Philosophy. Study the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality and existence.

Plato’s (429–347 B.C.E.) contributions to Western philosophy covers areas in ethics, politics, metaphysics, epistemology, art, music and ancient science. This course employs recent scholarship on this influential thinker to understand his essential ideas and their relevance to today’s issues and problems. Plato's profound questions, and his richly suggestive and provocative strategies for tackling them, have significantly influenced educated readers of nearly every period. His philosophy applies to both the individual life of personal flourishing (arete) and the public life of a ‘just’ society.

Aims

The aim of the course is to provide you with an understanding of Plato’s philosophy and its relevance to our contemporary ideas on ethics and politics. Additionally, it aims to provide an enjoyable learning experience that both challenges and informs through a discussion on topics such as: What is the meaning of a ‘good life’? Are ‘knowledge’ and ‘wisdom’ the same thing? What is the role of art in society? among many others.

Outcomes

By the end of the course, you should be able to:

• understand the key concepts in Plato’s philosophy
• discuss the history and development of Plato’s ideas from the Greek world to now
• read and discuss extracts from Plato’s key texts
• relate Plato’s ideas to our contemporary world and current issues
• discuss his ideas as they apply to our lives.

Content

Plato: Introduction to central ideas

Many people associate Plato with a few central doctrines that are advocated in his writings, for example, Plato’s famous Allegory of the Cave, in which he proposes that the world that appears to our senses is a secondary manifestation of the real reality of the abstract/ perfect ‘forms’. We will explore his primary concepts in the opening weeks of the course.

Knowledge vs. wisdom

Plato’s conception of philosophy is that philosophy aims not so much at discovering facts or establishing domains of knowledge, but rather at achieving wisdom or understanding (the Greek term philosophia means “love of wisdom”). We will discuss how this understanding of philosophy’s role is central to his theories of education, particularly the education of those who will make the laws for the city.

Political philosophy: The Republic and Laws

The Republic (ca. 370 B.C.E./1943) devotes a considerable part of its discussion to the critique of ordinary social institutions—the family, private property, and rule by the many. The motivation behind the writing of this dialogue is the desire to transform (or, at any rate, to improve) political life, not to escape from it. In Laws (ca. 360 B.C.E./1926), Plato discusses voting procedures, punishments, education, legislation, and the oversight of public officials.

Plato and the poets

Plato mastered the form of the dialogue in which Socrates is often his main ‘character’; as such, he is considered to be a great literary artist. Yet, he also made notoriously negative remarks about the value of poetry, drama and the visual arts (though he did admire music for its mathematical nature). We will explore this seeming paradox.

Plato for our time

Plato was the most objective and ruthless observer of the failures of Greek society, many of the problems which he observed include: political corruption; personal and class greed are still with us, as well as the everlasting pursuit of living a ‘good’ life with ourselves and our community. We will consider how his philosophy may still be helpful for us.

Intended audience

Anyone with a general interest in philosophy and the course themes.

Prerequisites

None

Delivery style

Lecture/discussion

Delivery mode

Online via the platform Zoom

Materials

Course notes are provided for each session. All course materials are provided electronically, via Dropbox. Printing services are not provided.