Problems of Justice in Plato´S Republic (Introduction Into Genealogy of Social Philosophy)

Problems of Justice in Plato´s Republic (Introduction into Genealogy of Social Philosophy) Bratislava International School of Liberal Arts (BISLA) Term: Summer 2019 Year: Third ECTS credits: 6 Seminars per week: 90 + 90 min Language: English Instructor: Prof. PhDr. Frantisek Novosád, CSc., Form of study: Directed study Objectives This course introduces students to some of the basic questions of social philosophy. We will parallel discuss work of Plato Republic and R. Popper´s Open Society and its Enemies I and analyze how they deal with key concepts in social and political philosophy: order, hierarchy, power, justice, contract, values, norms and justice. The problems of order will be discussed also in reference to the works of Austrian economist and philosopher F. A. Hayek. Problems of justice will be under the scrutiny in orientation to the Theory of Justice written by John Rawls and Anarchy, State, and Utopia written by Robert Nozick. Historical dimensions of modern society we will discuss in reference to the work of French thinker Michel Foucault Discipline and Punish. Course Goals: - To give to students an overview of basic topics in ancient and modern Western social and political philosophy. - To teach not just what some philosophers have argued, but to think philosophically about ancient and contemporary society - To improve reading comprehension abilities of students. - To improve ability to concentrate and resist distractions. - To improve the ability of students to explain complex views with clarity and precision and to make their own arguments with reasons. - In general, the instructor would encourage students not to pursue outside sources until a topic were discussed in seminar. The required readings are not easy— students will need to read them carefully, and multiple times Content of course Why and how to read texts of ancient authors on the background of problems of contemporary world? Historical and political background of Plato’s thought Peloponnesian War Plato´s personality: Seventh’s letter Quest of Moral Order: Eminent Problem of Political Philosophy Challenges to Socrates: Alternative concepts of just social order Cephalus: Simonides Polemarchus Thrasymachus Gyges ring Glaucon Socrates Analogy of State and Individuum Role of Education Education of Guardians Educating Philosopher Kings Allegory of Cave Structure of Divine Polis The Decline of Divine Polis Popper´s interpretations of Plato´s objectives Plato´s Descriptive Sociology Plato´s Political Program The Background of Plato´s Attack Required Reading Plato´s Republic K. Popper: Open Society and its Enemies I Secondary literature will be determined according to requirements of discussion Grading Students taking the course for credit must do a presentation of material related to the assigned readings for each meeting. Presentation must be elaborated in written. Ideally, the presentation will be on the topic of the student's term paper. A 10 - 15-page term paper must be submitted for the course, a full draft of which should be submitted by the "end of term meeting" (Last week of August). Final grade will be determined by activity in seminar and by quality of term paper. .

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