Plato is not the initiator, but rather the heir of the "old quarrel", between philosophers and poets. The ethical and theological motivation that drove Xenophanes is brought to date in the Republic. In order to realize that, one must take into account the whole of the dialogue - where the definition of justice is at stake - and, more precisely, its first books. There, Plato shows how important it is to put the poets' claims to question. The point is, after all, to deprive them of the authority they enjoy in what concerns educational matters as well as with public opinion. It is only through an education which is inspired by philosophical questioning - which also implies the production and selection of myths - that one can expect more justice both on the individual (the gouvernment of his soul) and on the city levels. The reading we propose of Plato's "reasons" in the Republic does not keep us from recognizing the part tragedy plays in a better understanding of human existence, including the idea of the divine.
Plato; Republic; poetry; myth; religion; education