Shortcut Links to Phil 1001 Course Webpages
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5 March
Exams returned and discussed
3 March
Exam #1
26 February
Quick review of Quizzes 5 & 6
(1) Is Russia at war with Ukraine or is it a “special military operation”? Might the US go to war with Iran? What is required for the US to go to war? Link
(2) Homeworks returned
(3) Read the end of Rep 9 again
(4) Questions on Republic 10: An addendum to the argument to doubly seal “the deal.”
(5) Distribution of Exam 1. Correction: Add “10. What is the purpose for adding the myth when the philosophical account has already been proven?”
24 February
Quiz on Republic 8.
Republic 9: The completion of the argument of the Republic.
Student questions.
Three arguments in favor of the life of the just man over that of the unjust man
Conclusion of the reasoning: 590e-592b
Discussion of Exam 1 with use of Lockdown Browser.
19 February
Republic 8: The cities and their devolution into Tyranny
Authoritarianism, Aristocracy, Oligarchy, Timocracy, Democracy, Tyranny, Fascism (i) & (ii)
17 February
Most students are doing well, some very well in studies of the texts and thinking about their content as well as thinking about class discussions. Still, some are not giving enough quality thought and time to course work. To the latter: Step it up. The midterm exam is coming on 3 March and the results of your study in this course will be shown there.
For next class, use whatever resources you like to find out what these are: Fascism, Antifascism, Antifa.
This class is about contemporary American politics.
Student Extra Credit Opportunities
Division into groups for 4 questions each on the Cave story
Other questions from Book 7
Preview of Republic 8: Authoritarianism, Aristocracy, Oligarchy, Timocracy, Democracy, Tyranny, Fascism (i) & (ii)
5 February
Republic 5
The “Three Waves”: Equality of women, sharing of women & property, the Philosopher King.
430e-431b
SOCRATES: Temperance is surely a sort of order, the mastery of certain sorts of pleasures and appetites. People indicate as much when they use the term “self-mastery”—though I do not know in what way. This and other similar things are like tracks that temperance has left. Isn’t that so?
GLAUCON: Absolutely.
SOCRATES: Isn’t the term “self-mastery” ridiculous, though? For, of course, the one who is master of himself is also the one who is weaker, and the one who is weaker is also the one who masters. After all, the same person is referred to in all these descriptions.
GLAUCON: Of course.
SOCRATES: It seems to me, however, that what this term is trying to indicate is that within the same person’s soul, there is a better thing and a worse one. Whenever the naturally better one masters the worse, this is called being master of oneself. At any rate, it is praised. But whenever, as a result of bad upbringing or associating with bad people, the smaller and better one is mastered by the inferior majority, this is blamed as a disgraceful thing and is called being weaker than oneself, or being intemperate.
3 February
Republic 4
More on the importance of the Guardians and Auxiliaries
“[J]ustice is doing one’s own work and not meddling with what is not one’s own.” 433a-b
Wisdom, Courage, Temperance yield Justice in the City and in the Soul
The analogy of the city with the soul.
29 January
Freedom of Speech and more at MU
Population of Athens in the time of Plato: 45,000-50,000 inside city walls. Population of greater Greece perhaps as much as 250,000.
An overview of Republic Books 1-4
What are the soul and the body according to Plato as discussed by the character Socrates in the Republic?
What is the function of pain?
Plato on music : student bands at MU basketball games; college marching bands at football games; cheering at pro basketball, baseball: Unity in Multiplicity and the Role of Music, the Matrix Zion war dance
Assignment: Study Plato, Republic Book 3; complete class note sheets to hand in at the end of class; be prepared for a quiz on the readings.
Education of the Guardians: religious culture and literature; training; selection of leaders; the Noble Lie.
The Noble Phoenician Lie 414e-414c: SOCRATES: No, it was only to be expected. But all the same, you should listen to the rest of the story. “Although all of you in the city are brothers,” we will say to them in telling our story, “when the god was forming you, he mixed gold into those of you who are capable of ruling, which is why they are the most honorable; silver into the auxiliaries; and iron and bronze into the farmers and other craftsmen. For the most part, you will produce children like yourselves; but, because you are all related, a silver child will occasionally be born to a golden parent, a golden child to a silver parent, and so on. Therefore, the first and most important command from the god to the rulers is that there is nothing they must guard better or watch more carefully than the mixture of metals in the souls of their offspring. If an offspring of theirs is born with a mixture of iron or bronze, they must not pity him in any way, but assign him an honor appropriate to his nature and drive him out to join the craftsmen or the farmers. On the other hand, if an offspring of the latter is found to have a mixture of gold or silver, they will honor him and take him up to join the guardians or the auxiliaries. For there is an oracle that the city will be ruined if it ever has an iron or a bronze guardian.” So, have you a device that will make them believe this story?
27 January
A philosophical reflection on things, sensation, human understanding, will: aiming for the good.
