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HU Credits:
4
Degree/Cycle:
1st degree (Bachelor)
Responsible Department:
Philosophy
Semester:
1st Semester
Teaching Languages:
Hebrew
Campus:
Mt. Scopus
Course/Module Coordinator:
Naly Thaler
Coordinator Office Hours:
by appointment
Teaching Staff:
Dr. Naly Thaler
Course/Module description:
The Republic is perhaps the richest and most challenging of all Plato’s dialogues. The dialogue presents in a through and detailed manner the relations (as Plato sees them) between ethics, psychology and metaphysics. In this respect, the dialogue provides a justification for ideas which are presented in other dialogues in a merely insinuated or aporetic manner. But the Republic itself also presents substantial interpretative and philosophical difficulties, and has engendered many scholarly disagreements. In this seminar, we will examine the key issues in the dialogue and also acquaint ourselves with the various scholarly views regarding these topics. Our main theme will be the ‘things themselves’ or so-called ‘Forms’. We will attempt to understand what their nature is, what place their discussion has in the larger framework, and what role they play in the general platonic project which is, clearly, ethical in essence. That is, we will try to understand how the proof that a life of justice is the only one worth living relies on the assumption regarding the existence of Forms.
The seminar will be based on a close reading and discussion of the Republic’s text. We will also read various articles from the secondary literature in order to understand what the basic philosophical issues are and what difficulties they involve. In the course of the seminar, students will present short class presentations, either alone or in pairs (depending on enrollment) about items in the secondary literature. Therefore, this is a seminar which is based on active class participation.
Course/Module aims:
The aim of the course is to acquaint students with the various layers of philosophical argument in the dialogue, and to give them a taste of the vast contemporary research on the dialogue.
Learning outcomes - On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
An acquaintance with the dialogue and with contemporary philosophical analysis of it.
Attendance requirements(%):
100
Teaching arrangement and method of instruction:
discussion and student presentations.
Course/Module Content:
The course will follow the progression of the dialogue. Further details will be given in the course moodle website.
Required Reading:
Plato's Republic.
Possible translations:
Reeve
Grube
a list of items from the secondary literature will be given in the course's moodle website.
Additional Reading Material:
All relevant secondary material will be specified (and usually given) in the course moodle website.
Course/Module evaluation:
End of year written/oral examination 0 %
Presentation 0 %
Participation in Tutorials 0 %
Project work 50 %
Assignments 0 %
Reports 50 %
Research project 0 %
Quizzes 0 %
Other 0 %
Additional information:
The classroom discussions will not be recorded.
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