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TYBA Paper 7: Semester V
Paper Title: Plato’s Republic
Credits: 4
Code: UAPHI -B 504
No. of lectures: 60
Unit I: Debating Justice (15 lects)
The Conventional View of justice: Cephalus and Polemarchus’ account of justice; Socrates ’
critique of the conventional view; Tharsymachus’ View ( a) ‘might is right’ and (b) ‘injustice’
better than ‘justice’; Socrates’ refutation (in three steps) of Thrasymachus’ account; the
case for injustice restated by Glaucon and Adeimantus ; challenge posed to So crates: why be
moral?
Unit II: Social Philosophy (15 lects )
Social organisation: primitive and luxurious society; emergence and significance of the
Guardian class : Qualities required; Way of life, Selection of Rulers; Guardian’s duties ; the
Status of Wome n: equality of the s exes; abolishment of the institution of marriage and
family
Unit III: Education (15 lects)
Censorship of literature: Theological and Moral censorship; censorship of art/poetry
(quarrel between philosophy and poetry) (Book 10) ; the nature and significance of ‘dialectic’
Unit IV: Justice (15 lects)
Tripartite analysis of the Soul and A ristotle’s critique of tripartite analysis; Justice in the
State and in the individual soul , Rewards of Justice: this life and after life - the Myth of Er.
Reading and reference list
Text:
Lee, Desmond (second edn) Plato: The Republic with an Introduction by Melissa Lane
(Penguin Classics: 1974)
Commentaries:
Annas, Julia An Introduction to Plato’s Republic (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1981)
Cross, R.C. and Woozley, A.D. Plato’s Republic: A Philosophical Commentary (London:
Macmillan, 1964)
Nettleship Lectures on the Republic of Plato (London: Macmillan, 1958)
Pappas, Nickolas Plato and the Republic ( Routledge, 2010)
Purshouse, Luke. Plato’s Republic: A Reader’s Guide. (London and New York: Continuum,
2006)
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Companions:
Ferrari, G R (ed.) The Cambridge Companion to Plato’s Republic (Cambridge University Press,
2007)
Santas, Gerasimos (ed.) The Blackwell Companion to Plato’s Republic (Wiley- Blackwell, 2005)
General:
Badiou, Alain , Plato’s Republic: A Dialogue in 16 Chapters, transl. by Susan Spitzer; (New
York : Columbia University Press, 2013)
Kenny, Anthony A New History of Western Philosophy Volume 1 (Oxford: Clarendon Press,
2007)
Marshall, John, A Short History of Greek Philosophy (New York: Macmillan and Co, 1891)
Nettleship,Richard Lewis, The Theory of Education in Plato’s Republic (Chicago: The
University of Chicago Press, 1906)
Okin , Susan Moller, “Philosopher Queens and Pri vate Wives: Plato on Women and the
Family” Philosophy and Public Affairs 6 (4): 345- 369, 1977
Popper, Karl, The Open Society and Its Enemies Volume 1 (Princeton University Press, 1971)
Press, Gerald , Plato: A Guide for the Perplexed (London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2007)
Stace, W.T. A Critical History pf Greek Philosophy (Sheba Blake Publishing, 2014)
TYBA Paper 7: Semester VI
Paper Title: Plato’s Republic
Credits: 4
Code: UAPHI -B604
No. of lectures: 60
Unit I: Philosophy and Philosopher Ruler (15 lects)
Philosophy and prejudice against philosophy; corruption of the philosophic nature in
contemporary society; t he Concept of Philosopher King ; characteristics required of the
Philosopher King; why it’s not an impossibility
Unit II: Metaphysics and Epistemology (15 lects )
Theory of Forms/Ideas ; Knowledge and belief; universals and particulars ; the object Good:
the allegory of the Cave; simile of the Divided Line and simile of Sun
Unit III: Imperfect Societies and Imperfect C haracter (15 lects )
Timarchy and the timarchic character; O ligarchy and the oligarchic character; Democracy
and the democratic character; Tyranny and the tyrannical character
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Unit IV: Reception of the Republic (15 lects)
Karl Popper’s critique of Plato’s political philosophy : is it totalitarian ?; Republic in the 21st
Century – Alain Badiou’s Views; C inematic appraisal: The Conformist/Interstellar/ Matrix;
Theatrical Reception: Surya Pahilela Manus ;
Reading and reference list
Text
Lee, Desmond (second edn) Plato: The Republic with an Introduction by Melissa Lane
(Penguin Classics: 1974)
Commentaries
Annas, Julia An Introduction to Plato’s Republic (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1981)
Cross, R.C. and Woozley, A.D. Plato’s Republic: A Philosophical Commentary (London:
Macmillan, 1964)
Nettleship Lectures on the Republic of Plato (London: Macmillan, 1958)
Pappas, Nickolas Plato and the Republic ( Routledge, 2010)
Purshouse, Luke. Plato’s Republic: A Reader’s Guide. (London and New York: Continuum,
2006)
Companions
Ferrari, G R (ed.) The Cambridge Companion to Plato’s Republic (Cambridge University Press,
2007)
Santas, Gerasimos (ed.) The Blackwell Companion to Plato’s Republic (Wiley- Blackwell, 2005)
General
Badiou, Alain , Plato’s Republic: A Dialogue in 16 Chapters, transl. by Susan Spitzer; (New
York : Columbia University Press, 2013)
Kenny, Anthony A New History of Western Philosophy Volume 1 (Oxford: Clarendon Press,
2007)
Marshall, John, A Short History of Greek Philosophy (New York: Macmillan and Co, 1891)
Nettleship,Richard Lewis, The Theory of Education in Plato’s Republic (Chicago: The
University of Chicago Press, 1906)
Okin , Susan Moller, “Philosopher Queens and Private Wives: Plato on Women and the
Family” Philosophy and Public Affairs 6 (4): 345- 369, 1977
Popper, Karl, The Open Society and Its Enemies Volume 1 (Princeton University Press, 1971)
Press, Gerald , Plato: A Guide for the Perplexed (London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2007)
Stace, W.T. A Critical History pf Greek Philosophy (Sheba Blake Publish ing, 2014)
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Cinematic Text
Conformist, 1970, directed by Bernado Bertolucci
Interstellar, 2014, directed by C hristopher Nolan
Matrix, 1999, directed by Wachowski Brothers
Theatrical Text
Surya Pahilela Manus, written by Makrand Sathe and directed by Atul Pethe