Philosophy By The Book

How should we legislate against crime? What sort of punishments are useful to a perfect society? Are we to focus on retribution or rehabilitation? And what's the goal of all these laws anyway? facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philosophybythebook

How often should our city celebrate festivals? What sort of relationships are to be encouraged among citizens? Are we going to allow foreigners to live in our city? facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philosophybythebook

How are children to be educated? Should they learn music? Literature? Should men and women be educated equally? facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philosophybythebook

How are officers to be appointed in an ideal state? Will slavery be instituted? How is marriage to be regulated? facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philosophybythebook

Now that we know how to frame a law, we start to actually lay some down. What should laws be established for? Who should institute them? Who should rule before rulers are chosen? How do we choose those rulers?

How should laws be written? Should we accept foreigners into our ideal city? What would government be like if men were ruled by angels? Installment 4 in the Laws. 

What is the main goal of the statesman in his creation of laws? Which ancient state best represents monarchy and which democracy?

Did you know drinking parties are actually educational?

If the Republic cannot be followed, how are we to form our laws? What role does drinking have in the public good?    

Which is closer to the good? Pleasure? Or Reason?   facebook: http://facebook.com/philosophybythebook

What are the greatest pleasures? Is a life of knowledge or a life of pleasure the greatest good? Can a life without pain be also free of pleasure?  

What's better, pleasure or knowledge? Or maybe a mix of both? Are things in the world limited, or unlimited? Or maybe a mix of both? And what does this second set of questions have to do with the first.    

What exactly does it mean to be a king? And more importantly, what if we can't find a good one? Does it make sense to create laws? And if someone comes along that seems better than the laws, should we follow him?   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philosophybythebook  

How is a king like a weaver? Are comparisons and simplifications even helpful? And what exactly does a king do?

Finally we demonstrate if its possible to lie. Turns out that it is. We give a final definition of a sophist as well. 

What exactly is a Sophist? And how do we go about defining anything for that matter?   Facebook: www.facebook.com/philosophybythebook

Is knowledge Justified True Belief? How can we know that we know what knowledge is? Plato's Theaetetus part 3, final.   facebook :  https://www.facebook.com/philosophybythebook

Is knowledge true judgement? Or is there still a little something missing? Is your soul more of a block of wax or an aviary full of birds? facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philosophybythebook

This week we begin an examination of epistemology as it found its roots in Plato's Theaetetus. This part one episode focuses on the first definition of knowledge found in the Theaetetus, that knowledge is perception. facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philosophybythebook

This week we examine problems in the theory of forms in Plato's Parmenides.