Platos Phaedrus: pages 476-499 (227a-253c)
Essay Question:
How does Platos Socrates show Phaedrus and us his readers how anyone can deliberate/inquire successfully about any subject given what he observes about the complex nature of the soul? For as Plato has us observe, the souls complex nature is based in the fact that its two ruling and guiding principles can take three distinctive forms. These forms are temperance (sophrosyne), wantonness (hubris), and mantic, rational sanity (what Charles Griswold calls a derivative form of temperance). What are these three distinctive forms of the soul? Why is it that only the temperate form of the soul secures the souls essence of self-motion/movement and the task of successful deliberation? Whats more, what is it about innate desire that is central to this question of successful deliberation as seen from the perspective of these three forms of the soul?
To have a sustained answer to the essay question, you will need to:
Take up and advance the question of successful deliberation and the error that most people make when they deliberate.
Think about the perspective from which you want to take up the essay question.
Advance an answer to the question through a sustained analysis of the three forms of the soul.
Give an account of why it is that only the temperate form of the soul secures is essence and is able to deliberate successfully.
Address why innate desire (as seen from the complex nature of the soul) is central to the problem of deliberation.
Address why self-knowledge from Platos perspective resolves the conflict between the Ancient and the Modern agnostic view of the world held by the men of science. (Thoughtful remarks on this last bullet will go towards bonus points).
Instructions:
The answer to the essay question must come from your understanding of the first half of Platos Phaedrus, and it needs to be based in (without being restricted to) a condensed analysis of these four places in Platos text:
Page 478 (229c) to page 479 (230c)
Page 485 (237b, line 8) to page 486 (238c, line 4)
Page 491 (244a, line 4 ) to page 492 (245c, line 3)
Page 492 (245c, line 7) to page 493 (246b, line 5)
Your essay needs to be in the MLA (Modern Language Association) format. The CMS/Chicago Manual of Style can be used as well. Do not use any secondary sources when writing your essay. (Please review the Academic Integrity Policy for students on how to avoid plagiarism). Support for your answer must come from the on-going use of direct citations from Platos text (no paraphrasing of Platos text). Your essay should stay within the range of approximately 750-1000 words, between three-four typed pages, double-spaced.
Your essay needs to be submitted online by Thursday, 5-14, 11:59 PM.
Please note:
The word judgment (237de) in the text needs to be replaced with the word opinion (doxa).
There is an error on page 478 at 230a. Correct the error by changing the words current beliefs to traditional beliefs.
