Plato Custom Essay

Choose a passage that interests you. You might choose a passage that you found inspiring and want to explore more deeply; you might choose a passage that you do not fully understand and wish to work out more clearly; you might choose a passage with which you disagree. The important point is that you should choose a passage that really speaks to you, that moves you, that fascinates you, that is, in a word, meaningful to you, and respond to it as you see fit.

Make sure you i) explicate what is going on in the passage—in other words, state its central claims and follow the movement of its thinking. Also, make sure you ii) place the passage in its context—what work does the passage do in the larger context in which it is found? Lastly, iii) offer your own response to the passage. Make sure your response utilizes terminology, concepts, problems, issues, and questions we have discussed in class and is appropriate to the passage you have chosen. I want to hear your response, but it should be articulated within the context of our course; do not simply offer a series of your own opinions in a sort of stream of consciousness.

**A note on writing about Plato.
Socrates is a character in Plato’s dialogues, but Plato is the author. When you write about Plato, make sure you differentiate clearly between author and character. If you are commenting on something Socrates (or any other character) says, for instance, make sure it is clear that you are talking about the speeches of a character in a drama. Socrates, furthermore, is not the mouthpiece of Plato, so do not confuse them. (You would not confuse Shakespeare with Romeo if you were writing a paper about Romeo and Juliet, would you?). Plato writes dialogues that include a philosophical image of Socrates—but it is Plato’s philosophy that you are writing about. An interesting topic to think about is why Plato does this and what philosophical work this image of Socrates does in Plato’s philosophy…