PLATO’S REPUBLIC
Dr. Jonathan Culp
Braniff 216
jonathanfculp@yahoo.com
Office phone: 972.265.5739; cell: 617.548.4693
Office Hours: TTR 11-2, W 2-3 (and by appointment)
Politics 3331-01
Fall 2010
TTH 12:30-1:50 PM
Braniff 232
I. COURSE DESCRIPTION
The purpose of this class is to introduce students to Socratic-Platonic political philosophy
through a careful study of Plato’s most comprehensive work, the Republic. Commonly known as
a book outlining a political utopia, Plato’s Republic is in truth a comprehensive reflection on the
nature of the human soul, its longing for justice, and its place within the whole. The Republic is
also complex, elusive, and often outrageous. In the course of reading the Republic, we shall
consider many of the crucial questions it presents to us: What is justice? Is it good to be just?
What is the best form of government? the best education? the best way of life? What are the
obstacles in the way of these things? What is truth and how do we find it? We will read the
Republic slowly and carefully and contemplate Plato’s responses to these questions.
II. COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Attendance and Participation
Quizzes
Test #1 (Sept 23rd)
Test #2 (Oct 19th)
Test #3(Nov 16th)
Paper (final draft due Nov 11)
Final Exam
10%
10%
10%
15%
15%
20%
20%
The class will be taught primarily in lecture format. It is important that you not miss the
lectures, because tests will draw on lecture material. I also expect you to be willing to raise and
answer questions in class.
At the beginning of every class there will be a short quiz covering the reading for that
day. The quizzes will consist primarily of “objective” questions (i.e., fill in the blanks, true or
false, multiple choice), as well as definitions and occasional forced recall. Questions of
definition will concern (1) definitions offered by characters in the text and (2) definitions of
Greek terms offered by Bloom in his endnotes.
In accordance with my division of the text into four parts, there will be a test on each part
of the text upon its completion. Tests will consist of definitions, short answer questions, and
essay questions (medium and long). Each test will cover all of the Republic read up to that point,
with a focus on material covered since the previous test (in the cases of tests # 2 and 3).
You will be required to write one 5-6 pp. paper for the class. I will distribute the paper
prompt and grading criteria sometime during the first few weeks of class. A complete draft of
the paper must be submitted in class on Nov 4; this complete draft must be taken to the Writing
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Lab for evaluation; and a final draft is due in my mailbox in the Politics Office by 5pm on Nov
11.
The final will cover the entire Republic, with some emphasis on material covered after
Test #3. The format will be the same as the other tests, but longer.
III. REQUIRED TEXT
Plato, The Republic of Plato, trans. Allan Bloom (New York: Basic Books, 1991).
You must use this edition of the Republic, not only because it is the best English translation, but
because quiz questions will be drawn from Bloom’s notes explaining Greek terminology and
translation (pp. 439-72). His interpretative essay (pp. 307-436) is optional.
IV. TO CONTACT THE PROFESSOR
At the top of this syllabus I have put my office location, email, office phone number, cell
phone number, and office hours. I prefer to be contacted by email. I do not check email after 7
PM each night, so if you have a question or concern about the next day’s class, contact me before
then. If the matter is urgent, call my cell phone—but please do not call before 9 AM or after 7
PM.
I hold regular office hours every day of the week. I encourage you to come to my office
if you have any questions or concerns that are not addressed in class. If your schedule conflicts
with these office hours, contact me to make an appointment for another time.
V. ATTENDANCE POLICY
Students are expected to attend every class and to show up on time. If you are habitually
tardy, will be begin to count tardies as absences.
Once a student has missed his or her fourth class hour, regardless of the reason, the
Registrar will be notified and a warning will be sent to the student. Upon missing the fifth class
hour, the student is subject to being automatically withdrawn from the course by the instructor.
According to University policy, students dropped in the first 10 weeks of the semester will
receive a grade of “W”; students dropped after the 10th week will receive a grade of “FA”
(failure due to absences).
I do not distinguish between “excused” and “unexcused” absences. Both count as
absences, so there is no need to submit written or oral excuses for missing class. Absences for
University-sanctioned events such as sporting competitions or extra-curricular activities count
the same as absences for any other reason. If such events will require you to miss multiple
classes this semester, you should register for a different course
VI. MAKE-UP EXAMS, LATE PAPERS, AND PLAGIARISM
Students who miss scheduled examinations will, at the discretion of the instructor, be
permitted to make up the work at a later time. However, the grade will be lowered. The extent of
the lowering will be determined by the instructor. The longer you wait, the lower the grade. The
only exception is illness or a serious family emergency. Such exceptions must be documented.
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I will accept papers up to one week late, but they will be docked 5 points for each day
late. Again, there is an exception for illness or family emergency, which must be documented.
