Lecture 01 Notes

Philosophy 101
Introduction to Philosophy
Professor Paul Weithman

I. Introduction to the Course

A. Aim and Structure of the Course:

This course is an introduction to philosophy for students seeking (or being forced) to fulfil the first of their university philosophy requirements. The course is intended to introduce you to philosophical questions, to make you aware of how some of history's greatest philosophers have approached those questions and what they have had to say about them, to help you articulate philosophical concerns of your own and, most importantly, to learn how to address them. Among the areas of philosophy will explore this semester are ethics, political philosophy, metaphysics and theory of knowledge.

B. Required Texts for This Course:

The Republic, Plato
The Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle
Meditations on First Philosophy, Rene Descartes
The Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes
Summa Theologiae, Thomas Aquinas
The Brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Dostoyveski

II. Introduction to Plato

A. Facts of Life

Plato lived from 427-347 BC in Greek city state of Athens. He was born into a prominent family and expected to enter Athenian politics.

The city of Athens in Plato's time was small, probably not more than 100,000 residents, even fewer of whom were citizens with full rights to political participation.

Politics in Athens and between Athens and other city states was tumultuous in his time.

Athens was also home to Socrates (d. 399 BC), one of the greatest philosophical conversationalists the world has ever known.

We need to keep Plato's context in mind as we read his work.

B. Work

Plato looks for answers to virtually all fundamental philosophical questions and so includes work in every area of philosophy: metaphysics, epistemology, aesthetics, ethics, political philosophy, and philosophy of language.

Plato writes in DIALOGUE form:

The main character is almost always Socrates.
The interlocutors are historical figures whom Plato and his audience knew, at least by reputation.
The dialogues are not transcripts of historical conversations, but artful constructions to be read as such.
The Republic is Plato’s greatest dialogue, written when he was at the height of his powers.

III. Introduction to the Republic

A. Question: HOW DO PEOPLE LEARN TO BEHAVE WELL?

Answer: They learn to behave well in the context of their culture. For example, among the things that influence us are books, movies, poems, songs from popular culture, religion, tradition, and older people we admire as models.
In other words, to the extent that a society is coherent, it possesses a body of moral resources that commands some degree of consensus.
But SOMETIMES consensus breaks down, the resources don’t work. During these times, it becomes salutary to call traditional sources into question.

B. Plato’s Situation

The culture had stock of cultural resources.
But the traditional ways of behaving--myths, religion, verenation of the old, stock of sayings from Gk. poets--no longer seemed to work, or so Plato argued.
Society is in moral disarray: the traditional sources of morality seem to be inadequate. Some reject morality altogether; the wise take advantage when they can.
Plato turns to philosophy: systematic rational exploration in dialogue.

C. Morality is a Craft

Being expert in that craft is good for an agent; it is preferable to immorality.
A craft can only be learned in a just political society.

Citation: Weithman, P. (2006, September 19). Lecture 01 Notes. Retrieved November 23, 2009, from Notre Dame OpenCourseWare Web site: http://ocw.nd.edu/philosophy/introduction-to-philosophy/lectures/lecture-01-notes.