Hmmm. What can I say about Plato? I just read him, and let me
just say that he ain't no Herman Hesse...stylistically. One reason
it will be a harder read is that the ancient Greek mind and culture is much
different than ours. Hence, alot of Plato's examples and the way he
goes about explaining things can be very foreign. I'll try to help
you out in the Reading Guide below.
BUT, don't let the style and difference get in the way of what may be a
very important lesson for us. Hesse suggested that we should detach
ourselves from the many parts of ourselves, to live ironically. Plato
thinks that is wrong. He thinks that a certain part of ourselves should
rule, and that there should be a particular type of ordering to our soul.
That's your only hint to the punchline.
Some background information that will help explain parts of your reading
that was taken out of context. Like the soul, Plato believes the political
state should be organized in a certain way. He begins by recognizing
that the political state needs to ensure three basic functions: rulership,
defense, and securing provisions of our basic needs. Thus, there are
three classes in a state: the rulers or "councilors", the soldier/police
or "Auxileries", and the craftsmen or traders. When we talk of a nation
being wise, according to Plato, that doesn't mean that everybody in the
state is wise, but that rulers are wise. When we talk of a nation
being courageous, that doesn't mean that everybody is courageous, but only
that the soldiers of the state are courageous.
Plato believes what is true of the state is also true of a person's soul.
Wow! A good question to ask yourself before you start reading
is how he could possibly believe that!
One last thing regarding this reading. I know a lot of you are using
supplementary research to help you decipher the readings. I think
that's great! I'm not sure, though, that it will help you for this
reading. It certainly can, but you'll probably have to go through
a lot of other information before you get what this reading is about. I
think I rather just have you spend more time reading this selection.
Reading Guide
Almost the entirety of pages 132-133 is devoted to spelling out the major
principle he'll be using through the rest of this chapter (there are two
chapters in this passage). It's a very simple, but novel and powerful
principle. Understand it as best as you can, before you move on. You
are also introduced to the one of the three parts of the soul.
On page 134, first column. From the first footnote on to the rest
of the page, skip. Also skip the first paragraph on page 136.
The remainder of this chapter shows how Plato divides the soul into the
three parts. Read very carefully. Be able to write in the margins
where exactly he divides up the different parts. Draw lines, label,
highlight in different colors, do whatever you need to do to keep the sections
distinguished.
The next chapter introduces the virtues (or excellences). Parts of
this chapter will be puzzling. The most interesting and important
paragraph is also the longest one on page 140, left column. Read that
several times. Do not read past the fourth line in the right column;
in other words, on page 141, just read up to "Finally, a man will be just..."
Homework Questions
1. Describe as best you can the principle that he uses to argue against
a unified soul and show that soul has at least three parts. (short paragraph)
2. What is the first two parts of the soul that Plato distinguishes?
(just list)
3. Provide your own example of why you think that reason and the
appetites are different? (short paragraph)
4. What example was used to illustrate that the spirit/passions and
the appetites are different? (just name)
5. What three examples were used to illustrate that reason and the
spirit/passions are different? (just list)
6. Which of the three parts of the soul should rule? (just
name, and please get this right)
7. Describe the nature of the appetites according to Chapter XIV.
(short paragraph)
8. Which virtue is ascribed to the spirit/passions? (just name)
Kick butt! I want 10/10 from every one of you!