UD’s policy on cheating and plagiarism is in the University Bulletin and will be strictly
enforced.
Note: No laptops will be allowed unless required by a documented learning disability.
VII. CLASS SCHEDULE
Please note: the page numbers used that refer to texts of Plato (for example, “336a-348a”) are referred
to as “Stephanus page numbers.” They are found in the side margins of your texts. They come from a
Renaissance edition of the complete works of Plato (edited by a man whose name in Latin was
“Stephanus”) and are used by scholars of all countries as a universal system of reference.
Note: Have each class’s reading completed before the class session; you must read Bloom’s
endnotes in addition to the text of the Republic. The endnotes are indicated by superscript
letters in the text, and they can be found on pp. 439-72.
I. THE PROBLEM: WHAT IS JUSTICE? WHY BE JUST? (REPUBLIC 327A-369B)
Sept 2, Introduction to Plato’s Republic
 No assigned reading
Sept 7, Prelude in the Piraeus, and Cephalus: justice as telling the truth and paying one’s
debts
 Republic, Book I, 327a (beginning)-331d, and Bloom’s endnotes
Sept 9, Polemarchus: justice as helping friends and harming enemies
 Rep., Book I, 331d-336a, and Bloom’s endnotes
Sept 14, Thrasymachus: justice as the advantage of the stronger
 Rep., Book I, 336a-344c, and Bloom’s endnotes
Sept 16, Socrates’ refutation of Thrasymachus
 Rep., Book I, 344d-354c, and Bloom’s endnotes
Sept 21, The speeches of Glaucon and Adeimantus against justice
 Rep., Book II, 357a-369b, and Bloom’s endnotes
Sept 23, TEST #1
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II. THE CITY IN SPEECH, THE HUMAN SOUL, AND JUSTICE (REPUBLIC 369B-445E)
Sept 28, The first city and its rejection
 Rep., Book II, 369b-376c, and Bloom’s endnotes
Sept 30, Education of the Guardians (1): Poetry and censorship
 Rep., Books II-III, 376c-392c, and Bloom’s endnotes
Oct 5, Education of the Guardians (2): Imitation and gymnastic
 Rep., Book III, 392c-412b, and Bloom’s endnotes
Oct 7, The regime
 Rep., Book III-IV, 412b-427c, and Bloom’s endnotes
Oct 12, The virtues of the city
 Rep., Book IV, 427c-435a, and Bloom’s endnotes
Oct 14, The virtues of the soul, and the definition of justice
 Rep., Book IV, 435a-445e (end of Book IV), and Bloom’s endnotes
Oct 19, TEST #2
III. RADICAL POLITICS AND PHILOSOPHY (REPUBLIC 449A-541B)
Oct 21, Radical reforms: sexual equality and communism of women and children
 Rep., Book V, 449a (beginning)-466e, and Bloom’s endnotes
Oct 26, The introduction of philosophers and philosopher kings
 Rep., Book V, 466e-480a (end of Book V), and Bloom’s endnotes
Oct 28, Philosophers and their corruption
 Rep., Book VI, 484a (beginning)-502c, and Bloom’s endnotes
Nov 2, The Good, Sun, and Divided Line
 Rep., Book VI, 502c-511e (end of Book VI), and Bloom’s endnotes
Nov 4, The Cave
 Rep., Book VII, 514a (beginning)-521b, and Bloom’s endnotes
 HARDCOPY OF COMPLETE DRAFT OF PAPER DUE IN CLASS
Nov 5 is the last day to withdraw with a “W”
Nov 9, The education of philosopher kings
 Rep., Book VII, 521c-541b (the end of Book VII), and Bloom’s endnotes
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NOV 11, CLASS CANCELLED
 Use time to review for Test #3
 PAPER DUE IN MY MAILBOX BY 5 PM
Nov 16, TEST #3
IV. THE COMPARISON OF THE JUST AND THE UNJUST LIVES (REPUBLIC 543A-621D)
Nov 18, Timocracy, Oligarchy, and Democracy in the city and the soul
 Rep., Book VIII, 543a (beginning)-562a, and Bloom’s endnotes
Nov 23, Tyranny in the city and the soul
 Rep., Book VIII-IX, 562a-576b, and Bloom’s endnotes
Nov 25, NO CLASS. HAPPY THANKSGIVING.
Nov 30, The superiority of justice to injustice
 Rep., Book IX, 576b-592b, and Bloom’s endnotes
Dec 2, The second critique of poetry
 Rep., Book X, 595a (beginning)-608b, and Bloom’s endnotes
Dec 7, The rewards of justice in this life and the next (and the next…)
 Rep., Book X, 608c-621d (end of the Republic), and Bloom’s endnotes
Dec 9, Review and Conclusion.
Place and time of final exam date to be announced.
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