Plato's Republic

Question 1

who is the central figure of Plato’s the republic?

Answer 1

Socrates

Question 2

who was Socrates student?

Answer 2

Plato

Question 3

what was the republic about?

Answer 3

it was a book about education and educating those who would be rulers

Question 4

what did Plato believe would make a good leader?

Answer 4

a philosopher

Question 5

what was the 1st university in Europe called and who founded it?

Answer 5

it was called The Academy and it was founded by Plato

Question 6

what was the theory Plato created called?

Answer 6

the theory of understanding. the theory of knowledge

Question 7

why was this theory important for art?

Answer 7

it was the 1st recording in western philosophy that art is discussed. what art is.

Question 8

what was at the bottom of the theory of understanding?

Answer 8

shadows and images and the visible realm.

Question 9

what is the 3rd on the theory of understanding? and why?

Answer 9

physical things. this is above art as Plato believes to understand why turn to an image or imitation to know / understand over the physical thing

Question 10

what is the 2nd half or top half of the theory of understanding?

Answer 10

the theory of form and the intellectual realm.

Question 11

what does Plato equate art with?

Answer 11

copies of the physical world

Question 12

what is mimesis?

Answer 12

the re-presentation of objects. art is viewed as copies of the physical realm

Question 13

what is the bottom half the intellectual realm?

Answer 13

B. logic, mathematical reasoning. the idea of the object opposed to the object itself

Question 14

what is the top half of the intellectual realm?

Answer 14

the forms.

Question 15

what is the theory of the form?

Answer 15

Plato believed to truly understand the object you must understand the principle / concept, the idea of the object.

Question 16

what was the story of Plato’s cave?

Answer 16

Plato’s cave was an allegory for the effect of education and lack of it within life e.g. screens.

Question 17

what was the levels of Plato’s cave?

Answer 17

1. prisoners chained looking ahead 2. puppeteers preforming 3. fire to cast the shadows 4.outside of the cave or reality

Question 18

what was the outside of the cave or reality?

Answer 18

the forms

Question 19

what was a reason Plato was mistrusting of art?

Answer 19

art just resembles the object without being. it is not reality

Question 20

did Plato believe artists thought of forms when creating?

Answer 20

no he believed artists are just copying the object and never considers or thinks of the ideas, practices and form / intellectual realm

Question 21

how removed from reality is art according to Plato?

Answer 21

3rd removed

Question 22

did Plato think art was deceiving?

Answer 22

Yes, the illusions in perspective in art misconstrued the idea, function and the form of the object. It was not accurate

Question 23

what are the 3 elements of the soul?

Answer 23

1. reason / understanding 2. spirit / courage 3. appetite / instinct

Question 24

what does Plato encourage in regards to the 3 elements of the soul?

Answer 24

1. reason and understanding. It is the mind the rest is discouraged.

Question 25

how is art associated with the elements of the soul?

Answer 25

Plato argues that art caters to the lower elements of the soul. Encouraged low level thinking e.g. plays about drama

Question 26

What did Plato’s theory and censorship have in common?

Answer 26

the reasoning and argument is that art can affect how we behave.