Plato – Lectures by Ronald Nash
Plato & Socrates – 15 minutes
The Forms of Plato – 44 minutes
Plato’s Dualism – 39 minutes
Plato’s Rationalism – 45 minutes
Appraisal of Plato’s Philosophy – 42 minutes
Early Western Philosophy – Lectures by Ronald Nash
Milesian Philosophers – 30 minutes
Heraclitus, Pythagoras, Parmenides – 41 minutes
Plato & Socrates – 15 minutes
Aristotle – 9 minutes
Hellenistic Philosophy – 16 minutes
Stoicism – 38 minutes
Hedonism – 21 minutes
Research Assistance Request
On occasion I have seen the following quote attributed to Plato, but I think it is an error that may have begun with a mis-attribution in Elbert Hubbard’s Scrapbook (published in 1923) and which has been passed down through the generations :
“A bad man is wretched amidst every earthly advantage: a good man—troubled on every side, yet not distressed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.”
I have read through the whole corpus of Plato’s dialogues without coming across anything similar. Further, an internet search turns up nothing of substance.
The quote is almost identical to what we find in Paul’s epistle to the Corinthians;
We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)
I suspect that Hubbard misunderstood a footnote in Ebenezer Cobham Brewer’s A Guide to Grecian History, Mythology and Literature which was published in 1859 (Period IV Appendix, Section 2.4, page 356). While trying to explain Plato’s moral philosophy Brewer conflated a description of Plato’s anthropology with a quote from Scripture.
I would be very appreciative if anyone can provide any related information.
Plato – select quotes
A woman is only a lesser man.
~ Plato, in The Republic
Access to power must be confined to those who are not in love with it.
Any city, however small, is in fact divided into two, one city of the poor, the other of the rich; they are at war with one another, and in either they are many smaller divisions, and you would be altogether beside the mark if you treat them as a single state.
~ Plato, in The Republic
Every man has had kings and slaves, barbarians and Greeks, among his ancestors.
~ Plato, in Theaetetus, 155
False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil.
I think that the pleasure is to be deemed natural which arises out of the intercourse between men and women; but that the intercourse of men with men, or of women with women, is contrary to nature, and that the bold attempt was originally due to unbridled lust.
~ Plato, in The Laws
Mankind censure injustice fearing that they may be the victim of it, and not because they shrink from committing it.
~ Socrates, in Plato’s The Republic
Shall we carelessly allow children to hear any casual tales which may be devised by casual persons, and to receive into their minds ideas for the most part the very opposite of those which we shall wish them to have when they are grown up?
~ Socrates, in Plato’s Republic
The difficulty, my friends, is not to avoid death, but to avoid unrighteousness; for that runs faster than death.
~ Socrates, in Plato’s Apology
Knowledge without justice ought to be called cunning rather than wisdom.
Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something.
__________
RELATED
All European philosophy is but a footnote to Plato.
~ Alfred North Whitehead
Textbooks for Fall 2012
Students in my classes at Southwestern, here are the textbooks that we will be using this semester. Please use the isbn to get the exact edition. It might cost you a few extra $ to get the edition specified but it will make your study and our discussion much easier.
Early Western Civilization – HIS 1103
- THE HISTORY OF THE ANCIENT WORLD: FROM THE EARLIEST ACCOUNTS TO THE FALL OF ROME, by Susan Wise Bauer – isbn. 039305974X
- HISTORIANS’ FALLACIES : TOWARD A LOGIC OF HISTORICAL THOUGHT, by David Hackett Fischer – isbn. 0060904984
- MYTHOLOGY, by Hamilton – isbn. 0316341517
Early Western Civilization Seminar – IDE 1103
- NICHOMACHEAN ETHICS, by Aristotle – isbn. 0911589031 (unavailable most places, will probably need to purchase through the campus bookstore, or it is possible the edition may change)
- METAPHYSICS, by Aristotle – isbn. 0140446192
- THE ART OF RHETORIC, by Aristotle – isbn. 0140445102
- POETICS, by Aristotle – isbn. 0140446362
- REPUBLIC, by Plato – isbn. 0872201368
- TIMAEUS AND CRITIAS, by Plato – isbn. 0140455043
- GREEK TRAGEDIES, VOLUME 1, by Grene & Lattimore – isbn. 0226307905
- A STUDENT’S GUIDE TO LIBERAL LEARNING, by Schall – isbn. 1882926536
- HANDBOOK FOR WRITERS, by Troyka – isbn. 0136028608
Happiness in Aristotle’s Ethics
Aristotle opens this work with the claim that “Every art and every inquiry, and similarly, every action and every intention is thought to aim at some good.” Is he right? (page 1)
There are three major streams of inquiry in western philosophy; (1) metaphysics, (2) epistemology, (3) axiology. What questions/answers do these streams represent? Which of these is illustrated in Aristotle’s Ethics? (page 1)
When Aristotle speaks of virtue, to what is he referring?
