Plato Flashcards
what is P’s socio-political context
pre-Christian moral framework, no religious-secular binary, different public / private distinction
what is a polis for P
a city state (not necessarily Urban), a particular model of community belonging (citizenship), particular participatory dynamics of public life
what was the prevailing form of governance at the time for P
declining dominance of the Athenian democratic polis
what was P’s stance on Athenian democracy
he was a critic, received threats from demagogues and those skilled in rhetoric / persuasion, also brought up concerns about ability of those participating (what validates their judgement)
who was Plato
founder of the Academy, Plato as a member of the economic elite (family embroiled in political debates / factions)
what was the effect of Socrates’ trial and execution
disillusionment with political engagement, philosophy as a public threat?
what did Socrates do with Cephalus’ view of justice
he poked holes in his principles and becomes a threat to their perception of justice
what question does Socrates raise about people’s behavior
do people only act justly when they are under duress
what does Socrates argue about harm
it is never just to harm anyone
what does Socrates say in his refutation of Thrasymachus’ view of justice
a perfect ruler works not for his own advantage but for the ruled
what does Socrates encourage people to do with wisdom
not to take wisdom at face value, question it and follow its reasoning
how does Socrates move the scale of the discussion
moves it from justice in the individual to justice in the city, because “there is more justice in the larger thing, and it will be easier to learn what it is”
what is Socrates’ intent
not to explain the creation of legitimate political authority, but what its true nature is
what is the division of labor premised on for Plato
we aren’t all born alike, but each of us differs somewhat in nature from the others, one being suited to one task, another to another”.
Natural talent is unequally distributed among different people
what is arete
virtue / excellence, all things have their own arete and it helps people accomplish their given purpose
T/F for Plato, there must be an underlying order to the city and to the hierarchy of people inhabiting it
True, (only certain people are capable of ascertaining this order, through philosophical reflection)
what is Plato’s hierarchy
Guardians, Auxiliaries, Ruled
what are the importance of the education of Guardians according to P
closely controlled education, developed with different content for different people, oriented toward creating a virtuous society
according to P, the best city will be led by
people are who are fully devoted to its wellbeing
what is P’s myth of the metals
that all citizens are born with a certain type of metal in their soul (guardians gold, auxiliaries silver, ruled iron or bronze) which creates a natural order that citizens should not deviate from. Also helps assign people’s roles in society
what is the problem with having a luxury based city according to P
breeds greed and never ending desire for more, which can put the city in a deathspin
according to P, what does education generate
allegiance to common morality, agreement on common goals, acceptance of the class hierarchy
according to P what does education guard against
excessive / misplaced desire, division due to wealth disparities, proper education (mostly) displaces the need for laws and regulations
Plato’s use of nature includes both
innate differences (nature) and differences developed by training and habit (nurture)
what are 4 virtues that Plato looks for in Cities and Individuals
Wisdom, Courage, Moderation, Justice
what is wisdom to Plato
a generalized type of knowledge, not specific skills
what is courage to Plato
preserving the city, but also its educational system
what is moderation to Plato
a kind of order, the master of certain kinds of pleasures and desires, also acting in harmony across the classes
what is justice to Plato
doing the work that one is most suited for and not meddling with others’ work, also the power that allows the other virtues to prosper in the city
within the individual, what usually restrains appetite according to Plato
reason / rationality (spirit usually supports reason), it requires training to act properly
what is injustice according to Plato
disorder, civil war within the soul
how does Plato view women
dominant view denigrates women, confined to the household, denied the opportunity to cultivate ideal virtues, widespread acknowledgement of homosexuality and bisexuality privileged intimate male relationships
how does Plato view marriage
thinks that we should retain marriage as a sacred ritualized institution for breeding purposes, however children should be raised by designated officials, and should encourage euthanasia of inferior children
what was Socrates’ intention behind his pseudo abolishment of family
