10/2 Introduction to the Social History of Partnership

With Philosopher Jen Taylor

Reading for this class
Riane Eisler, The Chalice & The Blade, Introduction & Chapters 1-4.

Notes on the Epistemology of Reincarnation

1. What is good evidence? 

“One such piece of evidence might be this. A Japanese woman might claim to remember living a life as a Celtic hunter and warrior in the Bronze Age. On the basis of her apparent memories she might make many predictions which could be checked by archaeologists. Thus she might claim to remember having a bronze bracelet, shaped like two fighting dragons. And she might claim that she remembers burying this bracelet beside some particular megalith, just before the battle in which she was killed. Archaeologists might now find just such a bracelet buried in this spot, and at least 2,000 years old. This Japanese woman might make many other such predictions, all of which are verified.” Actually, the evidence is much better than this!

2. The distinction between Evidence and Proof

Logically speaking, no scientific hypothesis can be proved due to the Problem of Induction, i.e. all predictions refer to the future which has yet to occur. Evidence can be found which supports or undermines an hypothesis, but never evidence which conclusively proves an hypothesis. E.g. there is much evidence but no ‘proof’ that cigarette smoking causes cancer. An hypothesis is considered ‘proved’ when all alternative hypotheses have been disproved (aka “critical realism”).

3. Epistemic objections to studying ‘paranormal’ phenomena

4. “This is not a rational or scientific phenomenon.” 

Ideological debunking versus real skepticism (being fair and open-minded, open to evidence, open to questioning background assumptions like materialism) - ideological debunking conflates (confuses together) the scientific method (a procedure for empirical/logically verifying beliefs) with scientism (the view of science as a metaphysical belief system not open to being questioned)

5. “Consciousness cannot exist separate from the physical brain so all of this is just impossible.”

1. This objection expresses the metaphysical postulate of materialism, sometimes called physicalism, which holds that to be real is to be measurable or empirically quantifiable - this is a methodological assumption made by scientists but not provable or valid unconditionally. Many scientists believe that the advent of quantum mechanics as already refuted the materialist postulate, e.g. Max Planck (co-founder of quantum mechanics) “I regard consciousness as fundamental. I regard matter as derivative from consciousness.” 

2. Easy vs Hard Problem of Consciousness (David Chalmers) holds that there is currently no scientific explanation for why or how or if the brain creates consciousness; neural correlates of consciousness only tell us what is going on in the brain during experience, not what is producing the experience. 

3. There is much positive evidence for non-local consciousness (awareness not linked to or limited by the sensory organs of a human body, e.g. the Sense of Being Stared At, Distance Healing, Telekinesis (e.g. test to affect random number generators), and psychic functioning generally, e.g. Controlled Remote Viewing (CRV), the CIA-developed program to weaponize psychic functioning.

6. Kinds of Evidence for the Continuance of Consciousness/Self/Soul outside of (separable from) and before/after death of body self. 

7. Near Death Experience (NDE) Witness testimony to Out-of-Body Experience (OBE), between life review process, encounters with spirit beings, choosing new lives, etc.

8. Interesting data-points: information received through NDE that was not previously known or could not have been known by witness; radical change in behavior and life attitude after NDE; third-party witnesses. 

9. Objections: merely ‘anecdotal’ information or violation of the postulate of materialism; ad hominem critique of the motives of someone who believes in the veracity of the NDE.

10. Regression Hypnosis Use of the officially sanctioned medical procedure of hypnosis to retrieve memories of past lives.

11. Interesting data-points: Emotionally-charged response to memories; therapeutic efficacy in retrieving the past life trauma, i.e. leading to real healing and behavior modifications; retrieval of information which should not be known by witness

12. Objections: Non-objective (suggestive) nature of hypnosis, non-quantifiable or ‘merely anecdotal’ nature of first-person reports. 

13. Scientific Studies of Children with spontaneous memories of seeming past lives (Dr. Ian Stevenson's research framework)

Components of the “Complete” Case of the reincarnation type

1. Prediction by a dying or elderly person about parents and/or circumstances desired for the next reincarnation

2. Announcing dream

3. Birthmarks or birth defects corresponding to physical textures or wounds of the deceased person.

4. Statements by the subject about persons, places and events of the previous life.

5. Unusual behavior corresponding to behavior shown by the presumed previous personality, phobias, philias, aversions, e.g. phobia of the instrument or mode of death or phobia of the site of death.