What, according to Aristotle, is “the good”? (page 1) How does his terminology relate to that of Plato? (pages 5-6) Do they both have the same definition of “The Good”?
Why does Aristotle say that a young man is not a proper student of politics? (page 3) Do you agree with Aristotle?
What does Aristotle believe to be “the highest of all goods achievable by action”? (page 3) How comfortable are you with this truth claim?
Describe Aristotle’s concept of “happiness.” (page 3, 8) Building on his definition of happiness he writes, “then the good for a man turns out to be an activity of the soul according to virtue, and if the virtues are many, then according to the best and most complete virtue. And we should add ‘in a complete life’, for one swall does not make a spring, nor does one day; and so too one day or a short time does not make a man blessed or happy.” What is his point(s)? (page 10)
We will be reading about Plato’s ethical system later in the course. For now, it is sufficient to note that while “happiness” was at the center of Aristotle’s system of ethics, “justice” was at the center of Plato’s system of ethics (and, of course “The Good”). Around what would you build your own system of ethics?
Aristotle describes “three kinds of life [people].” What are they? Can you describe them? (pages 4-5)
Why does the life of a money-maker not make a fourth category? (page 5)
When describing his disagreement with the Platonists, Aristotle says that “it is sacred to honor truth above friendship.” Have you ever been put in a position where you had to make this choice? How does this tension exist in the various elements of your life? Family? Academic? Theology?
What does Aristotle mean when he says that man is by nature political? (page 9)
Would Aristotle participate in a small-group ministry?
Aristotle notes three kinds of good? What are they? Which does he say is the most important? (page 11)
Aristotle’s ethical sytem emphasizes action. Why? (page 12) How does this compare and contrast with a New Testament ethic?
Aristotle puts forward the question as to “whether happiness is acquired by learning or by habit or by some other form of training, or wheter it comes to us by some divine providence or even by luck.” Do theologians agree on the answer to this question? What do you think?
Why do you have to wait till the end of a man’s life to determine whether or not he is happy? Who is the Solon that Aristotle is referring to? (page 14) Do we then base happiness on a man’s fortunes? (page 15) Would Aristotle approve of the premises behind the Sermon on the Mount?
When comparing justice and happiness, which does Aristotle say is more praised and which is more godlike or better?
What does Aristotle believe about the relationship between religion and politics? (page 18)
Revised Schedule – Early Western Civilization Seminars
Students, below you will find a revised reading/discussion schedule that takes into consideration the days we were closed for inclement weather.
* * * * * * * * * *
Tentative Schedule (revised 2/17/2011)
| IDE 1103-B | IDE 1103-A | Topic | Assignment Due Today |
| January 13 | January 14 | Introduction to Course | Please print out and bring your syllabus to this class session. |
| January 18 | January 19 | Discussion of Reading | Read: A Students Guide To Liberal Learning
Turn In: Reading Report |
| January 20 | January 21 | Discussion of Poetics – Language for discussing literature. | Read: Poetics (It is not necessary to read the Introduction, but it might be helpful to do so if you can find the time.)
