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POL200 > Plato > Flashcards

Plato Flashcards

1
Q

what is P’s socio-political context

A

pre-Christian moral framework, no religious-secular binary, different public / private distinction

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2
Q

what is a polis for P

A

a city state (not necessarily Urban), a particular model of community belonging (citizenship), particular participatory dynamics of public life

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3
Q

what was the prevailing form of governance at the time for P

A

declining dominance of the Athenian democratic polis

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4
Q

what was P’s stance on Athenian democracy

A

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)

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5
Q

who was Plato

A

founder of the Academy, Plato as a member of the economic elite (family embroiled in political debates / factions)

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6
Q

what was the effect of Socrates’ trial and execution

A

disillusionment with political engagement, philosophy as a public threat?

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7
Q

what did Socrates do with Cephalus’ view of justice

A

he poked holes in his principles and becomes a threat to their perception of justice

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8
Q

what question does Socrates raise about people’s behavior

A

do people only act justly when they are under duress

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9
Q

what does Socrates argue about harm

A

it is never just to harm anyone

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10
Q

what does Socrates say in his refutation of Thrasymachus’ view of justice

A

a perfect ruler works not for his own advantage but for the ruled

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11
Q

what does Socrates encourage people to do with wisdom

A

not to take wisdom at face value, question it and follow its reasoning

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12
Q

how does Socrates move the scale of the discussion

A

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”

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13
Q

what is Socrates’ intent

A

not to explain the creation of legitimate political authority, but what its true nature is

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14
Q

what is the division of labor premised on for Plato

A

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

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15
Q

what is arete

A

virtue / excellence, all things have their own arete and it helps people accomplish their given purpose

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16
Q

T/F for Plato, there must be an underlying order to the city and to the hierarchy of people inhabiting it

A

True, (only certain people are capable of ascertaining this order, through philosophical reflection)

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17
Q

what is Plato’s hierarchy

A

Guardians, Auxiliaries, Ruled

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18
Q

what are the importance of the education of Guardians according to P

A

closely controlled education, developed with different content for different people, oriented toward creating a virtuous society

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19
Q

according to P, the best city will be led by

A

people are who are fully devoted to its wellbeing

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20
Q

what is P’s myth of the metals

A

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

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21
Q

what is the problem with having a luxury based city according to P

A

breeds greed and never ending desire for more, which can put the city in a deathspin

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22
Q

according to P, what does education generate

A

allegiance to common morality, agreement on common goals, acceptance of the class hierarchy

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23
Q

according to P what does education guard against

A

excessive / misplaced desire, division due to wealth disparities, proper education (mostly) displaces the need for laws and regulations

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24
Q

Plato’s use of nature includes both

A

innate differences (nature) and differences developed by training and habit (nurture)

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25
Q

what are 4 virtues that Plato looks for in Cities and Individuals

A

Wisdom, Courage, Moderation, Justice

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26
Q

what is wisdom to Plato

A

a generalized type of knowledge, not specific skills

27
Q

what is courage to Plato

A

preserving the city, but also its educational system

28
Q

what is moderation to Plato

A

a kind of order, the master of certain kinds of pleasures and desires, also acting in harmony across the classes

29
Q

what is justice to Plato

A

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

30
Q

within the individual, what usually restrains appetite according to Plato

A

reason / rationality (spirit usually supports reason), it requires training to act properly

31
Q

what is injustice according to Plato

A

disorder, civil war within the soul

32
Q

how does Plato view women

A

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

33
Q

how does Plato view marriage

A

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

34
Q

what was Socrates’ intention behind his pseudo abolishment of family

A

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

35
Q

T/F Plato’s notion of justice seems to require the abolishment of the family and reduction of women’s role in society

A

True

36
Q

what is Socrates’ audacious proposal

A

we need to bring together philosophy and political rule to form a functioning city

37
Q

T/F Public engagement is crucial for Plato

A

True

38
Q

Is Plato scared of Democracy

A

Yes, because he thinks that a democracy enables people who are not properly equipped to have a voice in the city, which is scary

39
Q

what is Plato’s theory of forms

A

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

40
Q

why is the theory of forms important for justifying the philosophers’ (guardians’) rule of the city

A

they are the only ones who can grasp these eternal truths about forms and therefore are best suited to rule the city

41
Q

what are plato’s thoughts on eros and desires

A

believes they are distractions, true happiness comes from fulfilling your purpose

42
Q

what is the allegory of the cave

A

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

43
Q

why does Socrates believe that the enlightened people from the cave would return

A

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

44
Q

Why does Socrates people would return to city

A

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

45
Q

what are the forms of constitutions that Plato describes

A

Aristocracy, Timocracy, Oligarchy, Democracy, Tyranny

46
Q

what is Plato’s preferred constitution and its characteristics

A

Aristocracy, rule by the best (most just)

47
Q

what is timocracy for Plato

A

Rule by most spirited, those who are characterized by love, victory and honor

48
Q

what is oligarchy for plato

A

rule by people ruled by necessary appetites

49
Q

what is democracy for plato

A

rule by people ruled by unnecessary appetites

50
Q

what is tyranny for plato

A

rule by someone ruled by lawless and unnecessary appetites

51
Q

how does Plato hope to achieve aristocracy

A

send everyone who is over 10 years old into the countryside

52
Q

T/F political and moral degeneration is inevitable

A

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

53
Q

how does this political and moral degeneration come about according to plato

A

comes about through civil war (within the ruling class, within the individual’s soul), appetites become more unrestrained

54
Q

p, what does the decline result in

A

upheaval of order / hierarchy (disparities lead to social and internal factions)

55
Q

p, when people start favoring vice

A

it creates polarization and divisions

56
Q

p, what are the faults of democracy

A

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

57
Q

P, democracy eventually leads to

A

tyranny

58
Q

why does Plato that a tyrant is the most wretched person

A

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

59
Q

what is the properly ordered soul for Plato

A

the human (reason) allies with the lion (spirit) to tame the many headed beast (appetite)

60
Q

what is the many headed beast for Plato

A

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

61
Q

in proposing an ideally ordered city, is plato trying to remove politics from it?

A

perhaps, if politics refers to conflict and competition

62
Q

why is democracy so threatening to plato

A

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

63
Q

what is Plato’s educational system based on (its purported purpose)

A

developing ethics through political culture

64
Q

what is freedom for plato

A

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

POL200 (6 decks)

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