Title: [Your Own Title]

 

Write on Plato and The Riddle of Equal vs. Gendered Education

 

 

 

1 Task: Make sure you follow all Four (1-4) steps. Paper #2 is a position or argument paper, if paper #1 was an exploration or explication. 

1. First, discuss Plato’s theory of education, drawing on Dr. Albert Anderson’s lecture and other relevant reading materials (secondary text): your attention to, and thoughtful engagement with, the contact programme lecture should be reflected in your composition - cite or summarize some of the key points specifically from the contact programme lecture.   

2. Second, against the background of 1, reconstruct and evaluate Plato’s following argument/proposal [See below for detailed guidelines on how to proceed]: 

 

“So the women of the guardians […] must share in war and in all the guarding of the city, and that shall be their only work. But in these same things lighter parts will be given to women than men because of the weakness of their sex.” [R 84, emphases added]

 

3. Then, answer this question: Is Plato “a feminist [R 81],” as Matthews and Platt seem to wish to suggest or rather, on the contrary, a sexist? [R 81] If so, what kind? If not, why not?

4. Conclude your essay by synthesising your thoughts on Platonic education and its implications for gender-inflected social practices: progressive or regressive? 

 

 

 

1 Primary Text: You must read, and cite relevant passages from, both: 

o        Agora Version/Copy of The Republic Books I and II (Free copies distributed in class)

o        Selections from The Republic Book V [R 82-4; 84-5] on educational equality; reality vs. illusion.

 

1 Secondary Text: You must clearly show the evidence of referenced research.   

o        MUST USE this: Print:  LB85 .P7 B36  Robin Barrow, Plato, utilitarianism and education (Photocopies of the relevant part are placed in Dr. Lee’s reserve box)

o        MUST USE AT LEAST TWO pages from the following five:      

1. Book V of the Republic: http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/republic.6.v.html

2. Re Plato, http://plato.stanford.edu/contents.html (do some active search for key concepts you like to study)

3. Re Plato, http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/plato-ethics-politics/#4.3 (this part will be very useful for you.)

        4. Pinker vs. Spelke Debate: the Science of Gender and Science [web video] http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/debate05/debate05_index.html

        5. Witt, “How Feminism Is Re-writing the Philosophical Canon” http://www.uh.edu/%7Ecfreelan/SWIP/Witt.html

o        Optional, and not strictly required: You are encouraged to use any other materials not listed above, whether electronic or printed, but make sure, whatever the case, you limit your own electronic references to two entries (articles, books, website, etc.). On this assignment, you will not be penalised for not including references of your own discovery, but will be rewarded for doing so and effectively.

 

 

1 Length: double-spaced; five pages (minimum) to seven pages (maximum).

1 Citation style: MLA or Chicago; whichever style you adopt, be consistent.

o        Web-citation: provide the URL address, except when you are quoting the primary text. 

1 Evaluation Criteria: see the evaluation rubric

o        NB: Be creative by all means, but be so in addition to being faithful to the instructions; your originality has to be expressed within the formalized parameters of requirements. If you cannot make up your mind about the answer you will be giving (“yes or no, this or that”), what you can do is to show, clearly, the process of your logical, critical and analytic thinking.      

o        You cannot get an A-level grade on this assignment, however brilliant your thoughts are, without fulfilling the stated minimal criteria concerning the use of quotations: you MUST show that you have done a reading of both the primary and the secondary texts.   

o        Deadline: extremely firm; you lose one grade point for the paper per day missed.

 

 

 

 

[Detailed Guidelines and advice on how to formulate your ideas]

 

SAME vs. DIFFERENT [R 82-4]: Educational Equality vs. Division

 

 

Puzzle: “Equality” and “Natural” Differences

Platonic Dialectic of Sameness and Difference

 

 

1 Tasks and Questions:

  1. First, reconstruct and evaluate Plato’s following argument/proposal: 

 

“So the women of the guardians […] must share in war and in all the guarding of the city, and that shall be their only work. But in these same things lighter parts will be given to women than men because of the weakness of their sex.” [R 84, emphases added]

 

è To help you understand and contextualize this passage with which Book V of the Republic concludes: think about and explain: 

    1. Why “so”? What was/is the argument, that is, reasoning behind it?
    2. Why “but”? What was/is the argument, that is, reasoning behind it?

 

  1. Now, answer this question: Is Plato “a feminist [R 81],” as Matthews and Platt seem to wish to suggest or rather, on the contrary, a sexist? [R 81] If so, what kind? If not, why not?

 

è Again to help you understand the point of this question: break down your analysis into the following three.

 

    1. Explain your definition and understanding of these notions, feminism and sexism
    2. Provide your interpretation of Plato’ position, namely, his conceptions of “nature”, “equality”, and “differences” – how he uses those notions.
    3. And argue your position.

 

 

REAL vs. ILLUSORY [R 84-85]: Outside vs. Inside; Inside vs. Outside

 

 

                                                Plato, Republic (514a-521b)

 

 

 

http://faculty.washington.edu/smcohen/320/cave.htm