PlatoRepublic I

Plato: The Exam

• You answer two questions

• Each question involves a passage from the text

• On each passage, you will be asked a single ‘commentary’ question, which requires you to discuss that passage in detail

• Philosophical and literary understanding

• Marks for Quality of Written Communication

• There is no essay question

Assessment Objectives

• AO1 Demonstrate Knowledge and Understanding– Recall and deploy relevant knowledge and understanding

of literary, cultural, material or historical sources or linguistic forms, in their appropriate contexts

• AO2 Analysis, Evaluation and Presentation– Analyse, evaluate and respond to classical sources as

appropriate

– Select, organise and present relevant information and argument in a clear, logical, accurate and appropriate form

AO1 - Knowledge AO2 - Analysis

AS Unit G1 50% 50%

AS Unit G2 50% 50%

A2 Unit G3 40% 60%

A2 Unit G4 40% 60%

Plato• Lived in Athens• Aristocratic, destined for a political career, but

abandoned it in favour of philosophy• His master and hero was Socrates who died at hands of

Athenians and wrote nothing down• Founded the Academy• Holistic, visionary idea of a good life

“All Western philosophy consists of footnotes to Plato”

Plato’s approach to Philosophical Writing

• Conversational format

• About (real) people and situations

• No answers: think for ourselves

• Motivational: Plato wants to change our lives

• Dramatic, emotional

Dialogue form

Socrates is NOT Plato’s mouthpiece

The Republic

• Ten book work exploring the nature of justice

• From Book 2, Socrates begins to set out his own ideas, relating his views on justice to a picture of life in an ideal state

• Before that, in Book 1, Plato explores the views of three of Socrates’ discussion partners: our focus is on Thrasymachus and the Sophists

Republic I so far….• Setting

– Cephalus’ house– What does Cephalus symbolise? Why this location?

• Characters present– Cephalus and his sons– Thrasymachus the sophist/orator– Glaucon and Adeimantus et al.

• Socrates has been discussing the nature of justice with Cephalus and Polemarchus, but they have not reached a conclusion

• Thrasymachus gets annoyed with the way the debate is being conducted and interrupts.

What makes a productive philosophical debate?

Philosophical Writing

• What associations do you have with the words ‘philosophical writing’/ ‘philosophical texts’? What, in your mind, is philosophical writing like?

• If you were to write a philosophical text, what would it be like?

Philosophical Writing