In Plato's view, everything a person did would affect the society as a whole. He believed that what people did should be for the good of the Republic and not for the good of self.
We discussed Plato's idea that every person is born with an innate knowledge of virtue, good, and beauty. Is this knowledge instilled in us at birth? Mostly the group seemed to believe that these things are dependent on learning--except maybe beauty.
I understand why Plato sees everything as a whole rather than individuals in a society, but is that always beneficial? If you're worried about an entire group of people instead of individualistic problems, this could cause problems as well. I also think that you learn everything in life rather than being born with knowledge of virtue, good and beauty. You have role models and people that guide you throughout life. These are all learning experiences for each individual.
ReplyDeleteWhat were we supposed to read for Wednesday? I didn't write it down for whatever reason.
We're supposed to read Passion for Wisdom pages 40-59.
ReplyDeleteI agree that good virtue and beauty are things to be learned and that we are not simply born with the knowledge of each.
Plato's idea that we should live in a way that is beneficial to everyone is an inspiring plot, but it does have its flaws. There are cases when one must make a decision that will benefit only his/herself, and as long as the results of one's decision does not bring harm to others, there is no reason to think him/her selfish.
Overall, Plato's republic is not the most reasonable Utopian outline. Francis Bacon's "New Atlantis" is a compelling idea for a successful Utopia. My personal favorites of the ones I've studied.
F: Precolonial African philosophy can be characterized by means of the twin notions of ______ and a special sense of _______ with ________.
ReplyDelete--tribalism; identity with nature
DISCUSSION: Compare and contrast the different views of African tribes and China in the idea of how they view personhood. (discussion on page 46)
F: What did African and American Indian tribes commonly embrace? -animism
ReplyDeleteDiscussion: How would our society differ if we practiced tribalism?
I did not agree with platos notion of innate learning. I agree that various things are inate but I also believe that many things have to be taught. Thats why we have teachers here to teach us the difference between good and bad, right and wrong. If everything was innate then we would have no use fire them or there knowledge.
ReplyDeleteQ. What is the problem for historians interested in the cultures of Africa?
A. Absence of records.
Q.how do you feel about the book stating that babies are not a person?
Factual: What is animism?---belief that entities throughout nature are endowed with souls.
ReplyDeleteDiscussion: Do you believe that the "jokester" figure like in the Meso-American religion exists in religions today? If so does this humor hurt or strengthen religious theories?