Forms of government which we will discuss in detail later in our course readings: Aristocracy, Oligarcy, Timacracy, Democracy, Tyranny. The meanings of Autocracy and Totalitarianism.
Assignment: Study Plato, Republic Book 2; complete class note sheets to hand in at the end of class; be prepared for a quiz on the readings.
At class: (1) Let’s do an outline of the reasoning of Republic Book 2 and the whole work. (You can’t understand the whole without a map that takes us from the beginning to the end of the book. The same goes for each of the 10 Books.); (2) Are there any questions about the reasoning in Republic Book 2? Class discussion. (2) Preview of Republic Book 3, assigned for our next class.
22 Jan 2026
(1) Crito and dismissal of those who say philosophy gets you nowhere and is just endless talking. (2) Why are we reading the REPUBLIC?
(2) Republic Book 1, Student Notes Sheets; (ii) Preview Republic Book 2.
20 January 2026
(1) Welcome to the new enrolled students. Review of practice quiz on Plato’s Apology. Reminder that there are no electronics in class.
(2) Discussion of 10 Common Logical Fallacies Everyone Should Know and students’ own list of examples. Students with last names A-K make up your own list of two examples of each of the first 5 fallacies, students with last name L-W make up your own list of one example of each of the last 5 fallacies.
(3) Discussion of Plato’s Crito (i) outlining the Crito; (ii) Crito Notes Sheet; (iii) Groups for discussion of whether Socrates should flee Athens or stay for the punishment. Note that each of you should provide at least 3 reasons for your decision.
Reminder for next class on 22 Jan: (i) Read Republic Book 1 and prepare Student Note Sheets; (ii) watch: Argument by Analogy.
15 Jan 2026
Short review and completion of previous class.
More: The Effects of Age, Biological Maturation and Sex on the Development of Executive Functions in Adolescents: “Four main EF factors are categorized during adolescence, i.e., inhibition, shifting, working memory and planning (Miyake et al., 2000; Laureys et al., 2021). Inhibition is associated with “the deliberate, controlled suppression of prepotent responses” (Miyake et al., 2000). Shifting concerns switching between multiple tasks, operations or mental sets (Miyake et al., 2000). Working memory refers to remembering, monitoring, coding incoming information and updating information (Miyake et al., 2000; Nemati et al., 2017); and planning is related to problem solving (Laureys et al., 2021). These four EF components (i.e., inhibition, planning, shifting, working memory) will further be used in this paper to determine EF performance during adolescence.”
Philosophy: Taking it personally: Personal interest can provide a source of curiosity, motivation, and engagement for learners (Dewey, 1913; Renninger & Hidi, 2016; Tobias, 1994; Wade, 2001). Interest combines both knowledge development and the values and positive emotions accompanying that development (Barron, 2006; Renninger & Hidi, 2016; Tobias, 1994). Psychological perspectives have situated interests within individual learners, as both a psychological quality and as a motivational attribute. Interests can be stimulated, maintained, and developed. Interests might become self-sustaining and support educational and career achievements. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2210656118301570
Further explanation of syllabus parts 1 & 2, exams, quizzes, homework and grading.
Quiz on the readings? Maybe, Maybe not. Be prepared! (Yes, a practice quiz.)
(i) discussion of Plato’s Apology & Student Notes Sheets; (ii) the value of outlines; (iii) sample quiz; (iv) using AI reminder.
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13 Jan 2026
(i) The Good; (ii) dead cats and humans; (iii) the brain: language and meaning: univocity, equivocity, analogy
The Brain
Neurons & Synapses: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0rHZ_RDdyQ
Neurotransmission: The Synapse: https://dana.org/resources/neurotransmission-the-synapse/
Neuroplasticity, NYTimes: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/04/science/neuroscience-brain-injury-pill.html?campaign_id=34&emc=edit_sc_20250909&instance_id=162190&nl=science-times®i_id=81431062&segment_id=205558&user_id=d8ad6a7537e7853b116652e7e40e471f
Brain Basics: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/public-education/brain-basics/brain-basics-know-your-brain
Lobes of the Brain and What They Control: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/anatomy-of-the-brain
Hippocampus and memory: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/memory
Building bodies, building brains: muscles and muscle suits: Men, Women
Gender differences: size and quantity (1) https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/battle-of-the-brain-men-vs-women-infographic (2) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6870411/ (3) https://stanmed.stanford.edu/how-mens-and-womens-brains-are-different/
Exercising your brains: (a) Electronic devices not permitted in class after 2 Sept.; (b) Attention (NYT Link); (c) Handwritten note sheets; (d) Complex thinking: Heraclitus; (e) using AI for this class: Faking it.
Handwriting and brain and memory development: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/05/11/1250529661/handwriting-cursive-typing-schools-learning-brain
Review and explanation of syllabus parts 1 & 2