POSC 7: Introduction to Political Theory

Study questions for The Republic

1. Who wrote the Republic? Who are the characters? What is the purpose of writing the Republic?

2. What does Socrates revolt against? What is the significance of this revolt?

3. Who are the 4 characters in the Republic, and what are the 4 views of justice they represent? Does Socrates accept them? Why or why not?

4. What is the Socratic view of justice?

5. What is his method of arriving at justice? OR How does Plato use the city-soul metaphor?

6. What does it mean to think teleologically? Why does teleological thinking require one to think hierarchically? How does teleological thinking help Socrates to construct his view of justice?

7. What are the 3 parts of soul for Socrates? What are the 3 classes in a city? What is the purpose/function of each part/class? How does hierarchy figure into this argument? OR What is the role of hierarchy in Plato’s theory of human nature and justice?

8. Who is the philosopher-king?

9. How likely is it that the philosopher-king can govern? Why or why not?

10. What is Platonic politics? What is the relationship between philosophy and politics?

11. What is true philosophy for Plato?

12. What is Plato’s metaphysics? What is Plato’s theory of the ultimate nature of reality?

13. How do you interpret the Allegory of the Cave? What are its implications?

Terms (do you know the definition of each and the significance of each in the text?):

sophistry

Soul-city metaphor

Telos

Teleological

Soulcraft

Cooperative Specialization

Philosopher-King

Metaphysics

Plato’s metaphysics

Classical realism

Ideal World (ideals, Form, fixed, permanent, unchanging, true) vs. Material World (transient, decaying, matter, shadows)

Ideal Forms