Political Philosophy
Course: An Introduction to Plato’s Republic
Class 5: The Education of the Guardians
Professor: Jonathan Culp, Ph.D., Director of International Studies & Associate Professor, University of Dallas
Course Description:
The purpose of this class is to introduce students to Socratic-Platonic political philosophy through a careful study of Plato’s most comprehensive work, the Republic. Commonly known as a book outlining a political utopia, Plato’s Republic is in truth a comprehensive reflection on the nature of the human soul, its longing for justice, and its place within the whole. The Republic is also complex, elusive, and often outrageous. In the course of reading the Republic, we shall consider many of the crucial questions it presents to us: What is justice? Is it good to be just? What is the best form of government? the best education? the best way of life? What are the obstacles in the way of these things? What is truth and how do we find it? We will read the Republic slowly and carefully and contemplate Plato’s responses to these questions.
Class 5:
In this class, Dr. Culp discusses Socrates well-known account of the Guardians’ education in Republic Books II-III. Dr. Culp emphasizes that the focus on the entire education is the formation of civic virtue-in particular, courage and moderation. Dr. Culp discusses the rationale for censorship in the Guardians’ music education, wherein all superior beings (gods and heroes) are presented as proper role models for the Guardians. Homer’s epics are roundly critiqued for falling short of this standard. Finally, Dr. Culp explains that, although gymnamstic (or physical) education is usually understand to consist in the care of the body, Socrates’ discussion of gymnastic focuses almost entirely on its effects on the soul. In other words, every aspect of the education aims to produce civic virtue in the souls of the guardians. Dr. Culp emphasizes, however, that we still do not know whether the civic virtue of the Guardians can be considered properly human virtue, or whether it simply makes the Guardians useful to the city.
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