CLASSICS 324: Plato on the Soul: Phaedo, Republic, and Phaedrus

Course Description

In this seminar, we will analyze Plato's conceptions of the soul in the middle period dialogues. We will read the Phaedo and the Phaedrus in full, and Republic books 4-7. We will examine the incorporeality, temporality, rationality, desires, and divine elements of the soul, as well as its life both in and out of the body. How does the soul interact with the body, the gods, and the Forms? What kind of narrative does Plato create for the immortal soul as it moves from one life to another? How does Plato use philosophical argument and literary discourse (myth, allegory, rhetoric) to convey his ideas about the soul?