CL4504 Justice, politics and the good life: Plato's Republic and its critics in the ancient world

Academic year

2024 to 2025 Semester 1

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

30

The Scottish Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SCOTCAT) system allows credits gained in Scotland to be transferred between institutions. The number of credits associated with a module gives an indication of the amount of learning effort required by the learner. European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits are half the value of SCOTCAT credits.

SCQF level

SCQF level 10

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.

Availability restrictions

Available to General Degree students with the permission of the Honours Adviser

Planned timetable

To be confirmed

This information is given as indicative. Timetable may change at short notice depending on room availability.

Module coordinator

Prof A G Long

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module Staff

Dr Alexander Long

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module description

During the 20th century Plato's Republic became one of the most controversial texts to have survived from the ancient world, but thousands of years before Karl Popper philosophers were already arguing against the dialogue's moral and political theories. Another ancient philosopher, Zeno (the founder of Stoicism), wrote a Republic of his own in opposition to Plato. In this module we start with Plato's dialogue and look particularly at the city-soul analogy, the definition of justice, the defence of female political leadership, and the powerful description of the forms of injustice. In the second half of the module we turn to ancient criticism of the dialogue: Aristotle's arguments against its political programme; Aristotle's alternative account of justice and the good city; Stoic arguments against the definition of justice; Stoic and other Republics; the exclusion of the Republic from Iamblichus' Neoplatonic curriculum; Neoplatonic debates about the Republic's goal.

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisites

AS STATED IN THE SCHOOL OF CLASSICS UNDERGRADUATE HANDBOOK

Assessment pattern

3-hour Written Examination = 50%, Coursework = 50%

Re-assessment

3-hour Written Examination = 100%

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

2 x 1-hour seminar (10 weeks)