Book X of Plato's Republic deals with aesthetic theory, the immortality of the soul, and the destiny of man. This student edition, first published in 1957, contains a substantial introduction including sections on historical background, Socrates, Plato and the Republic as a whole; the Greek text with extensive notes; appendices on the theory of Forms, Plato's theory of art, the immortality of the soul and myth in Plato; and a Vocabulary.

John Ferguson taught at the Universities of Newcastle, London and Birmingham in the UK, as well as Iba'dan, Nigeria, and Minnesota, USA. He was the founding Dean of Arts at the Open University, UK and President of Selly Oak Colleges, Birmingham. His publications include A Companion to Greek Tragedy (1972).