Two pages assignment.
Why Philosophy?
Timeline
Plato
Plato’s Republic
Overview of the Ten Books
Cast of Characters
Book I Debates
Analogy of the City-Soul
The Noble Lie
The Cave Allegory
Culture and Censorship
Construction of the Just city
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All Aboard to the 5th century!
To Ancient Athens
All Aboard!
To Ancient Athens
The Mediterranean Region
Athens and Rome.
Athens
.
Mediterranean
The Ancients
Western Philosophers
Socrates
469 – 399 BC
Socrates Philosopher
Taught Plato.
Aristotle
384 – 322 BC
Aristotle We are what we repeatedly do, excellence, then is not an act but a habit..
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Cicero
106 – 63BC
Cicero The wise are instructed by reason, average minds by experience, the stupid by necessity and the brute by instinct..
Lawyer, orator, Roman Consul,
Plato
428 – 348 BC
Plato For a man to conquer himself is the first and noblest of all victories.
Philosopher, taught Aristotle.
Plato and Leadership Who was Plato?
A Greek (Athenian) Philosopher and mathematician
Born circa 428 BC
Considered to have built the foundations of Western Philosophy
Student of Socrates who taught using the Socratic Dialectic
Socratic Dialectic/Method refers to asking repeated questions to develop an argument based on reason and logic.
Plato taught the philosopher Aristotle for nearly 20 years
Wrote primarily in the form of dialogues
The characters in his writings debate subjects in an effort to discern truth.
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Plato and Leadership Who was Plato?
Founded The Academy in Athens (387 BC)
The purpose of the Academy was to educate future leaders
Typically, Plato’s works are organized into three eras: early, middle and late
Plato wrote The Republic, Symposium and Phaedo during the middle period
He employed the dialogue method to consider notions of government, love and the soul.
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Plato and Leadership Who was Plato?
Plato lived through tumultuous period in Athens that experienced shifts in power between direct democracies and oligarchies (rule by a small social elite).
In Republic, Plato reflects his distrust of direct democracy; His teacher, Socrates, was killed under the rule of a direct democracy.
Plato, also was disillusioned with oligarchy. He saw Greek citizens mistreated under oligarchy as well. That is, the oligarchy served primarily the interests of the wealthy few.
For Plato, the most important aspect of government was justice.
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Plato’s Republic Big Ideas: Justice
The objective of the Republic is to consider if it is possible to create a just society.
Socrates asks provocative questions in regards to the existence and possibility of a just society.
The characteristics of justice are examined in regards to the individual as well as the city state.
Each individual performing his specialized task is acting justly. Think of the soul governing the individual’s actions like a philosopher-king governing the city state (laborers, warriors).
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Plato’s Republic Big Ideas: Leadership and Social Structure
Who should lead? Why?
Only the philosopher can perceive the Forms or the ideal. The ideal is fixed and abstract.
Since the philosopher-king understands the Forms, he understands best how to lead.
All others should become experts in the work to which they are best suited. The guardians of the highest order are selected to be philosopher-kings.
Only guardians and warriors are taught and allowed access to weapons. This reduces the probability of an armed rebellion.
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Plato’s Republic Big Ideas: Leadership
City state is divided into three social classes: philosopher-kings, warriors/guardians (assist philosopher-king in ruling) and laborers.
Socrates sees this is just as each individual specializes in performing their assigned duty or specialization.
Socrates does not see leaders as merely serving their self-interests. However, he also rejected the notion that leaders are motivated solely by honorable goals to serve the altruistic good of the people.
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Plato’s Republic
The Republic is divided into ten books.
Socrates viewed justice as a virtue.
The Socratic dialogue was the medium Plato used to share his notions.
about government and political philosophy.
The Socratic method works especially well with concepts that are complex.
Socrates attempts to understand what could create the perfect state considering the imperfections of human nature.
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The Republic
Overview of the Ten Books
Book I (Prologue – sets up themes and two central questions)
Books II-IV Endeavor to construct a perfect, just, building of a city in words
Books V-VII Specifics of Plato's philosophy
Books VIII-X Consideration of political structure and regimes
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Ancient Athens
Book I (Prologue)
Cast of Characters
Socrates
Cephalus -Wealthy, older, businessman
Polemarchus – son of Cephalus
Glaucon – Socrates' younger friend (Plato's older brother)
Adeimantus (Plato's older brother)
Cleitophon – Politician in Athens. An acquaintance of Socrates (shortest dialogue in The Republic).
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Setting
Dialogue takes place around 410 BC in the Piraeus –a seaport in Athens
Socrates went to the Piraeus to go to a religious festival.
Polemarchus asks Socrates to stay for dinner
Polemarchus jokingly forces Socrates to stay.
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Dialogues Book I
First dialogue: Socrates and Cephalus (328d-331d)
Second dialogue: Socrates and Polemarchus (331d-336a)
Third dialogue: Socrates and Thrasymachus.
Socrates counters Thrasymachus three times:
339a-340a
341c-342c
345e-346e
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Socrates and Cephalus The First Dialogue (328-331d)
1) Socrates ask Cephalus what is like to be so old. Cephalus responds that it is okay to be old because he is no longer a slave to the passions of youth.
Cephalus defines justice as "telling the truth and giving back what a man has taken from another" (331c).
Socrates counters with the scenario of returning a borrowed knife to one who is insane and dangerous.
The older Cephalus is not interested in philosophical inquiry, quickly grows weary of this exercise – leaves to engage in religious ceremony.
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Socrates and Polemarchus
Second Dialogue (331d-336a)
Polemarchus' Definition of Justice
1) Justice is giving what is owed.
2)Justice is "giving everyone what is fitting"(332b).
3) Justice is helping your friends and hurting your enemies.
Socrates’ Refutation
1)Would you return a knife to one who was insane?
2)Would you tell him the truth?
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Socrates Debates Thrasymachus
Third and Main Debate in Book I
Thrasymachus' Argument
1) Justice is the advantage of the stronger (338c) – justice is defined by whoever holds power. Rulers must obey all laws.
2)Thrasymachus rejects Cleitophon's revision
3) Argues a ruler is like a craftsman
Socrates' Refutation
1)What if a ruler makes a mistake; a law that hurts the ruler? (339a-340a)
2) All craftsman seek to benefit the recipient of their craft e.g. Doctor benefits the patent, pilot cares for the sailors. That is, craftsmen do not seek to benefit themselves!
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Thrasymachus
Thrasymachus is a sophist. That is, he was skilled in rhetoric, traveling teacher of rhetoric for hire; more concerned with winning an argument that truth or principle. He was a relativist.
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Socrates Debates Thrasymachus
Main Debate in Book I (cont.)
Thrasymachus' Argument
4) Justice is the advantage of the stronger (338c) – justice is defined by whoever holds power. Rulers must obey all laws.
3)The ruler is like a craftsman
Socrates' Refutation
What if a ruler makes a mistake; a law that hurts the ruler? (339a-340a)
2) All craftsman seek to benefit the recipient of their craft e.g. Doctor benefits the patent, pilot cares for the sailors. That is, craftsmen do not seek to benefit themselves!
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End of Book I
Book I ends with Socrates decimating Thrasymachus' arguments
What are your thoughts on relativism as a defensible position?
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Lesson One Complete
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