6. Vengefulness and Inclinations to Crime related to features of a previous life.

7. Play in childhood corresponding to vocation of a previous life.

15. Alternative Hypotheses of the phenomenon 

A) Normal Interpretations

1. Fraud

2. Fantasy

3. Cyptonesia (source getting information then forgetting how)

4. Paramnesia (source being influenced by witnesses, e.g. family)

5. Genetic memory

B) Interpretations that include paranormal/non-physical? processes

6. Extrasensory perception + dev of secondary personality

7. Possession / imposition of false memories into subject

8. Accessing genetic memory via non-local consciousness

9. Reincarnation

Requirements for a Case to be considered Strong Evidence

1. The subject’s statements correctly correspond to events in the life of only one deceased person.

2. The two previous families had no previous knowledge of each other

3. The subject’s statements were recorded before verification

4. The case was investigated with a few weeks or months of its development.

9/30 Reincarnation, Materialism and Non-Local Mind

Texts for this class on Mon. Sept. 30th:

1. Article on Jim Tucker’s research into past-life memories of children

2. Jim Tucker on possible explanations of “past-life memories”

2. Andreas Sommer, "Anomalies and the 'Scientific Community': What Research on Alleged Reincarnation Cases can Teach us about Myths of Scientific Practice." 

3. Ian Stevenson on the Evidence for Reincarnation

3. Documentary on Eben Alexander’s Near Death Experience

4. Controlled Remote Viewing: The CIA’s successful Program at Stanford Research Institute to weaponize psychic functioning

Controversial TEDTalk about Psychic Abilities | Russell Targ from SuzanneTaylor on Vimeo.

9/25 Plato's Republic: Critique of Art and the Myth of Er

Joseph Kosuth, One and Three Chairs, 1965, 

wood folding chair, mounted photograph of a chair, 

and mounted photographic enlargement of the dictionary definition of “chair” (MoMA)

Reading for this class
Plato, Republic, Book X

Recommended
On Joseph Kosuth's conceptual art commentary on Plato's critique of art

Notes on Plato’s Republic, Books VIII-IX

1. Devolution to Timocracy (from Greek τιμή timē, "price, worth" and -κρατία -kratia, “rule”) - a regime in which the rulers are motivated by honor. (e.g. Sparta in ancient Greece)

2. Kallipolis, an aristocracy ruled by “the best,” with a unified rulership is stable, but “since for everything that has come into being there is decay, not even a composition such as this will remain for all time; it will be dissolved.” (546a, p.223)

3. Failure to attain the Nuptial Number - symbol of a science of eugenics, the reengineering of human nature to make it totally pliable and rationally-dominated; The children of the philosopher-kings will have less consideration; ‘chaotic mixing’ of classes. The son turns away from virtue to pursue honor and power, at the influence of the complaining wife: “Her husband ‘isn’t very serious about money and doesn’t fight and insult people for its sake…” (549d, p.227). The child ‘turns over the rule in himself to the middle part, the part that loves victory and is spirited; he became a haughty-minded man who loves honor.” 

4. Devolution to Oligarchy ((from Greek ὀλιγαρχία (oligarkhía); from ὀλίγος (olígos), meaning 'few', and ἄρχω (arkho), meaning 'to rule or to command') is a form of power structure in which power rests with a small number of people. Rule based on property assessment. Honor destroyed by “the treasure house full of gold.” (550d, p.228) Corruption of rulers: “if a man were to choose pilots of ships in that way - on the basis of property assessments - and wouldn’t entrust one to a poor man, even if he were a more skilled pilot… they would make a poor sailing.” (551c, p.229)

5. Leads to faction - class warfare between rich and poor, and no one minding their own business and to debt peonage - enslavement via impoverishment, the greatest of all evils… allowing one man to sell everything that belongs to him and another to get hold of it; and when he has sold it, allowing him to live in the city while belonging to none of its parts… a poor man without means.” (552a, p.230) (alienation from civil society); poverty then leads to crime. 

6. Personality of the oligarchical soul, sees his honor-loving father victimized by courts “thrusts love of honor and spiritedness out of the throne of his soul; and, humbled by poverty, he turns greedily to money-making…makes the [rational part of his soul] sit on the ground and consider nothing but where more money will come from…” (553b-c, p.231). The oligarchical soul as fragmented - must repress his desires (for more and more wealth) in order to maintain propriety/contracts.  (232) the love of wealth cannot be moderated.

