An Introduction to Plato’s Republic

A close look at one of the great books in philosophy by one of the great thinkers.
Develops skills in reading comprehension and in writing essays.

Estimated Price of Plato Republic on Feburay 22nd, 2008, $12.00, does not include shipping as this can vary, texts must be ordered seperately from registering, the correct texts are linked in the Required Book section for an Introdcution to Plato's Republic on the left hand side of the web page.

Plato’s Republic is one of the great books in the history of philosophy and perhaps the best one ever written. A great deal of Plato’s thought, from ethics, to political theory to his view of reality is covered in depth. A great deal of subsequent thought is written with Plato at least in the back of the mind and thus understanding Plato can help unlock many doors in intellectual history. Plato is a master of metaphor and prose and this is all on full display in the Republic, simply an exceptional read in philosophy. This class will cover the entire Republic in detail and should provide the student with a very solid introduction to Plato in addition to a good deal of practice in reading, comprehending and writing philosophical arguments. Of the three classes this is probably the easiest in terms of the reading assignments as Plato is such a good writer.

Detailed Course of Study

The tutorial opens with Plato’s Republic and closes with the Republic, an entire class on one of the great books in philosophy. In each of the first nine weeks the student will be asked to complete a reading assignment from Plato’s Republic, a study packet of multiple choice questions over the reading and an essay question. In the final week the student will complete a final exam, a final paper or an equivalent project.

Plato will open the Republic discussing what he considers to be commons misconceptions about justice or what might be termed proper conduct. Plato then moves on to consider individual and social justice, hoping to use justice in the large, in the form of the state, to shed light on justice for the individual person. Having placed an initial definition of justice on the table he will then consider critical elements of thought that further develop and enhance this understanding before comparing it with other forms of social and individual injustice.

Course Structure and Assignments

Final Grades and the Assessment Option

If the student likes the ideas of being given a mock college grade the traditional, 90% or higher is an A, 80% or higher is a B, 70% or higher is a C, 60% or higher is a D and less than 60% is a F, can easily be applied. Mock grades do not have to be assigned; it is up to the student. In weeks one through nine you will have two assignments each week, a set of multiple choice questions and an essay. If a mock grade is desired the multiple-choice questions will be worth 20% of the final grade, the weekly essays worth 60% of the final grade and the final exam will be worth the remaining 20%. In terms of a 500 point semester the final exam would be worth 100 points, the essay questions worth 300 points and the multiple choice questions worth 100 points.

The weekly essays and the final exam will be graded in terms of completeness, errors and omissions. When I grade essays I start off by assuming that everyone has a 100% and then take off points for failing to completely answer each part of the question, mistakes and omitting any part of the question.

Required Text

Plato, The Republic, by Plato, Translated by Richard Sterling and William Scott. W.W. Norton and Company, 1985, ISBN: 0-393-31467-7.