Two pages assignment.
Rosi_1
LessonTWOJuly112018.pptx
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Plato’s Republic Terms
Politea: How a city is organized e.g. could be by a division of labor.
Sophists: Itinerant teachers of rhetoric, relativists; more interested in winning an argument than discerning truth.
Relativist: One who believes there is no absolute, universal, objective truth. Advances the notion that truth is relative.
Absolutist: One who believes there is an absolute, universal, objective truth. Plato Illustrated the idea of absolutism with his notion of the Forms.
Polis: A Greek city-state such as Athens.
Stephanus Numbers: A standardized numbering of dialogues for each section in Plato’s works (and Plutarch’s) e.g., The Republic. This refers to a page in the 1578 translation of Plato’s dialogues by Henri Estienne (“Stephanus” in Latin). This benefits navigating various translations of the same Platonic work. Each number is divided equally in sections labelled a –e.
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Book I (Prologue)
Cast of Characters
Socrates
Cephalus -Wealthy, older, businessman
Polemarchus – son of Cephalus
Glaucon – Socrates' younger friend, main character after Socrates (Plato's brother – son of Ariston)
Adeimantus Major character (another one of Plato's older brother – son of Ariston)
Cleitophon – Politician in Athens. An acquaintance of Socrates (shortest dialogue in The Republic – limited to Book I).
Thrasymachus – A sophist and foil for Socrates
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Setting
Dialogue takes place around 410 BC in the Piraeus –a seaport in Athens
Plato went to the Piraeus to go to a religious festival.
Polemarchus asks Plato to stay for dinner
Polemarchus jokingly forces Plato 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)
Socrates asks 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?
3) Is an insane friend who seeks to hurt you regarded as a friend? It can be difficult to determine a friend from an enemy.
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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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End of Book I
Book I ends with Socrates refuting Thrasymachus' arguments
What are your thoughts on relativism as a defensible position?
Key Questions posed in The Republic
What is justice?
Why should one prefer justice to injustice?
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Book II
Analogy of the City-Soul
Glaucon is not satisfied with Plato's counter argument to Thrasymachus' definition of justice.
Glaucon asks Socrates to answer why a just life is better than an unjust life.
Glaucon illustrates his concern in the story of the ring of Gyges (359-360d).
Socrates answers with the city-soul analogy.
Socrates endeavors to build a "just" city from Book II through Book VII to illustrate the meaning of justice.
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Book IV
Construction of the "Just" City #1
Very sparse – bare necessities.
Lacks luxuries or “relishes”.
Glaucon notes this city is so bare it is fit for pigs.
According to Socrates, what must happen to have a more luxurious city with “relishes?
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Book II
Impact of the culture and censorship
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Individuals are impacted by music, literature, and other artistic expression.
Due to this powerful influence, Socrates recommends censorship. He notes it is important to "supervise the makers of tales" (377c).
Book III
Noble Lie
As a result of the perceived need to censor, Socrates advocates for the noble lie.
The first part of the noble lie states that people were not born of their parents, rather they were born of the city. The city is their parent (414d).
The second part of the lie fosters a type of caste system in which individuals are born into a social class. This part of the lie, "the myth of the metals" asserts there are only three levels one can be born into: Bronze, silver, or gold. People have bronze, silver, or gold souls, this determines their status and rank (415a).
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Book III (cont.)
The rulers of the city are selected from the Guardian class. They should be wise and developed for the role of ruler.
The guardians would have no private property rights, little privacy, taxes will cover their expenses and live as a community – one large family.
Gold souled: RULERS Guardians (Philosopher Kings)
Silver souled: SOLDIERS (Auxiliaries) Military
Bronze souled: WORKERS Producers, (farmers, shoemakers, builders)
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Book III (Cont.)
Medical Practice
Socrates denies that everyone should have access to health care
He advocates for eugenics and abortion
Plan for totalitarianism?
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Book IV Introduction
The Soul
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Socrates has completed his theoretical “just” city.
Adeimantus notes that the rulers of the "just" city would not be content (419a). Socrates states that the priority is to achieve justice for the city.
What does Socrates claim is NOT the objective (420b)?
Socrates asserts that the individual soul is composed of three parts. What are these three parts?
What is this similar too?
What should there not be an excess of in the city?
Book IV Introduction
The Soul
Socrates has completed his theoretical “just” city.
Adeimantus notes that the rulers of the "just" city would not be content (419a). Socrates states that the priority is to achieve justice for the city.
What does Socrates claim is NOT the objective (420b)?
Socrates asserts that the individual soul is composed of three parts. What are these three parts?
What is this similar too?
What should there not be an excess of in the city?
(
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Book IV Introduction
The Soul (answers)
Adeimantus notes that the rulers of the "just" city would not be content (419a). Socrates states that the priority is to achieve justice for the city. The happiness of any one person or group is not the objective (420b).
Socrates asserts that the individual soul is composed of three parts. 1. Reason 2. Spirit 3. Desire.
The city is analogous to the individual soul.
There should be neither an excess of wealth or poverty in the city to avoid strife (421d-422a)
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Book IV Introduction
The Soul
Why is the city moderate?
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Book IV Introduction
The Soul
Why is the city moderate?
The city is moderate because the citizens control their own desires so that they can follow the orders of their leaders.
2. Why is the city just?
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Book IV Introduction
The Soul
Why is the city moderate?
The city is moderate because the citizens control their own desires so that they can follow the orders of their leaders.
2. Why is the city just?
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Book IV Introduction
The Soul (cont.)