7. The USA a de facto vs de jure oligarchy? In 2015, the most recent year for which Quartz could access this information, the median member of the US Congress was worth at least $1.1 million. That is more than 12 times greater than the net wealth of the median US household. And that doesn’t tell the whole story, since the chambers of congress are not equal in wealth terms. The median net worth of a senator was $3.2 million, versus $900,000 for members of the House of Representatives.]

8. Devolution to Democracy (Greek: δημοκρατία dēmokratía, literally "rule by people") is a system of government where the citizens exercise power by voting. In a direct democracy, the citizens as a whole form a governing body and vote directly on each issue. In a representative democracy the citizens elect representatives from among themselves.

9. Increase of poverty - Oligarchs increase power through populism and debt-based consumption: “…in order that by buying and making loans on the property of such men they can become richer… carrying off from the father a multiple offspring of interest (tokos), they make the drone and the beggar great in the city.” (555c-d, p.234) - leads to takeover by the poor in the name of “freedom” or license.

10. Democracy as “probably the fairest of the regimes” because of its freedom and diversity of opinions and types of people (557c, p.235); is a “good place to look for a regime… [since it] contains all species of regimes.” Also it is “…a sweet regime, without rulers and many-colored, dispensing equality to equals and unequals alike.”

11. The democratic soul - in the interest of freedom, liberates unnecessary desires, practices aesthetic/hedonic egalitarianism, treating all pleasures as equally valid; calls “anarchy freedom, wastefulness magnificence, and shamelessness courage.” (560e, p.239) 

12. Devolution to Tyranny (from Latin tyrannus, meaning "illegitimate ruler", from the Greek τύραννος tyrannos "monarch, ruler of a polis")

13. From the Pleasure of Duty to the Duty of Pleasure - Democracy gets drunk on freedom, enslaving reason and honor to hedonism; dissolution of ruler/ruled or teacher/student or doctor/patient hierarchy; loss of authority, loss of self-discipline; “Too much freedom seems to change into nothing but too much slavery, both for private man and city.” (564a, p.242)

14. Rise of the tyrannical ruler - appeals to desires and fears of the masses (hoi polloi); promises to give them anything they want; attacks his wealthy enemies to consolidate power; starts wars to maintain need for authoritarian leadership: “…as his first step he is always setting some war in motion, so that the people will be in need of a leader.” (566e, p. 246) Overcoming of shame.

15. Healthy and moderate vs sick and libertine relationships to Self - the tyrant as freeing dark unconscious desires vs the well-ordered soul as satisfying desires moderately so that they do not interfere with Life of the Mind. (572a-b, p.252). The tyrant as slave to his desires; steals to maintain consumption; all relationships become manipulative: “they live their whole life without every being friends of anyone, always one man’s master or another’s slave…the man who turns out to be the worst will also turn out to be the most wretched.” (576b, p.256)

16. Answers to Glaucon: (1) “The best and most just man is the happiest, and he is that man who is kingliest and is king of himself; while the worst and most unjust man is most wretched and…is most tyrant of himself and of the city.” (580c, p.261) (2) The love of learning (philosophical life) is more pleasurable that either the lover of material gain or honor seeking, based on the opinion of the only person familiar with all three kinds of pleasures: the philosopher (583a, p.264)

First Paper Assignment: Plato’s Republic

Formatting: 12 pt type, double-spaced, no pictures of Socrates, standard footnoting

Length: 4 pages min.

Style: Argumentative

Due: Via email to justin@oursanctuary.org on October 2nd by midnight.

1. Why do you think Plato ends The Republic by invoking the myth of Er? What significance does it shed on the prior arguments?

2. Plato’s just city goes through three stages of development: trace these stages and explain why each is necessary. In which of these three stages does justice reside? Why?

3. What is the allegory of the cave meant to illustrate? Explain how it does so. What primary conclusion are we meant to draw from this extended analogy?

4. Is it good to be a good person?  If so, why? If not, why not? Make use of Glaucon’s arguments in book II which support the idea that justice is merely instrumentally good, and that it is more profitable to individuals to appear to be good while doing wrong.

