Should philosophers rule the city?
• What is the role of education?
• What is Plato’s view of censorship and the arts? What stories and music are allowed, and why?
• What role do women play in the city? What’s up with marriage? And children?
• Why should philosophers rule the city? what is a philosopher? What is it to have knowledge?
• What are the Forms? What are the two “realms” Plato claims exist? What is the source of
knowledge for Plato?
• Be familiar with the Cave — what does it illustrate? What do the sun, the chains, the shadows
(etc.) represent?
• And how does Plato’s project relate to human happiness? (relate: happiness, virtue and risk)
ARISTOTLE MATERIALS ATTACHED
• General: be familiar with his understanding of eudaimonia (happiness), with his account of virtue
ethics, with the role that habits play, with the conditions that are necessary for achieving
happiness.
Some more specific stuff:
• be familiar with Aristotle’s understanding of “the good” (complete, sufficient, etc.)
• at what does all human activity aim? what is happiness? what are the virtues, and how do
they relate to happiness? what’s the difference between a virtue and a habit? what is
friendship? why is friendship important? what are the three kinds of friendship? how does
pleasure relate to happiness? what role does fortune play? what is the highest good?
EPICTETUS (LOOK UP THE BOOK ONLINE THE BOOK IS CALLED : A MANUAL FOR LIVING BY SHARON LEBELL)
• Be able to compare and contrast his view of happiness and the good life with Plato and Aristotle.
• How does one achieve happiness? what is the fundamental principle one must know, and live by, if
one is to achieve happiness? Be familiar with his distinction between what is, and what is not, in
your control, and his view of the relation between risk and happiness. How do self-mastery and
freedom relate to happiness? What is the cause of our suffering? Etc.
EPICURUS MATERIALS ATTACHED
• Contrast his view of happiness/the good life with the other thinkers discussed. Be able to discuss
the relation between pleasure and pain. What is happiness? Does he advocate a life devoted to all
manner of pleasures? Why or why not?
• What are some of Epicurus’ ideas on nature relevant to his view of happiness? What’s his view of
death? the gods?
Kant MATERIALS ATTACHED
• His ethical theory: what is it? how does it differ from Aristotle? Know the basics: Categorical
Imperative, that he gives primary ethical importance to DUTY, how do we treat others as “ends” or
as “means” (why is this important)
• Be able to identity his view of happiness (satisfaction of your desires) from other views we have
looked at. How does he claim ethics relates to happiness? Why does he think that there is a
tension between living the ethical life and happiness? Know that as rational beings, we have two
fundamental motives or things we aim at: virtue (to be morally good) and happiness.
• Why does his view of happiness and virtue lead him to conclude there is a God and an afterlife?
• How does he define happiness? What is the highest good, and why does this point to an afterlife?
Know that ethics for Kant is what we should devote our lives to, and not the pursuit of our own happiness (and why).
• What are the three main questions of philosophy?
• What may we hope? How do these questions relate to happiness and ethical life?
Sample Solution
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