CPY679: Commentary on Plato

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CPY679: Commentary on Plato

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Title: CPY679: Commentary on Plato

1
CPY679 Commentary on Plato Aristotle

3 September 2004

2
Discussion Questions

Compare the excerpt from The Republic, and On
Memory Reminiscence on the following
How does learning occur?
How can a persons learning be facilitated by
another?
Compare Meno the excerpts from Nicomachean
Ethics on the following
What distinguishes the virtuous man from one who
is not?
Can virtue be taught? Why or why not?
What implications are there for counseling or the
practice of clinical psychology?

3
Learning Education according to Plato
4
Learning Education according to Aristotle
5
What can we learn from this?
6
The Republic The Sun, The Line, The Cave

The dialogue monologue What does it say about
the nature of learning and teaching?
The use of the allegory The next best thing to
being there
The choice of characters Socrates, the
aristocracy, the slave

7
Plato The Sun

The Sun is the Cause of Light
Illuminated Knowledge
Unilluminated Belief
The Form of the Good Teleological explanation
The Good is part of an entitys essence

8
Plato The Line

Imagination Sense-data about an object
Confidence Beliefs about the object itself
Thought Reflection upon sense-dataUnderstanding
of particulars
Knowledge Knowledge of FormsUnderstanding of
universals

9
Plato The Cave
10
Platos View of the Soul

Made immortal through reincarnation
Cannot be destroyed because it is a simple
substance
Three parts to the soul
Appetite Driven by necessary unnecessary
desires
Rational Driven by the desire for truth primary
moving force in the good and honorable man
Spirited Driven by honor courage keeps the
appetite in check so that reason is not overriden

11
Aristotle On Memory Reminiscence

Style much more like later modern philosophy
Statement-challenge-response

12
Aristotles Theory of Souls

Souls Form, or essence, of a living thing
Vegetative Soul plant life
Sensitive Soul all animals
Rational Soul humans
Each level encompasses the previous levels

13
The Sensitive Soul

Ability to take in sensory data
Perception does not lie
The senses are unified in perception
From sensation comes pleasure pain
From pleasure pain comes appetite
Memory comes from the lasting impression of
sense-data

14
The Rational Soul

Thought is an action upon sensation or
perception the ability to make something from
the data
Thought can lead to error
Rationality potential intellect active
intellect
Potential intellect
does not reside in any physical organ, but is
inextricably tied to the body
evidenced by the processes of everyday thought
Active intellect
"The mind seems to be an independent substance
implanted in the soul and to be incapable of
being destroyed."
An indestructable essence that permits knowledge
of things

15
Memory Recollection
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Aristotle Education
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Recollection in Meno
18
BREAK!
19
Meno Can Virtue Be Taught?
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Plato The Aims of Education

The Good every soul pursues and does everything
for its sake, divining what it is and yet baffled
and not having an adequate apprehension of its
nature nor a stable opinion about it as it has
about other things, and because of this failing
to have any benefit from other things.
Our constitution will not be perfectly ordered
unless the rulers know how just and honourable
things are good and they will not know this
unless they know the Good.

21
Virtue Platos Ideal Republic

Economic class Correspond to the appetitive part
of the soul
Largest class
Engaged in maintaining the economic health of the
state
Artisans, tradespeople, farmers, merchants,
entertainers, jewelers, etc.
Education takes the form of
Defender guardians Correspond to the spirited
part of the soul
Referred to as the helpers or auxiliaries, who
assist the rulers of the city
Soldiers, law enforcement
Ruling guardians Correspond to the rational part
of the soul
Create laws, oversee assignment to classes, make
policy decisions
Guardians
Do not own property, or engage in economic
activity
Trained in schools like Platos
Position in the upper two classes determined by
ability Status not achieved by birth, and
parents of one rank could have children suited
for a different rank
Women could be assigned membership in the
guardian classes
Justice in the imaginary city consisted of
members of each class doing the work of that
class according to the appropriate virtue of the
class and not becoming involved in the activities
of any other class.

22
How to maintain this structure?

Assignment to guardian classes in childhood
Censorship of guardian education
too much fiction dulls the mind
Should not be exposed to immoral ideas
Guardians live communally, without nuclear
families rigged lotteries for selective
breeding, children will not know who their
parents are, and vice versa
Rulers must lie to citizens of all classes
regarding their role, saying it is innate and
unchangeable, to prevent uprising and
self-determination

23
Ethics Can Virtue Be Taught?

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