Plato

July 23 - July 25

Hi, everyone! How are you doing?
Today, I would like to tell you what I learned in the classes.
During last three days, we covered the Republic written Plato.
I have found lots of new things from the lecture.

First of all, we studied background of Socrates and Plato.
Socrates is a teacher of Plato and a first philosopher to focus on questions of ordinary living.
And he is believed to go barefoot all year around and could stay up for days in conversation and contemplation. Moreover, it is interesting to know that he spent most of his time in the public market to talk to people there. The characteristic of the book is dialogue. The use of dialogue tell us about philosophy is a part of daily life in Athens. Such kind of conversation was held not just in academic classrooms but in everywhere. Thus, everyone in the city could meet Socrates and talk with him even in a market. By the way, he was considered to be a social gadfly. Gadfly means someone who annoys other people by criticizing them. In contrast, Plato who wrote the Republic came from two prominent, politically-oriented Athenian families in Periclean era. In the Republic, he recorded ideas and life of Socrates for posterity. And he thought that the death of Socrates was am absurd and 'unjust' tragedy. That is why he stuck to 'justice' throughout the book.

The book overview is that Socrates seeks ideal society to find out the answer for his question, "What is the best way to live?" Above all, the question "how the state can be reorganized to realize the best qualities in human beings" becomes the theme of his central work in the book. In order to pursuit for his question, he creates the ideal state and try to discover the answer in it. Also, he thinks that there is a profound connection between the nature of society and the nature of individuals who populate that society. From his view, in the end, good society is constructed from good citizens.

First of all, I will try to show you how an ideal society is made up. The aim of an ideal society is not to exclusive happiness of any one class of citizens. Before building an ideal society, he states that just people live better than unjust person. Therefore, he also accounts that just society is the perfect one to live for. Then, what is justice or injustice? How and where are they generated? Socrates and the audience argue these topics as well. By the way, one of the elements for a good society is each citizen doing their own occupations fitted to their own innate faculties. For example, if your innate capacity is fitted farmer, you should be a farmer. In contrast, if your innate nature is fitted a ruler, you should be definitely a ruler. However, who can judge who is fitted what job? This question was raised by one student in the class. And does everyone agree with this idea? In the book, Socrates introduces the audience to the story which is expected to persuade citizens just to do their own jobs. The story is called "Myth of the Metals." Let me show you this story because I got interested in this allegory. Certain people were literally born from the soil, partly from Hesiod's account of the Golden, Silver, and Bronze races. The rulers, the soldiers and the whole community were down inside the earth. Then, they were sent up to this world. Because they were born from the same soil, they all are brothers. But the god mixed gold into the person who is fit to rule. This person, therefore, has the most precious quality. Next, He put silver into the soldiers, and iron and brass in the farmers and craftsmen. And now, since they came from one stock, their children are supposed to be the same as their parents. However, this story tells us sometimes a golden parent may have a silver child or a silver parent may have a golden one, and so on with regard to the other combinations. Even if an iron and brass child’s parents are gold, he or she ought to be a ruler or auxiliary. Such is a story. This story is said to be a noble lie in a class. Anyhow, Socrates proposes using this story to convince them not try to become out of their natural ability. To do this, he thinks that an ideal society can be constructed. One student related this story to an aptitude test. I think it is interesting to tie up the story with the modern issue. Although Hesiod's story show you one can become a ruler or a farmer based on his or her innate capability, it ignore his or her hope what he or she want to be.

Socrates suggested that a philosopher or a ruler who gained philosophical idea should govern a society to construct a good . And he adds that a ruler should be well educated and nurtured from his childhood.

I found it interesting to know that Socrates or Plato's ideas are regarded as a radical way of thinking nowadays.

*The picture on the left side:This building is 'The University Book Store.' The UW students buy their textbooks there. Also, there are other books, stationeries, and UW goods such as T-shirt and cups.
*The picture on the right side:This is a bus called Metro. Especially, the UW students can ride free on the buses. When you get on a bus, you have to show U-PASS sticker which is attached to the back of your Husky Card(student ID card). It is very convenient to go anywhere you want to if you take a course here.