Philosophy Fall 2012 Essay # 2 : Interpretive Reflection Essay on Plato's Phaedo or Republic Length: 4-5 pages very well edited and proofread Due:
Today we begin the study of Plato's philosophy which was deeply influenced by the inquiry of Socrates. I give you this assignment way ahead so you can consider it as you move through the works of Plato. The comments of the 20th century British philosopher, Bertrand Russell, help us think about how we should approach this study. Russell stresses the importance of our having the right attitude in approaching a philosophical text. He states,
In studying a philosopher, the right attitude is neither reverence nor contempt, but first a kind of hypothetical sympathy, until it is possible to know what it feels like to believe in his theories, and only then a revival of the critical attitude, which should resemble, as far as possible, the state of mind of a person abandoning opinions which he has hitherto held. Contempt interferes with the first part of the process, and reverence with the second. Two things are to be remembered: that a man whose opinions and theories are worth studying may be presumed to have had some intelligence, but that no man is likely to have arrived at complete and final truth on any subject whatever. When an intelligent man expresses a view which seems to us obviously absurd, we should not attempt to prove that it is somehow true, but we should try to understand how it ever came to seem true. This exercise of historical and psychological imagination at once enlarges the scope of our thinking and helps us to realize how foolish many of our cherished prejudices all seem to an age which has a different temper of mind. A History of Western Philosophy, (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1945), 39.
This quotation encourages in us openness to Plato's philosophy along with critical reflection on it, as we strive to discern the truth. This assignment is designed in light of that emphasis.
Focus: In Plato's Apology, we saw Socrates raise the issues of arete (human excellence) and a life well-lived. Plato's Phaedo and Republic greatly extend and deepen this discussion. This essay pushes you to reflect critically on Plato's philosophy as developing in these two latter texts and your own responses to it.
Design: This essay requires that you identify a specific claim that Socrates/Plato presents in specific parts of the text(s) about which you have some reservation or strong disagreement. It may be that you strongly support much of what Plato claims and argues in support of, but have some minor reservation, or it may be that you strongly critique his claim or argument. You may focus on any specific claim. The paper must have a sufficiently narrow focus; it cannot be a very general discussion; it must focus on a specific, cited text from one of the readings. If sufficiently related, you can draw on other text selections from Plato's dialogues we have read. In the paper, you must: (1). Cite the selected claim and explain it very well, drawing on other relevant parts of the text(s) that must be explained in order to interpret its meaning, (2). then present and explain the reasons the text offers in support of the claim, and discuss whether you judge Socrates/Plato to be presenting a strong enough defense of the claim or convincing supportive argument, (3). then state why you have some reservations about or disagreement with the claim/argument and develop your own well-reasoned response to the claim/argument and Socrates/Plato's supportive reasons.