Ancient Greek Quiz 4 Notes Questions and Answers
• What image does Socrates introduce (Republic Book VI) in order to explain why the philosopher
... [Show More] appears to be useless? - A stargazer on a ship
• According to Socrates (Republic Book VI), why do philosophers appear to be vicious? Be sure to state the cause.
- They are vicious because they are a good seed fallen into bad soil. If things were set up so that they could thrive they wouldn't be.
• According to Socrates (Republic Book VI), the sophists only teach their students the convictions of the crowd—that is, what will please the many. What image (or analogy) does he use to make this point? - The allegory of the cave.
- Describe the initial setup of the cave in Plato's allegory. Who is doing what, and where? - Leaders are controlling the shadows (their version of reality) while everyone is watching the shadows chained against their will.
• In the allegory of the cave, what happens to the newly educated person when s/he first descends back into the cave? - He is blind when he comes back into the cave
• In the allegory of the cave, do the prisoners who are released from their bonds exit the cave willingly or unwillingly? - Unwillingly
• (a) What are the three types of goods distinguished by Glaucon in Republic Book II? (b) According to Glaucon, what type of good do most people consider justice to be? (c) What type of good does Socrates say he considers it to be?
- A) Things that we desire only for their consequences, things that we desire only for their own sake, things that we desire both for their own sake and what we get from them
- B) Glaucon says most people consider justice to be things that we desire only for their consequences
- C) Socrates says it is things that we desire only for their own sake
• (a) According to Glaucon (the one who tells the Ring of Gyges story in Republic Book II), how would most people rank (in terms of better or worse) doing injustice and suffering injustice? (b) How does this explain why they have their current laws?
- Suffering injustice is worse than doing injustice, so laws are self-serving
• What is the Ring of Gyges story supposed to prove, according to Glaucon?
- It is better to appear to be just, thereby incurring honors and reputation
consequent upon the appearance of justice
- What are the three parts of the soul that Socrates enumerates in Republic Book IV?
- A rational, calculating part; a desiring, irrational part; spirited class
• What is Socrates' evidence that the soul is in fact divided into parts? - He uses the model of a city
- According to the Republic Book IV image of the tripartite soul, what is the relationship between the soul's 3 parts when the soul is just? - All three parts of the soul work in harmony and ruled by a love of truth (human)
• According to the Republic Book IV image of the tripartite soul, what is the relationship between the soul's 3 parts when the soul is unjust? - The man is feeding the beast and the lion
• According to Socrates, why does a state of painlessness (e.g., not being thirsty) sometimes get mistaken for a state of pleasure (Republic Book IX)? - We are actually only easing the pain of wanting other things
• In Republic Book IX, Socrates makes an image of the soul, according to which each part of the soul is represented by a different creature. Which creature represents which part of the soul? (Do all three) - The beast: Appetitive
- The lion: spirited
- The human being: rational [Show Less]