Great start on Thursday possible blog prompts for the Republic

Hi Everyone,

just a note to say I really enjoyed class on Thursday.  I apologize for not getting to a discussion of  death and the soul.  We'll talk a bit about  that  at the start of  class Thursday.  

Some possible  blog  posts  about  Republic  1  and  2.


Reflect on the signficance of the opening scene of the dialogue.
In what ways does Book 1  seem like a dialogue in and of itself?
Why does it matter that Socrates participates in the conversation under a certain kind of constraint?
Describe Cephalus as a person and how his views on justice reflect his personal circumstance.
Describe Polemarchus as a person  and how his views on justice reflect his personal circumstance.
Describe Thraysmachus as a person and how his view on justice reflect his personal circumstance.
How does  Socrates  treat  each of the interlocutors?
What do we learn by observing what Socrates describes about the  events?
Assess the relative merits of  each of the three definitions of  Justice.
Which characters  admit  aporia?

Why does Socrates think he is finished with the conversation after Book1?
How does Glaucon persuade him to stay.
What is the philosophical import of the ring of gyges story?
What do you think of the city and soul  analogy  as a means of finding the nature of justice?
Describe life  in the  city of necessity.
Why does Glaucon reject this city?
What is  different in the luxurious city?
What is the gist of  Socrates' gripe with Homer and the poets?

General plan for today

Hi All,

Here's the  general plan for  today.

1.  Introductions
2. Baylor Fellows and  pedagogical emphasis
3.  Plato wrote dialogues to  display what is  involved in the practice of  philosophy
4.  Plato wrote dialogues to  draw us into practicing philosophy through the practice of  reading them together.
5.  A word or two  about  dramatic form and  how the Apology follows that form
6.  Questions from you (welcome at  any stage)
7.  A few words about  death and the soul.

Your  blogs were  great.  I very much enjoyed reading them and I encourage you to read and comment on  each other's blogs  before  class.  


AMS

Book recommendation

Osborne, Robin.  Athens and Athenian Democracy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

This is a very thorough book, really a collection of essays that Osborne wrote over the course of his career about  numerous aspects of  Athenians History and Culture. If you were going to read one book  to dispel the myths of what we know about Athens, I would recommend this one.

Possible Blog Posts for the Apology

1. Describe your previous experiences with reading the Apology.
2. Do you approach the Apology differently  in the context of a graduate seminar, if so how?
3.  Describe Socrates' self -presentation.
4. How does Socrates describe his relationship with the city?
5.  How does Socrates describe his relationship with god/the gods?
6.  How would you describe the public role of the philosopher based on this dialogue?
7.  What is the overall purpose of the refutation of Meletus?
8. Is  Socrates a sympathetic character?
9.  Do you have a favorite argument in the Apology?
10. What are Socrates' views about death?
11. Do what extent do you model yourself after Socrates? qua budding professional philosopher?  qua  student of  philosophy/  qua  teacher of  philosophy.
12.  What does Socrates know  that the poets, craftsmen, and politicians do not?

Greetings Plato Seminar Participants

Hello Blog  world,

You have stumbled upon the  class blog for  Dr. Schultz's Plato Seminar 2013.  I'm  excited to get started reading  Plato this semester.

Here's  a version of  the syllabus

Plato Seminar 2013

Telling Tales of Socrates: Crafting a Philosophical Epic

Anne-Marie Schultz

Thursdays 2:00-4:45

Morrison 107

"The safest generalization that can be made about the history of Western Philosophy is that it is all a series of footnotes to Plato."  Albert North Whitehead

“The long story of mistakes about Plato will certainly never be finished.”

Holger Thesleff

“Nothing could be more helpful to present philosophizing  than a ‘Back to Plato’ movement.”   John Dewey.

In this course, we will engage in a careful reading of Plato’s Apology, Symposium, Republic, Phaedo, and Theaetetus. Our focus will be the different portraits of Socrates and the different portraits of the practice of philosophy that emerge in these diverse dialogues. This exploration will illuminate the complex relationships between ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, and aesthetics in Plato’s dialogues. The course ends with a conference where each seminar participant will read and respond to a paper.  

 Required Texts:

Complete Works. Plato, Ed. John M. Cooper. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1997.ISBN 0-87220-349-2.

Suggested Texts:    The People of Plato.  D. Nails.   Indianapolis: Hackett.

Course Goals:
To read and interpret Plato's dialogues.

To become aware of the broad range of  scholarly interpretations of  Plato.

To write a conference length paper.

To attain a competency in teaching Plato at the undergraduate level.

 To increase self-knowledge.

Office and Office Hours: My office is 101 Morrison. The  best way to get in touch with me  is via email Anne_Marie_Schultz@baylor.edu.  I am also available via phone at  512-468 2808

 
My office hours are  Thursdays from  12:30-2:00 and other times by appointment. Please contact Mildred_Hubbard@baylor.edu to schedule an appointment with me. 

Course Calendar

Week One   August 29  Apology  

We will end at  3:30 due to  a faculty meeting I must attend. 

Week Two    September 5  Republic   1 and  2

Week  Three   September  12  Republic   3 and  4

Week Four     September 19  Republic   5,  6, and   7

Week Five     September 26    Republic        8 and  9   

        

Week Six       October  3   Republic  10 

Week  Seven   October  10  Symposium

Week  Eight   October  17    Symposium

Week Nine    October  24   No Class  Dr. Schultz at SPEP  in conjunction with her duties as co-director of the Ancient Plato Society.

   Abstracts due. 

Week Ten  October  31  Phaedo

Week Eleven    Nov   7  Phaedo

Week Twelve   Nov  14   Theaetetus

Week Thirteen  Nov   21   Theaetetus

Drafts due sometime after class on the 21^st but before noon on the  26th

Week Fourteen  Nov   28   No Class  Thanksgiving

Paper edits due  no later than  noon  Monday December  2.

Week Fifteen  December  5   Class  Conference.  

Final Papers  due December 12.