Shortcut Links to Phil 1001 Course Webpages
Under weekly revision
13 Oct
First: How to write a simple philosophy exam essay with an outline.
(1) State the thesis that your essay will defend and support, explaining briefly how important it is for the philosopher asserting it. (E.g., the best way to get to Chicago is the bus.)
(2) If the question has several parts, make a list of the parts to be explained and how they add up for the conclusion.
For example:
(2.1) amount of time
(2.2) reliability
(2.3) cost
(2.4) comfort
(3) Now explain how those parts lead to contributing to the broader conclusion expressed in your thesis set out above in (1).
Second: What is freedom? Plato, Rep. 9: The Tyrant : in politics and in soul; The Aristocratic person in politics and in soul. The three arguments: 575-580a (happiness); 580c-583a (most pleasant); 583b-588a (purest pleasures).
8 Oct
Republic 8
Cities and Soul
Aristocracy, wisdom, rationality, Tyranny
(i) Aristocracy to Tyranny
Aristocracy: virtue
The collapse of Aristocracy
Bad breeding and the rise of honor and property, then
Timocracy
Property, extremes of wealth and poverty, money is the measure, then
Oligarchy rule by the rich
2 distinct and separate cities, wealth over virtue, revolution, then
Democracy: equality, freedom
Equality, valueless, expertise lost, then
Tyranny, appetites unloosened
Tuesday 6 Oct. [Politics and AI: Links to Texts] (i) Rep. 7. The Image of the Cave; then (ii): what is required of the philosopher? how does one qualify? Why is mathematics, especially geometry important? What is dialectical reasoning and what are its starting points? (iii) Finally, what about corrupt philosophers? What are the temptations? Is it really possible to have in our imperfect world the perfect city state of Plato? (iv) How do we start a perfect state when we are still so imperfect? How do we instill the right habits in the children who live in an imperfect or corrupt state?
Thursday 1 Oct. Link to Texts; NPR, BBB Tax cuts; (i) complete Rep. 6 from 502c: The unchanging form of the Beautiful; The skills of the philosopher and the uselessness of the philosopher; the captain & navigator of the ship; the ease of corruption; 505c is the good pleasure? The Sun and the Good. Discussion of the question, What is knowledge? (Forms, universals and particulars)The Divided Line.
Tuesday 29 Sept: (i) ODS; (ii) CORRECTION Republic Book 5 472a to 480a and Book 6 beginning (483e) to 502c; (iii) “What is” Parmenides, Heraclitus, Knowledge, Science; (iv) Note sheets: Just note 5-6 points that seem to be important & provide 2 questions; (v) 489e-490 a truth; 490d bad; 499a.
Thursday 24 Sept: Republic 5 up to 472a. Women and Children in the Republic. (i) NYTimes; (ii) Note 422a; 434b; 449c-d. (iii) Stephanus pagination. (iv) “See me” means make an appointment to meet with me. (v) Quiz on Rep.4 (vi) What are the virtues that constitute Justice for Plato? (vii) What are the three “waves” in the remarks of Socrates in the Republic which crash hard into the shore of Greek Athenian culture?
Tuesday 22 Sept: SPECIAL: Discussion of the movie, The Matrix. At class we will discuss Rep. 3-4. Reading for this class is: (i) Republic Book 4, Student Notes Sheets; (ii) Preview Republic Book 5.
Thursday 17 Sept: Republic 2-3 on the city as a model of the soul. (i) return homeworks & discuss; (ii) “Any questions about Rep. 2-3 on the soul and the city or other matters?” (iii) possible quiz; (iv) AI; (vi) next reading Re. 4: more on the structure of the city. (Remember: The City is an analogous model for the soul. And it is the soul that we are most interested in.). Finally, (vii) This weekend find time to watch the movie, The Matrix. Best would be to do it with other students in the class so you can discuss it as you watch.
Tuesday 14 Sept: (i) Discussion of the politics of AI today; (ii) Review of Rep. book 1; (iii) Student homework questions on Rep. 2; (iv) Last practice quiz on Rep. 2; (v) break; (vi) review of answers to practice quiz; (vii) introduction of the new student home work sheet; (viii) preview for next class which fill focus on the creation of the city as a model for the human soul in Rep. 2-3.
Thursday 10 Sept: Republic Book 1: A simple chat with Socrates turns into a question about how to live your life. Read it once to do the Divisio Textus and then again to understand the discussion.
Tuesday 8 Sept: (i) Review on the character of Socrates in The Apology; (ii) Kennedy 20 Jan 1961: “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” (iii) Declaration of Independence; (iv) US Constitution ; (v) Discussion of Plato’s Crito; (vi) Cultural perspectives: Socrates and modern American students; (vii) AI: “In Plato’s Crito, Socrates gives arguments as to why he should not try to escape the sentence of death. He sets out the side of the State that it raised him and he benefited from it, so he should not break the law and try to escape the verdict reached in the Apology. Socrates weighed the reasoning and decided he must stay and accept his sentence. Would modern Americans think about these matters in the same way as Socrates? Is the historical, social and political context today suggest a different approach?” (GROK, CHATGPT, GEMINI, CLAUDE, COPILOT, [other?])