PREPARATION

For this session we are studying perhaps the most influential text in western philosophy regarding questions of justice: the Republic by the great Greek philosopher Plato. Students are to prepare for the session by completing two elements of required reading:

1. Plato, The Republic, books 1-4. For those who need it, the text is available at: http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/republic.html

2. Mark David Usher, Plato's Pigs and Other Ruminations (Cambridge University Press, 2020), text selection following here: Usher--Plato's Pigs.pdf.

Students may also consult the following two texts if they want a broader introduction to Plato or The Republic. They are *optional*.

Julia Annas -- Plato's Ethics.pdf

Dominic Scott -- The Republic.pdf

TO DO

1. Attend a lecture introducing Plato and his understanding of justice from 10.15-12.

2. Attend the seminar for your seminar group. Group 1 will meet from 13.15-15.00. Group 2 will meet from 15.15-17.00. Students are to prepare for the seminar by reading the assigned text carefully and arriving prepared to discuss its content. Students should, e.g., reflect on how the author presents the question of justice, whether a particular vision of justice is presented in the text, how this vision is developed, and what significance it might have for us.

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