Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Notes for Thursday, January 26
Assignment due: Read to . 68. Plato (427-349)
Presentation of Plato's ideas. Founded the Academy some years after Socrates' death. First university. Plato tends to be more metaphysical than Socrates was.
The cave allegory (or myth of the cave: Republic VII) first as a story, then exploring the figurative significance. Prisoners chained for life, staring at the shadows on a wall and hearinechoesos of speech. One prisoner turned forcibly to the light of the fire in the cave, and then toward the entrance, and led out (e-ducere)from the cave. His bedazzlement at first, his return and death.
The simile of the line. This is a good example of how the same material can be presented as mythos and logos, by the way. The simile of the line is also in the Republic. Explain picture on p. 59.
No one would willingly do wrong (p. 64). This is an important element of Platonic philosophy.
All knowledge is recollection. Anamnesis (not to be confused with amnesia!) is this ability to remember, if we are properly prompted, by the method of maieutics (from midwifery, in Greek), to recall the knowledge we had before birth. The Meno dialog explores this problem: innate knowledge. A possible analogy with Freuds unconscious memory.
Plato's social philosophy. Health in the individual is justice in the state. P. 65 illustration a combination of psychology and political science. It is about political justice.
The British-American philosopher Alfred North Whitehead, the history of philosophy nothing but a series of footnotes to the Republic.
Presentation of Plato's ideas. Founded the Academy some years after Socrates' death. First university. Plato tends to be more metaphysical than Socrates was.
The cave allegory (or myth of the cave: Republic VII) first as a story, then exploring the figurative significance. Prisoners chained for life, staring at the shadows on a wall and hearinechoesos of speech. One prisoner turned forcibly to the light of the fire in the cave, and then toward the entrance, and led out (e-ducere)from the cave. His bedazzlement at first, his return and death.
The simile of the line. This is a good example of how the same material can be presented as mythos and logos, by the way. The simile of the line is also in the Republic. Explain picture on p. 59.
No one would willingly do wrong (p. 64). This is an important element of Platonic philosophy.
All knowledge is recollection. Anamnesis (not to be confused with amnesia!) is this ability to remember, if we are properly prompted, by the method of maieutics (from midwifery, in Greek), to recall the knowledge we had before birth. The Meno dialog explores this problem: innate knowledge. A possible analogy with Freuds unconscious memory.
Plato's social philosophy. Health in the individual is justice in the state. P. 65 illustration a combination of psychology and political science. It is about political justice.
The British-American philosopher Alfred North Whitehead, the history of philosophy nothing but a series of footnotes to the Republic.
# posted by Michael @ 5:42 PM 
