy instead of psychological architecture concerning self-governance.

Read at Psychology Today