Due: Thursday at the end of the day.
Minimum words: 400
Minimum links: 1
When I originally selected Plato's Republic for this class, I knew it would be challenging - both in the way it is written and the concepts that it contains. I wanted a piece of literature that would stretch us and make us work. However, I also wanted this work to be worthwhile - to lead us to some deep discussions and conversations about the nature or morals and justice.
In this blog post, please reflect on your thinking about The Republic and the concepts that you found most important or interesting. Please go beyond whether or not you "liked" the book.
Here are some concepts and potential questions for you to consider if you need some help getting started:
- What is the true nature of Justice?
- The Forms.
- The Allegory of the Cave
- The Tripartite Soul
- The value of a Philosopher king
- The role of luxury in a just society
- Wisdom, Honor, and Appetite
- Censorship and "The Noble Lie"
- Creators, Makers, and Imitators
- Restorative Justice versus Punitive Justice
- The Tyrannical Man
What value is there in studying this work from 2300 years ago in a modern context?
Why is "goodness" so hard to understand or describe?
How have the philosophies in this book influenced things, beliefs, or systems you encounter in your life?
Can you connect the ideas presented in this book with current situations?
Why is justice so important to us but so difficult to describe or obtain?
Why must Socrates describe a just city in order to shed light on a just person or the concept of justice in general?
What quotations or concepts stick out to you when you look at key quotations from The Republic?
