2018-03-02 NSFRI - Plato - Republic (Books 1,4: 327b,354a,443b-444a) - The Internal Structure Neces
Channel: Pierre Grimes and the Noetic Society
Date: 2018-03-08

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 Pierre Grimes and the Noetic Society -- 2018-03-02 NSFRI - Plato - Republic (Books 1,4: 327b,354a,443b-444a) - The Internal Structure Necessary to Arrive at Justice and Wisdom
Dialogue(s): republic Chapters: book01;book04 Sections: 327b,354a,443b-444a This is the second in Pierre's latest Friday-night series on Plato's The Republic . Pierre's opening questions: How does Book 1 of Plato's Republic relate to the whole? How does Book 4 of Plato's Republic relate to the whole? Is there something in Book 1 that he needs in order to explore books 2, 3, and 4? Why does the ending of Book 4 pre-suppose the need for books 6 and 7? It is easy to see that once you have 6 and 7, then 8,9,10 are going to follow. 327b - beginning: Why does Socrates ask Polemarchos' boy where his Self (αὐτὸς) is? (καὶ ἐγὼ μετεστράφην τε καὶ ἠρόμην ὅπου αὐτὸς εἴη.) 354a - Thracymachos, again, Bendis, feasting (etymol: receive these words at your hearth) What is it about the conclusion in Book 4 that caps the discussion, and introduces the need for a higher and more interesting level of reflection in Books 6 and 7? 443b-444a - Definition/summary of 'Justice' in Book 4: Spontaneous, obvious, no thinking. What maintains that disposition? Wisdom: introduced for the first time. This is the transition into Book 6. Goal of Book 6? How we shall identify those people who have the capacity and the talent and background to be philosophers (in the Hellenic sense: lovers of wisdom). 6 & 7: the outline for gaining that kind of wisdom which preserves that disposition of the self which allows spontaneity which is perfectly appropriate to the circumstance and doesn't need any thinking, planning or strategy. Buddhism - Jiriki is being described here. Jiriki is frequently confused with prajna (wisdom). But Jiriki is that unity that occurs within onesself that allows one to act absolutely appropriately to the given circumstance without reflecting or anything else -- yet every act one does is perfectly just and fair. Same thing we just read! (Also in Roshi Philip Kapleau's The Three Pillars of Zen .) Book 9: The need for dreams. 9/10: alternative systems Book 8: Background for the negative impact of 7 (origin of injustice) Book 5: What are the 3 major inherent difficulties in establishing his idea (allegory) of a Republic (not a state/society, but a pattern laid up in the heavens for people to contemplate (regarding the state of the soul)) 0:35:50 Announcements 1) Pierre announces a new program he has devised for learning Philosophical Midwifery, through 7 exercises he has come up with. He says that anyone interested should contact him via email and explain why you want to do such a foolish thing. This is a replication of the similar training he is doing for some psychological interns up in Los Angeles. It will involve reading Pierre's book, Philosophical Midwifery 2) Workshop next weekend. Regular Friday night (like this) as usual March 9, and workshop 10th and 11th. 0:42:25 Informal post-discussion Chit-chat with Pierre (as in the old days), mostly centered around the Republic, justice, and philosophical midwifery. Translations Used This time we are primarily reading using our own Juan Balboa's translation of the Republic . We also use W.H.D. Rouse's translation, in Great Dialogues of Plato , ISBN-10: 0451471709; ISBN-13: 978-0451471703 And the Loeb Classical Library 2-volume translation by Paul Shorey: volume 1: books 1-5: ISBN-10: 0674992628; ISBN-13: 978-0674992627 volume 2: books 6-10: ISBN-10: 0674993047; ISBN-13: 978-0674993044 which is also available online at Perseus/Tufts . More info: http://noeticsociety.org