Turn In: Reading Report |
| January 25 | January 26 | Discussion of Agamemnon | Read: Agamemnon
Turn In: Reading Report
|
| January 27 | January 28 | Discussion of Prometheus Bound | Read: Prometheus Bound
Turn In: Reading Report
|
| February 1 | February 2 | Campus Closed – Weather | Campus Closed – Weather |
| February 3 | February 4 | Campus Closed – Weather | Campus Closed – Weather |
| February 8 | February 11 | Discussion of Oedipus the King | Read: Oedipus the King
Turn In: Reading Report
|
| February 9 | Campus Closed – Weather | Campus Closed Weather | |
| February 10 | February 16 | Discussion of Antigone | Read: Antigone
Turn In: Reading Report
|
| February 15 | February 18 | Happiness | Read: Ethics, Book A
Turn In: Reading Report
|
| February 17 | February 23 | Virtue | Read: Ethics, Books Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta & Eta
Turn In: Reading Report
|
| February 22 | Friendship | Read: Ethics, Books Theta & Iota
Turn In: Reading Report |
|
| February 24 | Pleasure | Read: Ethics, Book Kappa
Turn In: Reading Report
|
|
| February 25 | Friendship & Pleasure | Read: Ethics, Books Theta & Iota
Turn In: Reading Report Read: Ethics, Book Kappa
Turn In: Reading Report
|
|
| March 1 | March 2 | Discussion of Republic, books 1-3 | Read: Republic, books 1-3
Turn In: Reading Report
|
| March 3 | March 4 | Discussion of Republic, books 4-6 | Read: Republic, books 4-6
Turn In: Reading Report |
| March 8 | March 9 | Discussion of Republic, books 7-8 | Read: Republic, books 7-8
Turn In: Reading Report |
| March 10 | March 11 | Discussion of Republic, books 9-10 | Read: Republic, books 9-10
Turn In: Reading Report |
| March 14-18 | March 14-18 | Spring Break | Spring Break |
| March 22 | March 23 | Discussion of Timaeus | Read: Timaeus |
| March 24 | March 25 | The instructor will be lecturing on Metaphysics Books Alpha & Beta. | You will be reading these sections as preparation for the presentations you will be giving, but no Reading Reports are required. Please bring your book to class.
Turn In: Essay, Research Paper or Dialogue |
| March 29 | March 30 | Meet in groups to prepare presentations. | Meet in groups to prepare presentations. |
| March 31 | April 1 | Group Projects
|
Group Presentations (no reading reports required for this material) |
| April 5 | April 6 | The instructor will be lecturing on the whole of Aristotle’s Metaphysics. | Read: Review any sections of the book that were unread. (no reading reports required for this material)
|
| April 7 | April 8 | Discussion of Rhetoric, Sections 1 thru 4 | Read: Rhetoric, Sections 1 thru 4
|
| April 12 | April 13 | Discussion of Rhetoric, Sections 5 & 6 | Read: Rhetoric, Sections 5 & 6
|
| April 14 | April 15 | Discussion of Rhetoric Sections 7 & 8 | Read: Rhetoric, Sections 7 & 8
Turn In: Reading Report
|
| April 19 | April 20 | Discussion of Rhetoric, Sections 9 & 10 | Read: Rhetoric, Sections 9 & 10
|
| April 21 | April 22 | No Class | No class |
| April 26 | April 27 | Review For Final Exam | Review For Final Exam |
| May 4 – 8:00 | May 4 – 10:00 | Final Examination | Final Examination In Class |
Diairesis and Prohairesis
Diogenes Laertius has handed down to us some fascinating source material in his work Lives of Eminent Philosophers
IDE1103 Final Exam Review
Below are a few of the items that you should be familiar with as you prepare to take your final exam for Early Western Civilization Seminary – IDE1103:
* * *
What are the three genres of rhetoric: exhortation and deterrence, legal(forensic), praise and blame
Did Aristotle believe that pleasure was the greatest good?
According to Aristotle what role does reciprocity play in friendship?
According to Aristotle, could you be friends with God?
What are Aristotle’s two kinds of virtues? (intellectual, ethical)
What is Aristotle’s understanding of character development?
What role does excess and deficiency play in Aristotle’s view of virtue?
What are Aristotle’s three conditions that make a person’s actions those of a virtuous person?
What is a non-essential property?
What are Aristotle’s Four Causes?
Possible Matching:
- Substance
- Prime Mover
- Tragedy
- Comedy
- Epic
- Ethos
- Pathos
- Logos
