PLATO: TR 11-12:15 FAO 232 – TR 10-11

Lisa Wilkinson, lwilkin1@chuma.cas.usf.edu 974-5896/974-2447

Required texts: 1) Preface to Plato, Eric H avelock, Harvard University Press, 1963 (ISBN 0-674-69906-8); 2) Plato: Complete Works, ed. John M. Cooper, Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 1997 (or any other edition of Plato’s works that fits our readings); 3) Plato’s Dialogues: New Studies and Interpretations (hereafter "PD"), ed. Gerald A. Press, Roman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 1993 (ISBN 0-8476-7836-9); and 4) The Third Way: New Directions in Platonic Studies (hereafter "TW"), ed. Francisco J. Gonzalez, Roman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 1995 (ISBN 0-8476-8114-9). You will also be provided with several handouts throughout the course, some of which are already noted on the syllabus.

Objective: To familiarize you with some of the writings of Plato. This includes an introduction to contemporary scholarship that considers Plato’s ‘philosophy’ as part and parcel of the culture of ancient Athens.

Grading: Two exams, midterm and final, essay type. One paper, 10-12 pages, written in three drafts (see schedule). The writing of the paper includes 1) paragraph of topic and general outline; 2) first draft and appointment with me to discuss suggestions on this draft; 3) second draft with more comments; and 4) summary presentation of paper during last week of class and third and final draft handed in at final exam. Paper counts 50% and each exam 25% of total grade. Grading – 90-100 A; 80-89 B, etc. NB: For obvious reasons, late writing will not be accepted and make-up exams are not available.

Attendance, etc.: Be here! Lectures do not contain the type of information you can download from the net. Instead, in and out of class, you should be prepared to question what you read and hear and to explore possible, if not probable, answers to these questions. Most likely, the questions will outweigh the answers. This is because Plato’s ‘philosophy’ supports myriad interpretations. Although all interpretative strategies yield valuable insight into ‘human experience’, it takes time, patience, and hard work to develop a meaningful reading of Plato. And so this is my hope for you: that by the end of the course you’ve found something to keep and make your own. But of course this will not happen if you’re not here…

Tentative schedule:

8/31 Havelock, pp. 61-96 9/19 Plato’s Lysis

9/5 Havelock, pp. 115-133 + Press (TW) pp. 133-152

+ Plato’s Ion 9/21 Plato’s Meno

9/7 Plato’s Apology 9/26 Plato’s Phaedrus

+ Robb (PD) pp. 77-106 + Gottfried (PD) pp. 179-196

9/12 Plato’s Euthyphro 9/28 Phaedrus cont.

+ Arietti (TW) pp. 119-132 10/3 Plato’s Republic, Books II & III

+ Fortunoff (PD) pp. 61-76 + Havelock, pp. 20-31

9/14 Plato’s Charmides 10/5 Republic, Books VI & VII

+ Waugh (TW) pp. 61-77

schedule cont.

10/10 Republic, Book X

+ handout: Vernant’s "Birth in Images"

10/12 midterm

10/17 Plato’s Symposium

10/19 Symposium cont.

10/24 Plato’s Theaetetus

+ Tschemplik (PD) pp. 169-178

10/26 Theaetetus cont.

+ FIRST DRAFT DUE*

10/31 Plato’s Sophist

+ Cherubin (PD) pp. 215-238

11/2 Sophist cont.

11/7 Plato’s Gorgias

+ Roochnik (TW) pp. 81-94

11/9 Gorgias, cont.

+ Arietti (PD) pp. 197-214

11/14 Plato’s Phaedo

+ Smith (TW) pp. 95-110

11/16 Phaedo, cont.

11/21 Phaedo, cont.

+ Vernant’s "Mortals and Immortals"

+ SECOND DRAFT DUE

11/28 Plato’s Letter VII

11/30 Plato’s Letter VII, cont.

12/5 Paper presentations

12/7 Paper presentations cont.

Final tba

*remember, you are responsible to schedule an appointment with me (10-15 minutes) to discuss suggestions on this first draft.