The Norm of Belief in Plato’s <i>Republic</i>

In contemporary epistemology, it is commonly accepted that belief aims at truth. For Plato, the relationship between belief and truth is more complicated. In the Republic, I argue, Plato maintains that our beliefs are not simply true or false, and correspondence with the world cannot be our standard for which beliefs to accept. The norm of belief is instead whether it turns our soul towards the highest realities. Though beliefs by their nature cannot be directly about these realities, they can bring our souls closer to or further from them, and this feature provides the standard for the guardians of the just city to impart beliefs to their citizens.