5. What is Plato’s assessment of democracy in the Republic? Is it valid? If not, why not? If so, why?

6. Thrasymachus declares that justice is nothing but “the advantage of the stronger.” What do you think he means? Make sure your interpretation of the statement explains how it serves as the challenge which The Republic sets out to meet.

7. ”Prove to us therefore, not only that justice is superior to injustice, but that, irrespective of whether gods or men know it or not, one is good and the other evil because of its inherent effects on its possessor." (p. 55, 367e) This initial challenge gets Socrates started. Lay out the essential argument by which Socrates meets this challenge. In a brief (no more than a page) section of the paper, describe and defend your own assessment of this argument.

8. “The just man is happy and the unjust wretched.” Do you agree with this statement? Can the inherent value of justice really be measured by the happiness it brings men? 

9. Is it the nature of justice to cause harm (make things worse) or does true justice always bring good (make things better?) Questioning the lex talionis “eye for an eye” retributive concept of justice.

10. Does belief in the existence of a human soul affect the way you life your life? If so, how. If not, why not? Make use of Socrates’ arguments.

11. Are the social engineering projects discussed in the Republic realistic possibilities for human beings or is their proposal meant to teach us something else about the real possibilities for creating a just society?

12. Is the Unexamined Life not worth living? What is Socrates’ argument in the Apology and is it valid?

12. Make up your own topic, but check it with me first!

9/23 Plato's Republic continued

Reading for class on Mon. 9/23
Plato, Republic, Books VIII-IX

Notes on Republic Book VII

A. Some Themes from the Allegory of the Cave

1. The Original Conspiracy Theory: What is reality?

From Naive Realism - the default belief that how things appear is exactly how things are in themselves - to Platonic Idealism / Transpersonalism / Multidimensionality / Simulation Theory 

2. What is mental slavery?

Prisoners: Not Free (physically, mentally, spiritually, cognitively, politically)

Puppet - a hollow, artificial copy of something that is controlled remotely

Human Society as a locus of domination, coercion and repression.

Born Free but everywhere in Chains

Fixed attention = mind control

3. Why does enlightenment take so long?

Resistance to Healing, to Truth

Awakening as a Process, Not All At Once

True Happiness - Being Awake to the Knowledge of Self and Reality

4. Why is human society a joke and not a tragedy?

Escaping from Idolatry (the idols of the Cave - honors, riches, material abundance, physical pleasures) - why Philosophers don’t like to ‘mind other people’s business’ All conflict as a “fight over shadows”, over nothing, a form of psychopathology.

5. Why can philosophy make you even more confused?

Two Kinds of Blindness - (a) going from ignorance to truth and (b) from truth to ignorance.

A healthy or just soul will experience ‘cognitive dissonance’ living in an unhealthy society.

6. Does conventional schooling really help you to think?

Two Kinds of Education - (a) “The Banking Model” (depositing information in the student’s mind to be withdrawn at a later date, vs. (b) Socratic aka Spiritual Midwifery, or “the turning of the soul away from Becoming and towards Being. (Discipline as the Art of Self-Remembering.)

7. Why would you leave paradise to deal with other people’s bullshit issues?

Compelling the Philosophers to ‘mind everyone else’s business’ - persuade them to leave Elysium to rule the city - the best regime as the one where the rulers rule reluctantly.

8. The Method of Truth for Philosophers

Dialectic as the proper method of education for philosophers

Rubbing two sticks (opinions) together to start a fire (illumination)

How dialectic can turn porto-philosophers into sophists - nihilistic, narcissistic, materialistic, slaves of conventional wisdom.

9. Need to start with a clean slate: “All those in the city who happen to be older than ten they will send out into the country; and taking over their children, they will rear them…” (220)

B. Interpretations of the Allegory

10. Social Conditioning Interpretation - The Cave represents standard social and political programming which all societies use to control their populations. Would a just society avoid the need for programming? Not if it is Plato’s kallipolis.

11. Epistemological/Psychological Interpretation - The Human Mind itself projects the holographic simulation which is material reality; quantitaive/scientific inquiry can free us from the naive realism of our senses and common sense to see the strange reality of objective truth.

12. Metaphysical Interpretation - The cave world of Becoming (space/time matrix of physical entities) versus true reality (Being - timeless realm of Absolute Truth. The human mind/soul as timeless/changeless entity remembering its true nature.

