Reading the Republic will change your life. Plato’s Republic is easily one of the most influential texts in all of Western civilization. What begins as a conversation on justice turns into a wide-ranging conversation on virtue, the parts of the soul, metaphysics, the nature of education, critiques of democracy, and much, much more. As has been said many times, all of Western philosophy is a footnote to Plato. If you’ve studied the Republic seriously, you’ve been introduced to the great perennial questions of Western civilization.
And always remember, for Plato, philosophy is never a sterile, academic exercise. It makes a claim on your soul. If you love wisdom, you’ll live according to its teachings. Plato wants you to live a beautiful life, and Ascend is here to help.
Everything you’ll receive when you read the Republic with Ascend:
Weekly podcast & videos with Dcn. Garlick and various scholars on the reading
Detailed Q&A guides to help you understand each book of the Republic
Monthly LIVE Q&A sessions where you can ask questions with other readers
Periodic articles exploring concepts from the Republic in-depth
We have over thirty (30) episodes scheduled with over twenty (20) different scholars to bring you the most comprehensive, rich reading of Plato’s Republic offered. Whether you’re a beginning or have read the Republic many times, this read-through is for you.
How do I join the Ascend Book Club?
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Join our reading group and study the great books with us!
To support our mission and get all our resources, become a paid book club member. In addition to the weekly podcast, you’ll get:
Live book club discussions / Q&A with Dcn. Garlick & guest scholars
In-depth reading guides and essays to lead you through the great books
Access to our incredible community of readers
The full archive of members-only content (guides, essays, and podcasts)
What translation of the Republic are you using?
We are mainly using the classic translation by Allan Bloom. It is an excellent text that reads well and is most universally recommended by trusted scholars. Many people, however, have the Plato: Complete Works edited by John Cooper, and the translation of the Republic in that edition is also perfectly fine. Both works have the universal Stephanus numbers that will allow you to follow along to citations mentioned on the podcast.
What is the reading schedule?
Here is our current schedule of recording on Plato’s Republic starting October 6, 2026, and ending on August 31, 2027 with a break for Lent 2027 in which we’ll be reading Dante’s Paradiso, the final volume of his Divine Comedy.
This schedule does not contain the monthly live Q&A sessions. Those, only for subscribers, are hosted once a month to discuss the reading.
1. October 6, 2026 — Republic Bk 1: Intro, Prologue, & Cephalus (327a-331d) — Dr. Alex Priou, University of Austin
2. October 13, 2026 — Republic Bk 1: Polemarchus (331e-336a) — Dr. Frank Grabowski, Holy Family Classical School, and Mr. Thomas Lackey
3. October 20, 2026 — Republic Bk 1: Thrasymachus (336a-354c) — Dr. Gregory McBrayer, Miami University (Oxford, Ohio)
4. October 27, 2026 — From Plato to Christ — Dr. Louis A. Markos, Houston Christian University
5. November 3, 2026 — Republic Bk 2: Gyges’ Ring (357a-362c) — Dr. Jennifer Frey, University of Virginia
BONUS: November 3, 2026 at Noon CT — LIVE Q&A with Dr. Alex Priou on Book One of the Republic
6. November 10, 2026 — Gyges’ Ring Roundtable — Dr. Paul Jordan Diduch, SMU
7. November 17, 2026 — Republic Bk 2: Adeimantus & Socrates’ Reaction (362d-369b) — Dr. Pavlos Papadopoulos, Wyoming Catholic College
8. November 24, 2026 — Republic Bk 2: The Healthy & Feverish Cities (369b-374e) — Dr. Zena Hitz, St. John’s College
9. December 1, 2026 — Republic Bk 2: The Guardians (374e-383c) — Fr. Dcn. Kyle Washut, Wyoming Catholic College
10. December 8, 2026 — Republic Bk 3: Music Education I (386a-392c) — Dr. Gregory McBrayer, Miami University (Oxford, Ohio)
11. December 15, 2026 — “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” by Mark Twain with Dr. Bernard J. Dobski, Assumption University
12. December 22, 2026 — Republic Bk 3: Music Education II (392c-403c) — Alec Bianco and Dr. Matt Bianco, Circe Institute
13. December 29, 2026 — Christmas Episode TBD
14. January 5, 2027 — Republic Bk 3: The Noble Lie (403c-417b) — Dr. Kevin Kambo, University of Dallas
15. January 12, 2027 — Plotinus: Islamic and Jewish Studies — President Sterling & Dr. Ken Wolfe, St. John’s College Santa Fe
16. January 19, 2027 — Republic Bk 4: Adeimantus’ Objections (419a-428a) — Dr. Ben Keoseyan, Florida Atlantic University
