September 28
Monday, September 28, 2026Plenary
Platonic Moral Psychology in Republic
While Plato scholars disagree about how much Plato changed his views over his writing career, the dialog Republic presents a picture of human psychology that contains elements not discussed in the Gorgias. In particular, the soul is now described as having three parts -- a view called "the Tripartite Soul". In the Republic, Plato also says more about "the Good" and how to pursue it, in conjunction with what is perhaps his most famous doctrine, the Theory of Forms. And the nature of justice in the individual soul is developed in tandem with discussion of what is needed for a just society.
Goals
Goals
- Understand the theory of the Tripartite soul, and how it is different from the view presented in Gorgias.
- Gain some understanding of Plato’s Theory of Forms and particularly the role of the Form of the Good
- Consider how the introduction of a social element to ethics may change ethics from the more individualistic views we have thus far considered.
Before Class
- Selection from Book 9 of Plato’s Republic, describing the metaphor of the beast
- Alasdair MacIntyre, “The Republic,” chapter from A Short History of Ethics
- N/A
- TBD
After Class
Further Resources
Further Resources
- Alasdair MacIntyre, “The Republic,” chapter from A Short History of Ethics