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political science 406 Seminar
on Plato’s Republic
Winter
term, 2011-12
Tuesday evenings, 6-9 pm
email: Don.Carmichael@ualberta.ca office hrs: Fridays, 2-3:30 and by appointment |
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This
will be a seminar on Plato’s Republic,
with attention (i) to its power as a work of the philosophical imagination,
(ii) to the adequacy of its central conceptions and arguments, and (iii) to
the possible relevance of these conceptions today. Students
in the seminar will not be expected to agree (or to disagree) with any parts
of the work. The aim is simply to read
and reflect upon the Republic, and
to develop these reflections creatively and critically. It is presumed that students will already
have a basic appreciation of the work through the pre-requisite Pol S 210 (or
equivalent). After the first few weeks
of introduction, therefore, little time will be spent on
lecture-explanations; rather the focus will be on critical discussion of the
work’s arguments and the issues they raise. Prequisites: Pol S
210 or equivalent. No further work in
political theory or philosophy is presumed, although students should know (or
be prepared to learn) how to write brief “positional” essays. Readings and Texts Students will need two texts: a translation
of the Republic, and a commentary. I have not ordered any texts because most
students will already have a copy of the Republic
and many students will want to use one of the (free) commentaries available
on line through the library; thus if you need to buy either of these, please
make your own arrangements. Republic: any translation may be
used so long as it includes the whole text with Stephanos
pagination (eg ‘359a’). If you buy one, I suggest the Lee (Penguin), or the
Reeves (Hackett), or the Bloom (Basic books). Commentary: students will be asked to use a
critical commentary to prepare for each session, so that we can skip over
basic points of explanation and get directly into critical questions. You may use any of the ones below. Purshouse and
Pappas are both available one line through the university bookstore. These
are both comparatively basic. Bloom is somewhat controversial. Annas is more
advanced, but considerably more expensive.
Purshouse, Plato’s Republic: A Reader’s Guide, Pappas,
The Routledge Philosophy Guidebook to Plato and the
Republic Bloom,
The Republic of Plato (translation and commentary together) Annas, An Introduction to Plato’s Republic (expensive,
somewhat more advanced, but well regarded) . All participants – including auditors --
will be expected to contribute to the seminar discussions and to prepare for
these discussions by careful reading of the assigned material. As part of this, students will be asked to
write a brief reflection before each seminar on what they take to be the
crucial point(s) of the assigned reading. Auditors are expected to prepare these reflections for any session
they attend; those taking the course for credit are expected to do one each
week with two weeks off of their own choosing. Students taking the course for credit will be asked
to do two short papers (5-7 pp) during the term and
a slightly longer paper (8-9 pp) at or towards the
end of the term. Topics and deadlines will be announced at the start of the
class. All essays should be
terse, analytical, and "positional" -- arguing a definite thesis in
relation to some aspect of the readings.
One of the
short papers (5-7 pp) will be discussed in the
seminar. They should be critical
re-examinations of any issue recently considered in the seminar and they
should be e-mailed to participants with at least 24 hours’ notice. Students
can choose their own dates and topics for these papers, subject to there
being no more than one per week. Grades Three
essays: (equal
weight) 80% Opening commentary 10% contributions to the seminar* 10% * Seminar contributions will be evaluated by the quality
of oral contributions, including questions. One can contribute effectively to the quality
of a seminar without speaking much, or even at all. Students who are uncomfortable speaking in
public are invited to discuss alternative forms of contribution with me. Essay Varieties All essays must be positional with a clear statement
in the opening paragraph of the essay’s basic position. These essays can be of different types: (i)
interpretive: arguing that the text (or a specific
passage) is best read one way rather than another. Commentaries are especially helpful here
because you can disagree with them. (ii) critical-evaluative, arguing that a basic
position in the text is right (as against some specific criticism) or
wrong. (iii) “reconstitutive”:
I’ve made this term up to indicate a kind of essay that argues that a conception
is valuable and can be applied today without some of the other aspects of
Plato’s philosophy (eg, that specific conceptions in Republic could or should
be adopted by democrats). Essay Requirements, Topics, and Due
Dates Essays should be submitted as double-spaced paper copies with
wide (1.5’-2”) margins on the right side and bottom for comments. All
essays must contain a clear statement of the topic and thesis (position) in
the opening paragraph, plus a bibliography (even if just one work) and
citations for all references to the text. Seminar paper: should be emailed to all participants by midnight f the Sunday before it will be discussed. (this date decided by the class) Essay # 1: due Thursday, Feb 9th (4 pm in the General Office). This essay may be
written on the topics below or on any other topic covered up to this point. 1.
