PHI 1301 Lecture 11

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Three Absurdities with Kallipolis

1. women would be held in same status as men, esp. in matters of mind and soul
   • society was very much male-dominated at the time
   • male body held in esteem, whereas female body was not (hence male nude gymnastics)
     • Beauty of feminine body recognized when Christianity started spreading
2. everything was owned/held in common and nothing in private: property/belongings, even wives and children
   • n.b., don't take Socrates literally in this regard
   • communism of such literal nature has failed miserably... many times
   • this is meant to image our call to care for each other
   • also an image of allowing knowledge of different areas to mingle and inform each other in the soul (and beget truth)
3. rulers would be philosophers (this was the most absurd!

Philosophers as Lovers

…of being: all reality and truth they hate falsehood concerned with pleasures of the soul, not the body moderate in matters of money high-minded and quick-minded

courageous just gentle in interpersonal matters have a good memory measured and charming

Anyone with these qualities would be sought after in society for their abilities

• i.e., to persuade and manipulate; to get people to follow them
• such individuals would be corrupted to pursue the goods of their "masters"

Lady Wisdom

• Wisdom has often pretty much always been personified as a beautiful woman
• Most men chase after other "beauty" (sophistry, fame, power, money, etc.; see above)
• Only the "creeps" are left, viz., the "bald-headed tinker"

Youth Who Escape Corruption

There are five (5) types of people who escape corruption as detailed above:

1. exiles/outsiders/foreigners: nobody pays any attention to these people
2. small-town kids where everyone knows each other: "Isn't he the son of Joseph the carpenter?"
3. those from other crafts: plumbers, janitors, etc. are often overlooked
4. people who are always sick: nobody wants to be around them, and even if they did, they're too ill to be "of use" to the societal machine
5. the "cursed" (like Socrates) who are supernaturally guided to philosophy by an inner voice

For Next Time

• Books 6–7 (503–552)

Understand the following terms, and note how each layer gives rise to the layer above it

Power of Soul	Dimension of Reality
understanding	forms
thought	"mathematicals"
trust	things
imagination	images