Plato's Moral Psychology
PHIL 305
Spring 2017 not offered
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| Crosslisting:
COL 330 |
The PHAEDRUS, usually considered among the last of Plato's dialogues, is one of the philosophical and literary masterpieces in his corpus. It is also a veritable digest of Platonic theory, covering topics in moral psychology, metaphysics, epistemology, and aesthetics. Virtually every major doctrine commonly attributed to Plato can be found in the dialogue, including his theory of forms, his doctrine of recollection, his views on the immortality of the soul, and his tripartite account of human psychology.
The structure of the PHAEDRUS famously falls into two parts: the first containing three speeches on love, or eros; the second containing a discussion between Socrates and Phaedrus on the difference between good and bad discourse. Since antiquity, readers of this dialogue have puzzled over the connection between these two parts of the work and their respective themes. What is the relationship exactly between love and discourse? We will explore this question in this seminar through a close investigation of Plato's moral psychology in the PHAEDRUS, focusing on his views on the role of human motivation in argument and the connection between this topic and other topics in the dialogue. In the process, we will consider the place of the PHAEDRUS both in the context of Plato's views on rhetoric elsewhere (in works such as the GORGIAS) and in the context of various historical debates that were occurring in 4th- and 5th-century Greece regarding the art of argument. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS PHIL |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (PHIL)(PHIL-Philosophy)(PHIL-Social Jus) |
Major Readings:
Plato's PHAEDRUS
Secondary source articles; excerpts from other Platonic dialogues and the writings of other ancient theorists of rhetoric
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Examinations and Assignments:
Assignments will include a final research paper, one-page response papers, and oral presentations. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
If you're interested in enrolling in this seminar, you should send a short note to tirani@welseyan.edu indicating (1) your knowledge of ancient philosophy and classical Greece and/or specific interest in Plato; and (2) any prior courses you've taken that you feel prepare you for the topics we'll be covering during the semester. |
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