Modern variant: Computer simulation Model - The Matrix: the physical universe as a computer simulation (e.g. error correcting computer code discovered in the equations describing super string theory) 

13. Spiritual/Transpersonal Interpretation - The Perennial Wisdom Perennial Wisdom/Transpersonal Psychology (Aldous Huxley)

a. All that exists is dependent upon the divine ground.

b. Human beings can realize the existence of the divine

ground by transrationally uniting with it.

c. Humanity possesses a double nature, both an egoic

contracted self and a timeless spirit.

d. The purpose of life on earth is to identify with one’s

spiritual nature and achieve liberative unity with the

divine ground.

14. Nondualistic(Advaita) Interpretation - The Cave is an illusion created inside our Transpersonal Mind, and so doesn’t exist. We are free beings dreaming that we are prisoners in a cave, in order to hide from / detach from our own guilty thoughts. Enlightenment comes through the release of Judgment / acknowledge that we are worthy of happiness because we are innocent. 

9/18 Plato's Republic: Allegory of the Cave

Reading for this class
Plato, Republic, Book VII

Notes on Republic, Books V-VI

A. The Three Waves (Book V)

1. Is Kallipolis (a) possible, and (b) desirable? (128) 

Is rational suppression of the body possible/desirable?

2. First Wave: Female Guardians (Plato’s “Feminism?”) - 130

‘Male’ and ‘female’ are no more relevant criteria for rule than whether someone is bald or hairy (132).

Second Wave: Communal property and child-rearing - the city as a political family

3. Wives and childen collectively ‘owned’, no private property or familial relations, since they are causes of private (i.e.selfish feelings) population control and eugenics to create perfect guardians. Breaking the mother-child bond(139)

4. Political faction protected against by a “community of pleasure and pain” (141) Different emotional responses to events divides a people, similar emotional responses bond a people.

5. Guarding against wealth-based class conflict (145)

6. Ethnic nationalism (racism) as tool for supporting city cohesion (149) - legal, just war only against non-Greeks.

7. Then is a that city best governed which is most like a single human being? (141)

Paternalistic versus political rule (?)

8. Third Wave: Philosopher-Kings

“Unless the philosophers rule as kings or those now called kings and chiefs genuinely and adequately philosophize, and political power and philosophy coincide in the same place, while the many natures now making their way to either apart from the other are by necessity excluded, there is no rest from ills for the cities, nor I think for human kind, nor will the regime we have now described in speech ever come forth from nature.” (153-4)

B. Characteristics of the Philosophical Nature and its relation to Reality 

9. Lovers of Appearances (beautiful things) versus Lovers of Reality (Beauty itself, the Form or Concept of Beauty) - the non-visible unity of experience behind experience. 

10. Dreaming versus waking reality 

The philosopher awake in Being / non-philosopher asleep in Becoming

Appearance Opinion Realm of Becoming (relativity/change/impermanence) body

Reality Knowledge Realm of Being (absoluteness/eternal essence) soul

11. holistic lovers of the Truth (164)

12. Pleasures of the soul versus pleasures of the body (165)

13. Doesn’t like small talk - human life as not worth that much (165)

“…a rememberer, a good learner, magnificence (large-souled), charming, and a friend and kinsman of truth, justice, courage and moderation.” (167)

14. Adeimantus’ objection to Philosophers: mixology, sophistism, nihilism. 

Arn’t philosophers totally useless to the city?

15. Metaphor of the Ship of State: the “shipowner”, “Sailors”, “skilled sailor”, philosopher as star-gazing navigator. “So with such things happening on the ships, don’t you believe that the true pilot will really be called a stargazer, a prater and useless to them by those who sail on ships run like this?” (168) 

16. Corruption of potential philosophers

Vigorous souls produce more truly evil figures than less vigorous souls.

Sophists teach conventional wisdom, are slaves of opinion: “intellectuals” vs. philosophers.

The masses do not appreciate abstract Truth, and so will not accept leadership by a philosopher. (173)

17. Self-defense tactics of the philosopher (176) - most cities are life-threatening for a philosopher, learns to avoid them.

18. Timeless existence of the philosopher: 

“It’s the philosopher, keeping company with the divine and the orderly who becomes orderly and divine, to the extent that it is possible for a human.” (180)

19. Highest goal of philosophy: The Idea (eidos or “look”) of the Good. (184)

Vs. the many identify goodness with pleasure, the few with prudence (185)

not all pleasures are good. 

