Socrates is an asshole.

Nov 02, 2006 12:07

You know you're reading The Republic when ( Read more... )

homework, plato, college

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rajenath November 2 2006, 18:01:26 UTC
Situation:

in Seminar, we discuss a text or section of a text (Gorgias, or a few books of the Republic)
We have 2 seminars per week.

17 out of about 30 seminars first semester last year were Plato.

I actually don't hate him, but I do like him less than when we read some of his stuff in high school.

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skarhapsody November 2 2006, 21:36:57 UTC
You're reading it for fun?

My theory, at least this semester, Socrates is supposed to be an asshole. Thus, you are supposed to go "Wait, you think these forms are real, but you're an asshole!" and then we realize Plato had a different philosophy all along. It is a play, afterall.

Next you should read Phaedrus, that's Horny!Socrates. "What's under your cloak, fair Phaedrus?"

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luckfire November 2 2006, 21:48:14 UTC
No, I'm reading it for history Core. But way back, I bought it for fun and games. (I also had waaaaay too much B&N gift money from Christmas that year, so it's not like I actually bought it bought it. At least, that's what I'm telling myself as the point of my pen gets closer and closer to my eye.)

But, hey, I'll be done with it tomorrow and tonight I have no journal to do on it! So all is well, or something. To balance my karma, I'm taking a Synth class next semester on zombie movies. That's gonna ROCK MY FUCKING SOCKS OFF!

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rajenath November 2 2006, 22:57:44 UTC
It's a dialogue, not a play. As such, it's intended to convey information, not necessarily be entertaining. We treat it as philosophy here, even if Socrates is sometimes an ass. A lot of philosophers are asses, but that doesn't negate the value of their philosophy.

Yeah, Phaedrus is great. It has more or less the original "Is that a scroll in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me?" joke.

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