avoid the divisiveness of private interests and loyalties, which will encourage members of the city to align their interests with the city, and people will be spared all the dissension that arises between people because of the possession of money, children and families
T/F Plato’s notion of justice seems to require the abolishment of the family and reduction of women’s role in society
True
what is Socrates’ audacious proposal
we need to bring together philosophy and political rule to form a functioning city
T/F Public engagement is crucial for Plato
True
Is Plato scared of Democracy
Yes, because he thinks that a democracy enables people who are not properly equipped to have a voice in the city, which is scary
what is Plato’s theory of forms
the idea that there is a higher realm where there are pure versions of things we see in our material world, that are unchangeable and perfect unlike the material world
why is the theory of forms important for justifying the philosophers’ (guardians’) rule of the city
they are the only ones who can grasp these eternal truths about forms and therefore are best suited to rule the city
what are plato’s thoughts on eros and desires
believes they are distractions, true happiness comes from fulfilling your purpose
what is the allegory of the cave
people in the cave believe that the shadows they see are reality
leaving the cave reveals the light (and the true nature of things)
if they escaped the cave they would dazzled and extremely confused (believing the new world is an illusion, then realizing how limited their perception of the world was beforehand)
enlightened people then believe that they wouldn’t be welcomed back into the cave
why does Socrates believe that the enlightened people from the cave would return
they cannot stay away, the best type of person is the one who comes back to help the others out of the darkness, true knowledge may generate sympathy, moral obligation
Why does Socrates people would return to city
they feel a debt to the city, realizing it was the educational system that brought them to the light, moral obligation to help others, to live selflessly dedicated to the city’s wellbeing
what are the forms of constitutions that Plato describes
Aristocracy, Timocracy, Oligarchy, Democracy, Tyranny
what is Plato’s preferred constitution and its characteristics
Aristocracy, rule by the best (most just)
what is timocracy for Plato
Rule by most spirited, those who are characterized by love, victory and honor
what is oligarchy for plato
rule by people ruled by necessary appetites
what is democracy for plato
rule by people ruled by unnecessary appetites
what is tyranny for plato
rule by someone ruled by lawless and unnecessary appetites
how does Plato hope to achieve aristocracy
send everyone who is over 10 years old into the countryside
T/F political and moral degeneration is inevitable
True, when a city moves away from the ideal model of education, it produces sub-par Guardians, the leadership then suffers, become corrupted, no longer prioritizes the city
how does this political and moral degeneration come about according to plato
comes about through civil war (within the ruling class, within the individual’s soul), appetites become more unrestrained
p, what does the decline result in
upheaval of order / hierarchy (disparities lead to social and internal factions)
p, when people start favoring vice
it creates polarization and divisions
p, what are the faults of democracy
democratic cities are full of freedom and freedom of speech and everyone can do what they want, this is terrifying for Socrates because it violates justice because it distributes equality to equals and unequals alike
P, democracy eventually leads to
tyranny
why does Plato that a tyrant is the most wretched person
because they maximize their own pleasure (making themselves a slave to their own desires), adheres to the worst part of themselves in order to rule
what is the properly ordered soul for Plato
the human (reason) allies with the lion (spirit) to tame the many headed beast (appetite)
what is the many headed beast for Plato
all of your desires, meaning you ensure that the human part of the soul does not starve
desire is insatiable and if they become slave to the many headed beast, then you won’t be guided by reason
in proposing an ideally ordered city, is plato trying to remove politics from it?
perhaps, if politics refers to conflict and competition
why is democracy so threatening to plato
decision making by popular opinion, not “truth”
common people making decisions
may not be based on the best rational decision, just the opinion of the time
what is Plato’s educational system based on (its purported purpose)
developing ethics through political culture
what is freedom for plato
not the absence of constraints, rather the ability to be free from ignorance, desire, conflict (ensuring that the human and the lion have tamed the beast), allowing you to live according to reason, do the best for the city and perhaps even understand forms