20. Metaphor for the Idea of the Good - the Sun, Light as the medium of sight, offspring of the Good (188) is like Goodness, the source of the Truth or Intelligibility of what is understood or grasped with the Mind (Nous)  

9/16 Republic Continued

Reading for this class
Plato, Republic, Books V-VI

Notes for Republic, Book IV

1. The Original Context of Political Philosophy - how to achieve a compromise or partnership between Unwise Power and Powerless Wisdom.

A. War and Peace - Is war inevitable? 

2. Interpretation of the Original Community (A society without rules, without a government)

The City of Utmost Necessity AKA The City of Sows AKA the ecologically-sustainable egalitarian community — Peaceful and healthy, organized by the Principle of Socialism (From Each According to their Ability, To Each According to their Need) - the model for Karl Marx’s post-capitalist socialist utopian where economic productivity removes scarcity, allowing for individual freedom to pursue desires without coercion (without the need for a State). 

3. The Problem of the Spirited Personality (Glaucon’s complaint) 

The Spirited human archetype is not satisfied with necessary needs, wants more than others, wants victory, wants glory, status, prestige, needs an enemy, needs a contest. - leads to an expansionary society, which requires war and a warrior class - the institution of spiritedness within the society. - expansion beyond material steady-state subsistence requires the society to introduce and cultivate the values of war, theft and plunder. 

4. The Problem of Controlling the Warrior Class (AKA Military-Industrial-Complex)

How do you guard against spirited human types who are driven by the need for victory/honor/conquest? The need for ideology, indoctrination, and “noble lies” - an authoritarian regime.

B. Aspects of ideological programming of the guardians

5. - rationalizing of theology - the Gods are good, rational, self-evident, and nationalistic (replaces religion with a rationalized theology (philosophy for non-philosophers). 

6. - music and gymnastic - the therapeutic refinement of body and soul through propagandistic media representations and training of the body to obey. (martial arts)

7. - patriotic/ethnic nationalist narrative - so the guardians will see their city/nation as “exceptional” - uniquely moral unlike every other nation. (i.e. American exceptionalism)

8. - myths glorifying sacrifice of body to the greater good - so the guardians will be willing to face death (what true philosophers do automatically, warriors must be programmed to do)

9. - need for ideology to support and justify rigid social caste system (the Autochthonic Myth of Blood and Soil (ethnic nationalism / classism)

10. Caste system of Kallipolis

Auxiliaries (rulers) rational         truth         gold

Guardians (warriors) spirited honor silver

Workers/merchants (citizens) appetitive         pleasure         bronze

C. Return to the Question of Justice

Virtues of Kallipolis

12. WISDOM - Principle of Aristocracy  

Kallipolis will be ruled by wise guardians - that select few who live a life dedicated to Truth, knowledge being the only valid criterion for rulership. (428, p.107)

13. COURAGE - Principle of Indoctrination and Social Control

The educational system trains guardians and citizens alike to obey the customs of the city, stick to their allotted job, and work for the whole. The guardians guard the city from enemies and guard the order of the city from internal strife.

14. MODERATION - Principle of Social Hierarchy

 “stronger than himself” - The desires of the better control the desires of the worse, the ‘vulgar’ or ‘hoi polloi’ - the masses. Political harmony = agreement between the rulers and the ruled about the status quo being optimal.

15. JUSTICE - “Minding One’s Own Business (433, p.111) 

“each one must practice one fo the functions in the city, that for which his nature made him naturally most fit.” - the causal root of the other virtues. 

- implies tacit critique of democracy (434b, p.112)

D. Is the human soul isomorphic with the city? (435, p.114)

16. The Doctrine of Eros - the Tripartite Form of the Soul

- Appetitive (Material Desires of the Body)

- Spirited (Desire for Fame/Glory/Victory/Loyality/Ownership)

- Rational (Desire for Truth and Knowledge)

17. The Just Soul is wise (ruled by reason), courageous (sense of rightness and honor controls desires), moderate (desires are harmonized with spirit and mind), and just (each part minding its own business. (442, p.122)

9/11 Plato's Republic continued

Reading for this class on 9/11
Plato, Republic, Books III-IV

Notes on Plato’s Republic, Books II-III

A. Glaucon’s Challenge to Socrates

1. Two modes of goodness: instrumental and intrinsic goodness.

Which kind is justice? 

