PS388 Socratic Political Philosophy   (3.00 cr.)

Socrates, the first political philosopher, wrote nothing. We know of his unique life and thought through the writings of others--both friends and enemies. By reading works by Aristophanes, Plato, Xenophon, and Nietzsche, we will seek to understand the Socratic way of life. Examines the famous "Socratic turn"--Socrates' move from natural philosophy toward political philosophy and the study of "the human things." Students examine Socrates' quarrels with poets, the Sophists, and the political community itself. Was the Athenian democracy right to put Socrates to death? Finally, Socrates' relations with his friends and students--how and what did he teach them--is examined.