Talk:Historical Rhetorics/Plato's Battle Against an Oral World

Here's some notes I am working on in preparation for the seminar class dedicated to Plato, Orality, and Book VII of the Republic:

The subjects Plato selects for learning all stress abstraction over sensual perception: arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, music, and (eventually) dialectic. With a few subjects, including astronomy and music, Plato is careful to insist that they are studied for their ability to summon abstract problems rather than studied either as perceptible bodies (in the case of astronomy), for their harmonious beauty (the case of music), or practicality (the case of geometry) (see 522-525). Plato repeatedly insists that education should not be a mere gaining of sight (see particularly his distinction between the visible and the intelligible at 532).This is, of course, connected to Plato's rigorous commitment to Being and opposition to becoming, stated in several places throughout Book VII.

Plato maintains that a student must study in these realms until the age of 30 before they are introduced to the dangerous, but necessary, art of argumentation. After five years of intensive training in argument, careful to avoid any sophistic or eristic defiencies, a student is prepared for dialectical examination. By age 50, those completing dialectical examination are deemed fit to rule.

Overall, Plato's metaphysical conception of logos inspires a political utopia. Plato argues that true philosophers care only for the pursuit of a "good and rational life" (521). Philosopher kings, far from desiring power, must be compelled to rule. Anyone who wants to rule is clearly unfit for the job (see VII). Insignificantwrangler (talk) 18:35, 26 August 2009 (UTC)