Republic Workshop: Beauty Itself
By Don Finkel
Part I (1 hour)
A. (10 mins.)
1. The press, TV, and the other mass media have spent a great deal of time, energy, and labor creating "images" of the two presidential candidates during the presidential campaign. Give some rough descriptions of the images created by them of George Bush and Michael Dukakis.
2. Presumably George Bush and Michael Dukakis are two real human individuals. Speculate on the relationship that exists between the images of Dukakis and Bush created by the media and the two real men. How well do the images correspond to the reality, do you suppose, and what kind of correspondence is this?
3. Suppose you wanted to know the real Bush and the real Dukakis--realistically, what would you have to do? Where could you realistically go to find the real men?
4. Compare how easy it is in this case to encounter the reality of the men to how easy it is to encounter their images. (Make a numerical ratio; 1/100 means 100 times more difficult.)
B. (15 mins.)
1. On a piece of paper, draw four different triangles, making them differ in both size and shape.
2. Write down the definition of a triangle.
3. Can you draw a picture which represents exactly what is represented in the definition of "triangle"? If so, draw it. If not, explain why it can't be done.
4. Let us call the four pictures you drew "images" of triangularity and the definition you wrote a representation of "true" triangularity. Is there such a thing as the "true" triangle? Is it real? If so, where is the true triangle?
5. Assume the "true" triangle is real. What might be the relationship that exists between it and your four images? What kind of correspondence exists between image and reality in this case?
6. Suppose you wanted to know the true triangle? What might you do to know it, or encounter it?
7. In this case, how easy is it to know the true triangle compared to becoming acquainted with its images? Make a numerical ratio.
C. (15 mins.)
1. Draw three fairly large circles on a piece of paper. In the first, draw three stars in a horizontal line. In the second draw three dots in a triangular arrangement. In the third draw the letters a, b, and x, in a diagonal line.
2. What is the same about these three groups of figures. (The groups are what is inside the large circles. Ignore the circles themselves.)
3. What is the same is that they all have the same number of figures in them, namely, three. How many threes are visible on your paper? Are all of these the same kind of "three," or are some different?
4. What is a number, really? Is a number real?
5. What is the difference between the number three (not the sign or numeral "3," but what the sign stands for) and the pictures you have drawn?
6. Can you represent the number three with a picture or image? If so, how does this situation differ from that of the triangle? If not, why not?
7. Assume the number three is real. What might be the relationship that exists between it and your images on the paper? What kind of correspondence exists between image and reality in this case?
8. Suppose you wanted to know the real number three? What might you do to know it, or encounter it?
9. In this case, how easy is it to know the true number compared to becoming acquainted with its images? Make a numerical ratio.
D. (20 mins.)
1. Look at the image projected on the screen of the statue of David sculpted by Michelangelo. Can you agree that this image is beautiful?
2. Most people will agree that this David is beautiful. I am going to assume you did agree. If you didn't, assume that with time you could agree on some person or some picture of a person you would all agree is beautiful. How is it that we can agree on what is beautiful?
3. Now consider the following three things together: (a) the David, or the image of another body you find beautiful, (b) a glorious sunset, and (c) a melody you find beautiful. What is the same in these three things that make them all beautiful?
4. At Republic 476b (p. 136), Plato says, "The lovers of sights and sounds ... like beautiful sounds and colours and shapes, and all the objects fashioned from them, but their thought is unable to see and welcome the nature of Beauty itself." Is there indeed a meaningful distinction between beautiful objects and Beauty itself?
5. Pretend for a minute that you find Plato's distinction meaningful. Write a paragraph to convince your roommate that it is important to distinguish between images of beauty, which are many, and real Beauty itself, which is one.
6. Assume that Beauty is real. What might be the relationship that exists between it and the body, the sunset, and the melody? What kind of correspondence exists between image and reality in this case?
7. Suppose you wanted to know or encounter real Beauty? What might you do to know it, or encounter it?
8. In this case, how easy is it to know real Beauty compared to becoming acquainted with its images? Make a numerical ratio.
NOTE: We won't work on it here, but the most important case for Plato is the one that distinguishes between good actions, people, careers, etc. from Goodness itself. Work this one out at home or in your seminar.
BREAK - 15 mins.
Part II (45 mins.)
1. In the four cases (candidate, triangle, number, beauty), what kind of personality or what kind of mind is required to know the reality? (Assume it would be the same for all four cases.)
2. What kind of education do you think would be likely to promote the development of the kind of personality or mind you outlined in 1. above?
3. On page 164 (510a), Plato develops the metaphor of the Divided Line. Locate it in the text, draw it in your notebook, and make sure your group understands it (explain it to each other).
4. In this worksheet we have looked at 4 contrasting pairs (each pair under A through D in Part I above). One item of each pair consists of two to four things and the other item a single "thing." Going pair by pair, locate each of the eight items in one of the four spaces of the Divided Line.
5. On p. 168 ff. (514a ff.), Plato presents the famous the parable of the Cave. Review it briefly. What aspects of the story capture the main ideas you presented in answer to questions 1 and 2 of Part II above?
6. What aspects of the parable would be misleading regarding your answers to those two questions?
7. What aspects of your answers to the two questions are not captured by the parable?
8. Write a brief parable that does capture the main aspects of your answers to questions 1 and 2.