The Myth of Er in Plato’s Republic: An Exemplar of Ideal, Simple Poetry for Glaucon

Abstract This paper challenges the common view that the Myth of Er is an incongruous or extraneous conclusion to Plato’s Republic , particularly in relation to the work’s treatment of justice and critique of poetry. It argues that in Books II and III, Plato establishes a framework for an ideal form of poetry – one that is not only permissible but integral to the cultivation of virtue. Within this framework, a crucial distinction emerges between mimetic poetry, which Plato excludes from the ideal city, and simple poetry, which plays a formative role in shaping a just soul. The Myth of Er, I contend, fully meets the formal and thematic requirements of simple poetry, reinforcing rather than contradicting the dialogue’s central claim that justice intrinsically benefits the just. More than a poetic epilogue, the myth is a targeted philosophical intervention, specifically directed at Glaucon. His philonikia (love of victory) risks distorting his spirited nature, preventing its alignment with reason. Through its eschatological vision, the myth illustrates why only a soul properly ordered by philosophy and justice can attain true and lasting eudaimonia . It thus reaffirms the Republic ’s core argument that justice is its own reward.