Plato
>> Weekly Assignments


Sculpture by Grendel's Mother.

Weekly Assignments

  1. Aug. 28: Charmides 170e-171c (from "So neither will he be able to distinguish..." to "...the way other craftsmen do"), or Laches 189e-190c (from "However..." to "...we can do this, Socrates").
  2. Sept. 4: Meno 85c-86b (I.e., from "These opinions have now just been stirred up like a dream..." to "...what you do not recollect"), or Phaedo 74a-74c (from "Consider, he said . . ." to ". . . same at all, Socrates").
  3. Sept. 11: Protagoras 323a (expand out the argument following, "for they think" -- since this goes by very fast, compare the alternative formulation at 324e, "Consider this... "); or R.E. Allen, "Participation and Predication in Plato's Middle Dialogues", p. 148 ("Let us be clear...") to p. 150 ("...are relational statements"). (You can find the Allen article on JSTOR).
  4. Sept. 18: Alcibiades 112e-113b, 114d (from "Stop pushing me around")-114e (to "Then answer my questions"); or Gorgias 463e ("All right . . .") to 465a (". . . an account a craft").
  5. Sept. 25: Republic 401e ("Second . . .") to 402c (". . . absolutely essential") or Republic 368d ("Therefore, since we aren't clever people...") to 369a ("...what we are looking for more easily?").
  6. Oct. 2: Williams, "The Analogy of City and Soul...", 4th para. ("But for such terms...") or the 6th para. (from "However, Plato does not proceed...", to "...which contradicts (e)").
  7. Oct. 9: The Equals Argument redux: Rep. 479a-c (from "Now that these points..." to "...clearer than what is".)

    8. AFTER THIS POINT, THE WEEKLY ASSIGNMENTS ARE TWO-PART -- TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THE REQUIREMENTS PAGE

  8. Oct. 16: Tht. 200e ("In what way do you mean?") to 201c ("So it seems they must be different things"), or Tht. 182a ("Then I want . . .") to 183a (". . . as if it did").
  9. Oct. 23: Rep. 505b-c ("Furthermore, you certainly know..." to "That's completely true"), or, in Nicholas Smith's article, "Plato's Divided Line," the argument on pp. 301-302 that begins with "As I said..." and ends with "the images of intellection."
  10. Oct. 30: Rep. 582d ("Moreover...") to 583a ("...praises his own life"), or, 585b ("Think of it this way . . .") to 585e (" . . . absolutely inevitable").
  11. Nov. 6: Rep. 596e ("What about...") to 597a ("...in comparison to the true one"), or 601c ("Then let's not leave the discussion...") to 602a ("...are fine or bad").
  12. Nov. 13: Timaeus 50d-e (from "We also must understand..." to "devoid of any characteristics"), or 51c-e (from "Is our perpetual claim..." to "...a small group of people do").
  13. Nov. 20: Parmenides 142b ("Do you want . . .") to 143a ("Absolutely"), or Phaedrus 270d (from "Isn't this the way to think systematically...") to 271b ("This, I think, would certainly be the best way").
  14. Nov. 27: Sophist 251d (from "Shall we refuse to apply...") to 252e ("Absolutely"), or 238a ("But shall we say . . . ") to 238c ("Absolutely"). This week only, you have the option of submitting two assignments (that is, the "or" is inclusive). This is your chance to catch up, if you've fallen behind.
  15. Dec. 4: Philebus 58e ("When you gave this answer now . . .") to 59b ("...does not seem likely"), or 32e ("First, then, let us take a look...") to 33b ("...the most godlike").