Lectures: CMU 230
TTh 9:00 - 10:20

Quiz sections:
A:  F 8:30 - 9:20    Savery 131
B:  F 9:30 - 10:20  Savery 131

Quiz Instructor: Andrea Sullivan-Clarke

Plato's Republic is the most important and most provocative philosophical work to come down to us from the ancient world and one of the three or four great masterpieces of western philosophy.  The conversation in it ranges over almost every area of philosophy: metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of mind, ethics, political philosophy, philosophy of education, feminism, aesthetics, and philosophy of religion.  In spite of its richness and complexity it is one of the most accessible works of ancient philosophy.  It is thus an ideal text for study in an upper-division philosophy course.  We will read one book of the dialogue each week, and for background we will also read Homer's Iliad.  There will be a written exercise for every session. 

Texts:

Plato, Republic translated by C.D.C. Reeve.

1.   There are ten books in the Republic.  We will read one book each week.

2.   There will be a writing assignment for each class.  These should be typed double-spaced in at least a 12-point font.

3.   You will have an opportunity to revise or to annotate your paper during our discussion in class, though such revisions and annotations will be scored differently from your original work.

4.   To receive credit for an assignment you must attend the class for which the assignment is prepared.

5.   Late papers will not be accepted.

6.   Save your exercises after they are handed back, for they may be collected again at the end of the quarter as a student portfolio.    

This is not a collaborative course.  Each student is expected to do his or her own work without help from anyone else. 

Your are guilty of cheating whenever you present as your own work something that you did not do.  Your are also guilty of cheating if you help someone else to cheat.

It is improper, for example, in doing the exercise on the Iliad to ask for help in locating the relevant passages or to give such help.  Given requirement (4)  above, it is also improper to hand in work for someone else.

In relation to Republic 474d you might be amused by the two following links (which you may have to copy and paste to get to the location on the web):

http://classicalmusic.about.com/od/opera/qt/catalogaria.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYUlCropCGY