Plato's Republic

Pre-requisites for enrolment

No previous knowledge is required.

Content of Course

1. Book 1 – Introduction.

2. Book 2 – Justice and Injustice: is justice good in itself, or is it good on account of its consequences?

3. Book 3 – The Noble Lie: is it ever morally permissible for rulers to lie in order to pursue the public interest?

4. Book 4 - Justice in the State and the Individual: how do we achieve a harmonious and healthy soul?

5. Book 5 – Women and the Family: how are women and children to contribute to the public good in the ideal state?

6. Book 6 – The Philosopher King: democracy may result in the translation of public ignorance into public policy – so who should rule?

7. Book 7 – The Cave: what is the condition of those who lack a philosophical education, and what is the process of coming to enlightenment?

8. Book 8 – Imperfect Societies: what are the defects of those political regimes where the philosopher does not rule?

9. Book 9 – Tyranny: is the tyrannical man ever truly happy?

10. Book 10 – The attack on Poetry and the Myth of Er: Plato argues that poets should be banished from the well-ordered state, before concluding the text with his own poetical account of the afterlife.

Teaching method(s)

Each two-hour class will consist of tutor-led discussion of the text, organised around questions set in advance.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Explain the dialectical method employed by Plato;

• Locate the Republic in the context of the history of Western philosophy, in terms of its influence, and of the subsequent development of key philosophical theories;

• State in outline Plato’s positions on metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, political theory, and aesthetics;

• Critically evaluate the positions which Socrates adopts with respect to these topics;

• Use appropriately philosophical terminology, both as employed in the text and more generally.

Sources

Core Readings

Essential:

• Plato., 2008. The Republic. Waterfield, R., ed. Oxford: Oxford World’s Classics.

Recommended:

• Benson, H.H., 2009. A Companion to Plato. London: Blackwell.

Class Handouts

Tutorial questions and class summaries will be provided by the tutor.

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.