Plato: 'The Repuplic', books 1 and 8
| Title | Πλάτων, "Πολιτεία" Α' και Η' / Plato: 'The Repuplic', books 1 and 8 |
| Code | Φ478 |
| Faculty | Philosophy |
| School | Philosophy and Education |
| Cycle / Level | 1st / Undergraduate, 2nd / Postgraduate |
| Teaching Period | Winter/Spring |
| Coordinator | Konstantinos Kavoulakos |
| Common | Yes |
| Status | Active |
| Course ID | 600021751 |
Programme of Study: UPS School of Philosophy and Education (2011-today)
Registered students: 89
| Orientation | Attendance Type | Semester | Year | ECTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philosophy | Elective Courses belonging to the selected specialization | Winter/Spring | - | 6 |
| Pedagogic | Elective Courses | Winter/Spring | - | 6 |
| Academic Year | 2022 – 2023 |
| Class Period | Winter |
| Faculty Instructors | |
| Weekly Hours | 3 |
| Total Hours | 39 |
| Class ID | 600217088
|
Course Type 2021
Specialization / Direction
Mode of Delivery
- Face to face
Digital Course Content
- e-Study Guide https://qa.auth.gr/en/class/1/600217088
Erasmus
The course is also offered to exchange programme students.
Language of Instruction
- Greek (Instruction, Examination)
- English (Examination)
- German (Examination)
Learning Outcomes
The course aims at familiarizing students with the problematic of the unity of Plato’s Republic through the thorough reading and analysis of its first and eighth book. Upon completion of the course, students should
• Have acquired a thorough understanding of the problems of the unity of Plato’s Republic.
• Be familiarized with the main questions raised in this classical work.
• Be in a position to apply the central concepts of the work to contemporary discussions on ethics and political philosophy.
• To be able to formulate critical remarks on contemporary analyses on the philosophical significance of the Republic.
• To have acquired a good understanding of the problem of the relation between values, knowledge, ontology, and social criticism.
General Competences
- Retrieve, analyse and synthesise data and information, with the use of necessary technologies
- Adapt to new situations
- Work autonomously
- Work in teams
- Generate new research ideas
- Appreciate diversity and multiculturality
- Be critical and self-critical
- Advance free, creative and causative thinking
Course Content (Syllabus)
Plato’s Republic is a complicated work that deals with issues of the theory of knowledge, ethics and political philosophy, philosophical psychology, metaphysics etc. However there seems to be a fundamental logic that permeates its parts and unifies all these philosophical questions and fields. During this course we will read parts of the text to get acquainted with the deeper unity of the issues under discussion. Emphasis will be put on the first, introductory book with the famous dispute between Socrates and Thrasymachus on the meaning of justice, and on the eighth book with the description of the decline of the political regimes. We will focus on the parallels between the two types of argument in these books.
Educational Material Types
- Notes
- Slide presentations
- Book
Use of Information and Communication Technologies
Use of ICT
- Use of ICT in Course Teaching
- Use of ICT in Communication with Students
Course Organization
| Activities | Workload | ECTS | Individual | Teamwork | Erasmus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 39 | 1.6 | |||
| Reading Assigment | 109 | 4.4 | |||
| Exams | 2 | 0.1 | |||
| Total | 150 | 6 |
Student Assessment
Description
Two-hours written examination, to consist of three questions covering the breadth of the course, of which two are to be answered (in essay form). Comprehending and answering the questions will require both knowledge and critical thinking.
Bibliography
Course Bibliography (Eudoxus)
1) Πλάτων, Πολιτεία, μτφρ. Ν.Μ. Σκουτερόπουλος, εκδόσεις Πόλις, Αθήνα 2002.
2) Alexandre Koyré, Φιλοσοφία και Πολιτεία. Εισαγωγή στην ανάγνωση του Πλάτωνα, Αλεξάνδρεια, Αθήνα 1990.
3) Α.Ε. Τaylor, Πλάτων, εκδόσεις ΜΙΕΤ.
Last Update
07-10-2025