Why is the city moderate?
The city is moderate because the citizens control their own desires so that they can follow the orders of their leaders.
2. Why is the city “just”?
The city is “just” because each citizen “minds their own business (433b). That is, justice is each citizen doing his or her own specific job.
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Book IV Introduction
The Soul
Each citizen should do the work which they are naturally inclined as a result of their abilities.
There is a harmony and absence of strife as each fulfills his/her calling.
The city and the soul have the same composition.
The city is like the soul magnified.
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Book IV Introduction
The City-Soul Analogy (revisited from Book II)
The city and soul are similar in structure .
Eye chart letter analogy
The city is tripartite i.e. it has three parts: gold, silver, and bronze.
Likewise, the soul has three parts: reason, spirit, and desire (435e-436a).
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Book IV Introduction
The Soul
Adeimantus notes that the rulers of the "just" city would not be content (419a). Socrates states that the priority is to achieve justice for the city. The happiness of any one person or group is not the objective (420b).
Socrates asserts that the individual soul is composed of three parts: reason, spirit and desire. The city, is composed similarly to the individual soul.
There should be neither an excess of wealth or poverty in the city to avoid strife (421d-422a)
Socrates has completed the city.
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Book IV
Construction of the "Just" City
If this city was constructed properly, it is ideal. That is, this city should have virtues of wisdom, courage, moderation and justice.
The guardians provide the wisdom through wise leadership.
The soldiers brave the dangers to honor the command of their leaders.
The moderation of the city is reflected by the citizens' control over their appetites and desires in favor of following the rule of the leaders.
By the end of this book, Socrates claims to have constructed this theoretical just city, and answered why a just life is preferred to an unjust life. Socrates now seems ready to return to his home in Athens proper.
What type of regime is described by these characteristics?
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Book IV
Construction of the "Just" City
If this city was constructed properly, it is ideal. That is, this city should have virtues of wisdom, courage, moderation and justice.
The guardians provide the wisdom through wise leadership. A guardian who has passed all of the requirements may become philosopher king at age 50.
The soldiers brave the dangers to honor the command of their leaders.
The moderation of the city is reflected by the citizens' control over their appetites and desires in favor of following the rule of the leaders.
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Book V Who is the Philosopher?
A lover of wisdom. A "desirer of wisdom, not of one part….but all of it" (475b).
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Book V Who is the Philosopher King?
A lover of wisdom. A "desirer of wisdom, not of one part….but all of it" (475b).
Knowledgeable
Just
Does not pursue power – doesn’t seek to rule
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Book VI The Ship of State (488a-489a)
The basic characteristics of Socrates’s notion of philosophy:
The ship is to represent the state.
The ship is owned by a man who knows nothing about being a pilot.
As a result, the sailors fight among themselves for control of the ship.
In ancient navigation, one must look up to navigate.
The one who has knowledge looks up, the others look across.
That is, the one who is knowledgeable looks vertically, while the politically motivated one looks horizontal.
How would you describe Socrates’ view of politics?
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Book VI The Ship of State (488a-489a)
Socrates defines the true philosopher who lives in a real city:
This true philosopher “minds his own business – as a man in a storm, when dust and rain are blown about by the wind, stands aside under a little wall . Seeing others filled full with lawlessness, he is content if somehow he himself can live his life here pure of injustice” (496d).
Why does the true philosopher takes refuge from the real stormy world of politics?
Does Socrates believe that politics and philosophy could become function together (499d)?
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Book VI The Idea of the Good (p. 2)
What is the idea of the good?
Socrates describes the idea of the good as “the greatest study” (505a). He compares it to the sun.
According to Socrates, what do most of the people describe the idea of the good (505b)?
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Book VI The Idea of the Good (p. 3)
“Isn’t it clear that that many men would choose to do, possess, and enjoy the reputation for things that are opined to be just and fair, even if they aren’t, while when it comes to good things, no one is satisfied with what is opined to be so but each seeks the things that are, and from here on out everyone despises the opinion? (505d)
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Book VI The Idea of the Good (p. 4)
Socrates says: “I divine that no one will adequately know the just and fair things themselves before this is known?”( 506a).
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Book VII Big Ideas: The Cave Allegory
The allegory of the cave is presented at the end of Books VII and VIII.
Imagine a cave that has an entrance leading out into the sunlight. There are prisoners in the cave who are confined with chains that allows them only to see the wall of the cave in front of them.
A fire burns behind them illuminating the wall in front of the prisoners view. There is a walkway between the fire and the prisoners in which people travel. The prisoners see only shadows of the people traveling across the walkway and hear only distant voices. The prisoners perceive the shadows and reflected sounds as reality.
A higher education is afforded the Guardians which allows them to escape from the “Cave”.
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Plato’s Republic Big Ideas: The Cave Allegory
If a prisoner were unshackled and turned to see he would be surprised to see the fire. He will be caught in unbelief to learn that reality is defined in a more tangible manner than a shadow. Taking him completely out of the cave would add yet another level of sensation and realization. It would be unlikely that the prisoner could ever perceive reality the same way again even if returned to the shackled existence of staring at the shadowed wall.
A higher education is afforded the Guardians which allows them to escape from the “Cave”.
What comparison does this allegory represent?
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Plato’s Republic
The Republic is a philosophical portrayal of an idealized form of government.
The Republic is not a "how-to manual" for political leadership.
Socrates describes democracy as chaotic and second only to tyranny in its affliction.
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Lesson Two Complete
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