general plan for tomorrow

Hi All,

We'll talk about the image of the sun as an offspring of the good.
the idea of the good,  theory of forms  and  revist  the cave.

Like Socrates,  I am greedy for images.

Then we'll turn things over to  Ben.

Looking forward to it. 



Jared mentioned the apparent justification for slavery in  Books 8 and 9.  I recently read  the introduction  to  a  fascinating book  Here's the  link to a review.http://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2013/2013-08-44.html  Slaves and Slavery in Ancient Greek Comic Drama

Here are a few of my reading notes from the book. 

“Athenian civic ideology posited a categorical distinction between the Athenian citizen and others, defining him by opposition as not a woman, not a slave and not a barbarian, and as the possessor for freedom, legal rights and access to political  participation.  For such an ideology to function, the categories of non-citizen others had to be carefully constructed and distinctions maintained” (44).

In Athens, slaves and free people were often indistinguishable from one another” (45). 

“Legal oratory shows a deep anxiety among Athenian citizens that foreigners and perhaps slaves might masquerade as citizens and  escape detection” (45). 

“many slaves had formerly been free Greeks. An important element of free attitudes to slaves was an awareness of the precariousness of freedom. Free people knew (and feared) that they could one day lose their freedom and fall into the same conditions as their slaves” (46).

Falling into debt, warfare, piracy at sea,  professional kidnappers,  abandoned infants  found and raised as slaves   (46-47). 

 

The relationship  between slave as master was at its root one of violent domination. But this should not be taken to imply that there were not strategies of accommodation and cooperation… (47)

Encouragements for slaves-  better food  eventual  freedom  (49). 

“Feeling like slaves in all kinds of everyday situations” (51). 

“Salaried  work… heading down a slippery slope towards slavery” ( 51).