One of Plato’s aspects in the Republic (the system of education with its censorship)
Your essays should be 5 pages or more in length (double spaced).
o
The first third or so of your essay should be descriptive in nature.
Do not talk about everything that comprises the city. Rather, focus
on one (and only one) aspect of the state or the
Republic that you find to be the most controversial—i.e., the system of education with its censorship, the noble lies the rulers must tell to put people in their correct place, the segregation of the classes, Plato’s feminism, Plato’s communism, eugenics, the rule of the elite
philosopher kings, the banning of artists, Plato’s criticism of
democracy, etc. You will be expected to properly use textual
support for your description.
The rest of your essay will be argumentative in nature.
Here you will make your case, either for or against, the particular
topic you have chosen.
Very important!!
The best arguments are the ones that have properly dealt
with the strongest possible counterarguments. In support of
your position, you will be expected to interact seriously
with the opposing point of view.
Despite what your English teachers have always told you, do not
be afraid to use “I” in a position paper. You are making a case for
what you think and believe and the reasons for it.
This is not a research paper and I do not want a bibliography or works-cited page. You may bring in examples from outside materials, be it a book, movie, or whatever, to support and develop your case, but make sure you stay focused on the Republic.
oYou will need to briefly cite passages from the
Republic in your essay at times. Just use the page number from the text or the Stephanus number along the side as well as MLA guidelines for proper citation methods.
Here is an example of how this should work:
… The reason for such censorship is provided by Socrates
in the following statement: “For the young cannot
distinguish what is allegorical from what is real. And the
beliefs they absorb at that age are difficult to erase and tend
to become unalterable.” (Republic, p. 59)
