Plato

See the list on the right of your screen of "literary works online."
Go there & read the following:
1. The Apology of Socrates
2. Paideia--Out of the Cave


Read a bit about Socrates' life & background. He was accused of "corrupting the youth" and sentenced to death by poison. Plato, his student, allegedly wrote down true accounts of his philosophy & also his death. The "Apology" is Socrates' defense of himself to the Athenian court. In this context, "apology" does not mean he's repentant; it's simply an explanation & even a justification.



You may have already read "The Allegory of the Cave." If so, did you notice anything new this time? What's your general response?


As you read these two works & skim some others, what evidence do you see of the so-called "Socratic method" of instruction? Can you come up with a definition?


How does Socrates strike you?

Diaspora

So, where'd you end up?  I'm actually at home.  Call me crazy.  I do expect to lose power some time tomorrow, so I thought I'd throw out some posts now.  Those of you with electricity can keep the discussion going.  :)  By the way, it's NOT the mother of all storms.  I should have run for mayor.  

We can't get too far behind.  Let's begin reading "The Apology of Socrates" & "The Allegory of the Cave" by Plato.  The "Apology" is in your anthology, but both are available on the web in full text versions.  

Be safe!!  

Ancient Greek Art/Architecture

Do you prefer Hellenic or Hellenistic sculpture so far?  Why?

Foucault, dang it!!

Go!

You must become an "author" of this blog!!!!

If you're not an "author," you can't start a new post.  

History as Construct

Postmodern philosophers have declared that many of the concepts we take for granted (history, Western civilization, the canon of great literature, etc.) are simply "constructs." Society has created these concepts out of nothing for certain purposes, and these concepts (like history) actually don't exist or are misguided.

Is "history" as we know & study it a construct? How do Marquez & Grass challenge our assumptions about history?

100 Years of Solitude

Incest, anyone? How does incest drive the plot in this novel? (Or just post your random observations about the novel here.)