Plato's Republic |
and its context |
|
| Search for definitions (Socrates) | Book
1: |
|
| Cephalus and Polemarchus | Conventional/Homeric morality | |
| Might is right (Sophists) | Thrasymachus | |
| Right and Wrong are merely a matter of convention (Sophists) | Book
2: Glaucon and Adeimantus |
|
| Soldiers initially identified with Guardians/Book
3 close relationship between Auxiliaries and Guardians. Both quite separate
from producers. |
SPARTA as an example to follow | |
| "God" must be good. | Justice of Zeus e.g. as issue in Aeschylus | |
| Books
3-4; Unity in state/no private property for rulers Guardians' lifestyle |
Issue of oikos v. polis - Homer, Aeschylus
etc SPARTA as an example to follow Athenian class system (Knights etc) based on wealth Civil strife normal in most city-states |
|
| Three lives - wisdom, courage and acquisitiveness | Book
4: Parts of soul and virtues |
Impressive developments in medicine, so medical knowledge used as a model for knowledge of mind |
| Importance of caring for one's soul (Socrates) | Justice - health analogy | |
| Book
5: Women as rulers |
Women's status is an issue in contemporary society. cf Euripides' Medea; Aristophanes' Assemblywomen, Lysistrata | |
| Women have same education as men Infanticide |
SPARTA as an example to follow | |
| Abolition of family | Issue of oikos v. polis - Homer, Aeschylus etc | |
| Truth is just what I believe (Sophists) |
Books
5-7: Knowledge and belief |
ATHENIAN DEMOCRACY: criticised by Thucydides, Aristophanes etc for leaders manipulating beliefs of masses for their own power |
| Can teach students to persuade people
to believe anything (Sophists) Execution (Socrates) |
Ship analogy | ATHENIAN DEMOCRACY: criticised by Thucydides, Aristophanes etc for leaders manipulating beliefs of masses for their own power |
| Heracleitus: everything
is in a state of flux Parmenides: denies existence to things that change and decay |
No knowledge of physical world Forms as what really exists |
|
| Pythagoreans: say reality is number, which is behind the world and makes it intelligible | Forms as abstract entities Maths as ideal preparation for philosophy |
|
| Search for definitions (Socrates) | Forms as universals |
|
| Forms of Good and other virtues | Justice of Zeus e.g. as issue in Aeschylus | |
| To know the good is to do it (Socrates) |
Cave analogy for Guardians' education | |
| Book
8: Timarchy |
SPARTA as an example to follow | |
| Oligarchy | Civil strife normal in most city-states | |
| Democracy and Tyranny | Athenian class system (Knights etc)
based on wealth ATHENIAN DEMOCRACY: criticised by Thucydides, Aristophanes etc for leaders manipulating beliefs of masses for their own power |
|
| Importance of caring for one's soul
(Socrates) Pythagoreanism, Orphic religions and mysticism |
Book 10: Immortality and reincarnation of soul |
|
