3/27 Republic Assignment

The Republic, Part III Education, Section 1. pp. 67-76

1. Short Paragraph – Personal Reflection: Before reading the selection from Plato write at least one full paragraph on this question: Why do you think Plato (or anyone else) would want to censor Hesiod? Remember that Hesiod was the poet who wrote about the fight between the gods and the titans.


I think that someone might censor someone like Plato, because they might be afraid that someone writing about the fight between the gods and the titans might learn from there and start a war. People during this time would just start a war over what they think justice is to find out that there really isn't only one good definition that everyone agrees with. Starting a war over one difinition isn't the war to live in a society.

3. Short Answers – Text based questions. Answer both questions

a. What are Homer and Hesiod guilty of?

Homer and Hesiod are guilty of Misrepresenting the nature of gods and heroes.

And

b. What are the two main characteristics of “god” and what are the laws/principles of story telling based on those characteristics?


The two main characteristics of "god" are 1) Gods acts were good and just, and those being punished had benefitted from it.2)It is impossible for a god to wish himself to change.
4. Compare what you wrote in your personal reflection above (#1) with what Plato wrote. How close were you to what Plato wrote?

While reading this part I was kind of confused and I didn't really see exactlly what Plato wrote.