Plato, =boooooring Options

[cait]

Give me ten good reasons why I should like Plato's The Republic.

[Forever Unknown]

'Cause I said so.

[Ashbless]

I think it's where we get the myth of Atlantis. Any interest in semi-mythical continents?

[cait]

I think it's where we get the myth of Atlantis. Any interest in semi-mythical continents?

I've never thought deeply on the subject... Plato seems too boring to write about that...

[Ashbless]

Plato was a "corrupted youth" in his time. His teacher, Socrates, was actually asked to drink poison for being a terrible influence on the younger generation. He taught them to ask questions and think! *shudders*

[cait]

Plato was a "corrupted youth" in his time.  His teacher, Socrates, was actually asked to drink poison for being a terrible influence on the younger generation. He taught them to ask questions and think!  *shudders*Â

Socrates was executed because he was suspected to be a Sophist. Athens was at a weird stage during this time. Likely, somebody with a lot of power got fed up and asumed Socrates was rideculing him rather than asking genuine questions. I laugh at their unseen ignorance. At least Socrates knew he was ignorant. Plato, though a student of Socrates, did not follow his direction of thought and purpose. Socrates remains interesting for the fact that he never wrote anything down, but merely inquired things for his own personal understanding in hopes that he could articulate what he already knew, but did not know he knew.

Plato was just a big boring bloke who wrote about what it is to have the perfect state and government and what justice is. Perhaps it is just the translation but the conversations are just circles of horribly drawn out conversations that never seem to reach any point. He wrote about how people should not be actors or write as a character besides oneself. He wrote this under the name of Socrates. Strange man that Plato was.

[Ashbless]

Plato also wrote the analogy of the cave. He said we probably don't see the true thing when we look at it. We see it filtered through our own minds. It's like we are sitting in a cave with our back to the light and all we see are the shadows on the cave wall. Those things casting the shadows are the true things. What we perceive are the shadows. Now he said that we can learn to think clearly and climb out of the cave and see the reality of the world or we could sit in the cave and, in the word's of Terry Pratchet, say "do deformed rabbit, it's my favourite."

[cait]

Plato also wrote the analogy of the cave.  He said we probably don't see the true thing when we look at it.  We see it filtered through our own minds.  It's like we are sitting in a cave with our back to the light and all we see are the shadows on the cave wall.  Those things casting the shadows are the true things.  What we perceive are the shadows.  Now he said that we can learn to think clearly and climb out of the cave and see the reality of the world or we could sit in the cave and, in the word's of Terry Pratchet, say "do deformed rabbit, it's my favourite."

Plato did mention a cave. But tell me, did he mention this cave anywhere in the text of The Republic? Did he?

[Jaq]

1. Plato had an imaginary friend named Socrates and most people think that Socrates existed. We know the truth though, don't we?

2. If you read The Republic you can go to snooty literati parties and hold your own.

3. Plato sounds like Play-dough... and who doesn't like play dough?

4. If a gang of philosophy thugs ever comes up to you in a dark alley and says "What was the central theme to Plato's "The Republic"? Tell us or we'll beat you up!" then you can smile knowingly and tell them quite easily.

5. You'll probably fail your class if you don't read it.

6. By reading it you'll gain a deeper understand and appreciation for... something... hell if I know... I've never read it.

7. You can avoid sentences like #6.

8. If you read it we'll take you to disneyworld.

9. OMFG!! pLaTo RoXxOrS TEH BIG ONE!11!!!!!!!1!11oneoneone

10. Once you read "The Republic" you can take that knowledge, start your own nation and pervert everything Plato suggests in The Republic, effectively becoming a dictator and ruling over the unwashed masses with an iron fist. Won't that be fun?

[cait]

ooh, I came up with one!! Plato was a crazy sonuvabitch! When you get to the part of the debate where theyre talking about women and children ... it's like Brave New World. He was absolutely mad!! That's a good reason, right there.