Assess the specialization
thesis. 2.
“Justice is a kind of mental
health” (444e). Assess. Essay # 2: due Thursday, March 22nd (4 pm in the General Office). This essay may be
written on the topic below or on any other topic covered up to this point. 1.
What is the message of the Cave
simile, and is it correct? Essay # 3: due Thursday, April 19th
(4 pm in the General Office). Extended to Tuesday, April 24th 1.
Can liberal (or social)
democrats be Platonists? (see essay variety iii).
Consider with reference to any one
issue. 2.
Hobbes famously denounced mytho-poetic language as the enemy of philosophical
understanding (Leviathan 8:8) . But Plato has
Socrates use such language quite frequently in discussion with Glaucon and Adeimantos. Is this because they are stupid? Or is it
instead because – for Plato -- philosophy requires mytho-poetic understanding? Course
Objectives Apparently course outlines are required to include an explicit
statement of objectives. If the objective of this course is not already
obvious, you probably should not take it; but, for the record, the objective
of the course is to help students develop a clear, critical understanding of
Plato’s Republic and, through this,
of their own positions on the topics discussed. |
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Schedule:
Jan 10 Introduction: Cephalos and Polemarchos (327a - 336a)
NB: This will be a full (3 hour) session. Following discussion of the course organization, there will be a discussion of Socrates’ conversations with Cephalos and Polemarchos.
Jan 17 Thrasymachos (336b – 354b)
Jan 24 A New Approach: The Dikaios Society
(357a – 392c)
essay: Arun Bhaumik commentary: Neekoo Collett
Jan 31 The Dikaios Society
(cont’d) – (392c – 427c)
essay: Michael Doyle commentary:
Dongwoo Kim
Feb 7 Dikaiosune and the Individual (427d
– 449a) (►
Essay # 1 due: Thurs Feb 9)
essay: Philip Stachnik commentary:
Etienne Rainville
Feb 11 (Sat) Gotterdammerung in movie theatres
(10 am – 4:30)
Feb 14 “Women and the Family” (449a – 471c)
essay: Maura Roberts commentary: Erin Wabisca
Feb 21 (no seminar: reading week break)
Feb 28 Philosophy (i):
philosophy and reality
(471c – 509c)
Roundtable
# 1
presentations:
Erin Wabisca, Lys-Divine Bacinoni, Mike Sydora
commentaries: Philip
Stachnik, Arun Bhaumik,
Michael Doyle,
Mar 6 Philosophy (ii):
philosophy, truth, and education (509d – 541a)
essay: Jennifer McBean commentary: Mitchell Bouwsema
Mar 13 Who, and What, is Best (i): The Losers (543a – 576b … up to the end of
tyranny)
essay: Aaron Pollock commentary:
Lys-Divine Bacinoni
Mar 20 ‘Who, and What, is Best (ii): The Winners (576c – 592b plus 608c – 613e on
the soul) (►Essay
# 2 due: Thurs Mar 22)
Roundtable
#2
presentations: Neekoo
Collett, Dongwoo Kim,
Etienne Rainville
commentaries: Jennifer McBean, Maura Roberts, Michael
Sydora
Mar 27 Art & Myth (i):
Wagner’s Gotterdammerung (note: this session may be
rescheduled)
No
seminar essay this session
Apr 3 Art & Myth (ii): what’s with all the myths? art (595a – 608b) +
the myth of Er (614a – 621d)
essay: Sydney Mackie commentary:
Aaron Pollock
Apr 10 Conclusion – Republic: Myth, Music or Philosophy? Book 1 & Its Questions in review (Bk 1)
essay: Mitchell Bouwsema commentary: Sydney Mackie
Apr 19 ► (Thurs) Essay # 3 due
Universal
Syllabus Components:
(these appear on
all course outlines in the faculty: posted here to save paper)
GRADING SCHEME:
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Letter
Grade |
Grade
Point |
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Excellent |
A+ A A- |
4.0 4.0 3.7 |
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Good |
B+ B B- |
3.3 3.0 2.7 |
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Satisfactory |
C+ C C- |
2.3 2.0 1.7 |
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Poor Minimal Pass |
D+ D |
1.3 1.0 |
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Failure |
F |
0 |
LATE PENALTIES, PLAGIARISM
& ACADEMIC HONESTY:
Late assignments: It is your responsibility to inform
the instructor as soon as it becomes clear that your work will be late. If you
do not communicate in advance, and your reason for being late does not also
explain this lack of communication, then you should be prepared to be penalized
X% per day.