2. Glaucon rehabilitates Thrasymachus’ argument for the zero-sum justice as instrument of the powerful, playing advocato diabolo aka Socratic Method 

(358d-359e, pp.36-36)

3. The social compact as a selfish compromise between the strong and the weak - morality as an expression of the Will to Power (Nietzsche) - the desire to dominate. Inequality as nature, equality as unnatural creation of law.

4. Ring of Gyges Thought Experiment - No one willingly chooses justice but only for selfish profit.

5. The Perfect Contrast Thought Experiment - The most successful Unjust Man (e.g. Anti-Christ), who does “the greatest injustices while having provided himself with the greatest reputation for justice” (p.38) versus “the man simple and noble who “does not wish to seem, but rather to be, good. (and) The seeming must be taken away. For if he should seem just, there would be honors and gifts for him for seeming to be such. Then it wouldn’t be plain whether he is such for the sake of the just or for the sake of the gifts and honor.” (p.39)

6. Adeimantus’ addition: Conventional views of the gods support the idea that justice is merely instrumental: (a) Being just for the sake of divine reward - “the finest wage of virtue is an eternal drunk” (p.41); (b) Gods are capricious and so human happiness is subject to fate; (c) the gods can be bought through sacrifices, crimes paid for with offerings.

7. “For if all of you had spoken in this way from the beginning and persuaded us, from youth onwards, we would not keep guard over each other for fear of injustice be done, but each would be his own best guard, afraid that in doing injustice he would dwell with the greatest evil.” (367a, p.43)

B. Turn from Political Theory to Moral Psychology

8 .“Now, don’t only show us by the argument that justice is stronger than injustice, but show what each in itself does to the man who has it that makes the one bad and the other good.” (367b, p.44) 

9. Introducing Plato’s City-state - watching the ‘city in speech’ come into existence. To understand how justice functions within a human soul to maintain harmony, they turn to examine how justice may function within a state to maintain harmony. 

10. The City of Utmost Necessity, (369-371) the “healthy city” - a self-sufficient, peaceful city, with division of labor to supply all necessities, with simple food, pleasures, no strife, poverty or war - no need for justice or injustice. (ecotopia?) - Glaucon’s criticism: “this is a ‘city of sows’

11. The City of Luxuries, the “feverish city” - includes meat, and “relishes” (perfume, incense, courtesans and cakes), and so requires whole new classes of workers, including (a) doctors for sickness, and (b) soliders: since now we must “…cut off a piece of our neighbor’s land, if we are going to have sufficient for pasture and tillage, and they in turn from ours, if they let themselves go to the unlimited acquisition of money, overstepping the boundary of the necessary.” (373) - requires a warrior class, a standing army. 

12. The Beautiful City [Kallipolis] - Plato’s utopia, a well-ordered city, with three classes of citizens all minding their own business, working together in harmony.

C. Education of the Guardians (music, gymnastic and Noble Lies)

13. Justification for “Medicinal Lies” (382d, p.60)

14. Need for “spirited” individuals for soldiers. (Thymos) - the psychological character of honor-bound service to an ideal/institution. - the need to control the warrior class. 

15. Need for ideological education of the guardians so as to rear them to love their city and hate their enemies. the moral recuperation of the gods as good and rational (contra Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey).

16. Need for ideology to make the warriors courageous, (Tharseo) not afraid of death. (386-388, p.63-65) Death is not bad.

17. Ideology for moderation (Sophrosyne) - guardians must be in control of their bodies’ appetites (p.67)

18. Restrictions on artistic representations of truth/morality. Heros must be portrayed as happy, villains as unhappy. 

19. Need for eugenics (410a).

20. Criteria for determining who becomes a guardian The best guardians are the most patriotic - “the best guardians of their conviction that they must do what on each occasion seems best for the city.” (413c, p.92)

21. Distinction between the Auxiliaries (rules or “guardians of the guardians) versus the guardians (warrior class) 414b, p.93)

21. Need for a Myth to undergird caste system: The Auto-chthonic Myth of Blood and Land (414d, p.94)

Caste system of Kallipolis

Auxiliaries (rulers) rational truth gold

Guardians (warriors) spirited honor silver

Workers/merchants (citizens) appetitive pleasure bronze

22. Communal living for the auxiliaries - to ensure a perfect unity of personal and public interest.