17. January 26, 2027 — Republic Bk 4: Justice in the City (428a-437a) — Dr. Tiffany Miller, University of Dallas
18. February 2, 2027 — Republic Bk 4: Justice in the Soul (437b-445e) — Dr. Christopher Frey, University of Virginia
19. February 9, 2027 – April 6, 2027 — Dante’s Paradiso for Lent 2027
20. April 13, 2027 — Republic Bk 5: First Wave of Laughter: Equality of the Sexes (449a-457c) — Dr. Mary Townsend, St. John’s University
21. April 20, 2027 — Republic Bk 5: Second Wave of Laughter: Sharing of Women and Children (457c-471e) — Dr. Mary Townsend, St. John’s University
22. April 27, 2027 — Republic Bk 5: Third Wave of Laughter: Philosopher King (472a-480a) — Dr. Thomas Harmon, University of St. Thomas
23. May 4, 2027 — TBD
24. May 11, 2027 — Republic Bk 6: The Good Part I (484a-506d) — Dr. Ryan Haecker, The Methexis Institute
25. May 18, 2027 — Republic Bk 6: The Good Part II (484a-506d) — Dr. Ryan Haecker, The Methexis Institute
26. May 25, 2027 — Republic Bk 6: Analogy of the Sun / Divided Line (506d-511e) — Dr. Ryan Haecker, The Methexis Institute
27. June 1, 2027 — TBD
28. June 8, 2027 — Republic Bk 7: The Cave (514a-521b) — Dr. Nathan Schlueter, Hillsdale College
29. June 15, 2027 — Roundtable on the Allegory of the Cave
30. June 22, 2027 — Republic Bk 7: Philosophic Education (521c-541b) — Dr. Alex Priou, University of Austin
31. June 29, 2027 — July 4th Episode: Founding Fathers’ Document (TBD)
32. July 6, 2027 — Republic Bk 8: Regime Decline: Timocracy, Oligarchy, and Democracy (543a–562b) — Dr. Brett Larson and Dr. Alex Petkas of Cost of Glory
33. July 13, 2027 — Republic Bk 8: Tyranny (562a–569c) — Dr. Brett Larson, Tulsa Community College
34. July 20, 2027 — Republic Bk 9: The Tyrannic Man (571a-576b) — Dr. Brett Larson, Tulsa Community College
35. July 27, 2027 — Republic Bk 9: Comparison of Lives (576b-592b) — Dr. Gary Hartenburg, Houston Christian University
36. August 3, 2027 — TBD
37. August 10, 2027 — Republic Bk 10: The Second Critique of Poetry (595a–602c) — Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson, Pepperdine University
38. August 17, 2027 — Republic Bk 10: The Second Critique of Poetry Part II with Immortality of the Soul (602c–614a) — Dr. Frank Grabowski
39. August 24, 2027 — Republic Bk 10: The Myth of Er (614a–621d) — Dr. Karl Schudt
40. August 31, 2027 — End of the Republic Summary Roundtable
We’ll fill in the TBDs as the schedule is solidified, but almost all the episodes that list a guest have already been recorded. Ascend is dedicated to bringing you the best conversations on Plato. Please keep in mind this schedule does not include the monthly LIVE Q&A sessions—those are extra for our supporters!
What if I’ve never read Plato before?
Not a problem! You can certainly jump into our reading of the Republic. Before we start the Republic, we’ll have a podcast episode on how to read the Republic well on September 29, 2026, that will be very helpful—like an intro to our whole reading of the Republic.
But if you do want to dive into some Plato prior to reading the Republic, you have two good options:
First, you can check out our discussion on Plato 101: An Introduction with Dcn. Garlick alongside Dr. Larson, Dr. Grabowski, and Mr. Thomas Lackey. The roundtable conversation covers all the basic questions on Plato and how to read him—a great place to start.
Second, another great starting point is First Alcibiades. In antiquity, it was the first dialogue that students of Plato would read, because it “contains the whole philosophy of Plato, as in a seed.” It tells the transformative story of a young, spirited Alcibiades being invited to the philosophic life by Socrates. First Alcibiades is a beautiful dialogue.
Either option or both would be a good starting point. If you’re a first-time reader of Plato taking on the Republic with us, just be patient. Our slow, intentional conversations will help you move through the text and give you all the tools you need to be a good student of Plato.
Join us as we read Plato’s Republic!
Our read of Plato’s Republic is an amazing opportunity to give a slow, intentional read alongside excellent scholars of one of the West’s most influential texts. We’ll have videos, podcasts, articles, written guides, and LIVE Q&A sessions to help guide you through the text. It is a beautiful text that calls you to a beautiful life. It is well worth reading. Join us!
Dcn. Harrison Garlick lives in rural Oklahoma with his wife and five children. He serves as a deacon at Holy Family Cathedral and as Chancellor & General Counsel for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa. Follow him on X at Dcn. Garlick or Ascend.
Do you all have or would you be able to share a printable version of the reading schedule?
Where do we find the reading guides?