Plagiarism
& Academic Dishonesty: The University of Alberta is committed to
the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with
these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the
University in this respect. Students are
particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of
Student Behaviour (online at http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/gfcpolicymanual/content.cfm?ID_page=37633
) and avoid any behaviour which could potentially result in suspicions of
cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an
offence. Academic dishonesty is a
serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University. An important excerpt from the Code of Student
Behaviour is appended at the end of this syllabus. Additional information and
resources are available through the UofA’s Truth in
Education project: http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/TIE/
. (Note:
All but the last two sentences of this statement must appear in all syllabi.)
SPECIALIZED SUPPORT &
DISABILITY SERVICES:
Students with disabilities or special needs that might interfere with their performance should contact the professor at the beginning of the course with the appropriate documentation. Every effort will be made to accommodate such students, but in all cases prior arrangements must be made to ensure that any special needs can be met in a timely fashion and in such a way that the rest of the class is not put at an unfair disadvantage. Students requiring special support or services should be registered with the office of Specialized Support & Disability Services (SSDS): http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/SSDS/. This is particularly important for students requiring special exam arrangements. Once you have registered with SSDS, it is your responsibility to provide the instructor with a "Letter of Introduction" and, if necessary, an "Exam Instruction & Authorization" form.
FEELING OVERWHELMED? (In
need of student, social, financial or security services?):
The Student Distress Centre is there to listen, offer support, supply information and provide services:
Excerpts from the Code of Student
Behaviour
(updated effective APRIL, 2008)
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30.3.2(1) Plagiarism No Student shall submit the words,
ideas, images or data of another person as the Student’s own in any academic
writing, essay, thesis, project, assignment, presentation or poster in a
course or program of study. 30.3.2(2) Cheating
30.3.2(2) a No
Student shall in the course of an examination or other similar activity,
obtain or attempt to obtain information from another Student or other unauthorized
source, give or attempt to give information to another Student, or use,
attempt to use or possess for the purposes of use any unauthorized material. 30.3.2(2) b No Student shall represent or attempt to represent him or herself as another or have or attempt to have himself or herself represented by another in the taking of an examination, preparation of a paper or other similar activity. See also misrepresentation in 30.3.6 (4). 30.3.2(2) c No Student shall represent another’s
substantial editorial or compositional assistance on an assignment as the
Student’s own work. 30.3.2(2) d No Student shall submit in any course or
program of study, without the written approval of the course Instructor, all
or a substantial portion of any academic writing, essay, thesis, research
report, project, assignment, presentation or poster for which credit has
previously been obtained by the Student or which has been or is being
submitted by the Student in another course or program of study in the
University or elsewhere. |
30.3.2(2) e No Student shall submit in any course or
program of study any academic writing, essay, thesis, report, project,
assignment, presentation or poster containing a statement of fact known by
the Student to be false or a reference to a source the Student knows to
contain fabricated claims (unless acknowledged by the Student), or a
fabricated reference to a source. 30.3.6(4) Misrepresentation
of Facts No Student shall misrepresent pertinent facts to any member of the University community for the purpose of obtaining academic or other advantage. See also 30.3.2(2) b, c, d and e. 30.3.6(5) Participation in an Offence No Student shall counsel or encourage or knowingly aid or assist, directly or indirectly, another person in the commission of any offence under this Code.
The Truth In Education (T*I*E) project is a campus wide educational campaign on Academic
Honesty. This program was created to
let people know the limits and consequences of inappropriate academic
behavior. There are helpful tips for Instructors and Students. Please take the time to visit the website at: http://www.ualberta.ca/tie |