The most important function of this class of stories is to immunize the young guardians against a fear of death. Many societies have from time to time adopted plato s ideas in order to advocate and practice censorship of the arts on the grounds that they manifest themes that are morally corruptive, that they send the wrong message to. Pornography and censorship stanford encyclopedia of. With adeimantus and glaucon as auditors, socrates recommences his attack on libelous poetry and fiction as unsuitable for the early education of the guardians of the state. This article analyses contemporary models of censorship and outlines the theoretical antecedents informing the new censorship debate before moving onto a further reorientation of the term. Athanasius, contra gentes, 9, censures plato for thus adoring an artemis made with hands, and the fathers and medieval writers frequently cite the. In the third book of the republic a nearer approach is made to a theory of art than anywhere else in plato. Censorship is the subject of several dialogues in the republic, the major work of greek philosopher plato.
Under such circumstances a comparison of platonic censorship with modernday censorship might well be regarded as one of apples with oranges. Plato acknowledges that many of the arts exhibit both figurative allegorical and literal meanings, but he argues that young children cannot always make distinctions between things literal and figurative. Heroes must never be presented as fearing death or as preferring slavery to death. Plato on censorship the art and popular culture encyclopedia. The question of pornography and censorship has divided feminists, just as it has begun to divide liberals.
Socrates continues to discuss the content of stories that can be told to the guardians, moving on to stories about heroes. Find a summary of this and each chapter of the republic. Censorship becomes a civil rights issue when a government or other entity with authority, suppresses ideas, or the expression of ideas, information, and self. What does socrates say about censorship in plato s republic book three. True art is not fanciful and imitative, but simple and ideal,the expression of the highest moral energy, whether in action or repose. What is the main basis of plato s hostility to poetry. He believes that creating the right aesthetic world is essential for properly educating the soul and is therefore essential to a flourishing city. Plato s pronouncements on the arts in book x have engaged a spirited scholarly debate that continues to the present day. Describe the education of the guardians as it is presented in books 2 and 3 of plato s republic.
Books may also be challenged at a local, community level. For one thing dramatic art stirs up peoples emotions, leading to irrationality, which in turn encourages immorality. Towards a redefinition of censorship helen freshwater any redefinition necessitates an assessment of existing provision. Unanswered questions why does greg gutfeld wear a ring on the middle finger on his left hand. The term censorship refers to the suppression, banning, or deletion of speech, writing, or images that are considered to be indecent, obscene, or otherwise objectionable.
This idea of the censorship of the arts is continued in book iii. In my philosophy of art course, we are discussing plato s philosophy of art, by means of selections from statesman and books 3 and 10 of the republic, along with snippets from ion, phaedrus, and symposium in the republic, plato makes a systematic case for censoring all arts. As in so many other cases, he sets the agenda for the subsequent tradition. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Davey naugle in christian scholarship dallas baptist univ. The society we have described can never grow into a reality or see the light of day, and there will be no end to the troubles of states, or indeed, my dear glaucon, of humanity itself, till philosophers become rulers in this world, or till those we now call kings and rulers really and truly become philosophers, and political power and philosophy thus come into the same hands. What is the key to the argument in support of the practice of censorship as discussed in books ii and ii. The tale describes the citizens of a state as the sons of a mother, and thus brothers to one another. In book 3 socrates continues directly on the discussion of education for the guardians in the ideal state.
Platos study guide california state university stanislaus. As a result, books can be removed from schools or libraries, although. Outline of plato s republic from the republic of plato, edited by francis cornford oxford 1945. Glaucon asks socrates whether justice belongs 1 in the class of good things we choose to have for themselves, like joy, or 2 those we value for their consequences though they themselves are hard, like physical training. The republic book ii summary and analysis gradesaver. The dialogue on theological principles picks up where it left off in the previous book. The task of the platonic philosopher is to take up the ancient quarrel. Thrasymachus, polymarchus, and the others having gone on to enjoy the festival, socrates, glaucon, and adeimantus are left alone to continue the debate on justice. Plato would have approved of this sort of censorship activity. The production of censorship in plato s republic, by ramona a. We have agreed, then, that the tales we teach the young will teach them to honor the gods and their parents and to value friendship with one another. He examines several poetic descriptions of courage the overcoming of fear of. In the republic books iii and x, he is even keen to ban certain kinds of writing, music, and poetry, because they have the potential to corrupt.
And yet understanding his remarks about each of these topicsrhetoric and poetrypresents us with significant philosophical and interpretive challenges. Plato on censoring artists a summary stephen hicks, ph. The republic is an exceedingly difficult text to write about. The essays are undated, presumably as a way of emphasizing their continuity, but are said to have been written at various times during the past thirty years. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Start studying philosophy plato s the republic books 14 flashcards. Plato s discussions of rhetoric and poetry are both extensive and influential. Check out our revolutionary sidebyside summary and analysis. To have good citizens, children must be well educated.
A brief history of art censorship from 1508 to 2014 by priscilla frank merriamwebster defines censorship as the practice of officially examining books, movies, etc. Justice as helping friends and harming enemies 331e336a 3. In books 2 and 3, the first censorship of poetry, she finds that plato constitutes the poet as a rival with whom the philosopher must vie agonistically. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the republic and what it means. Terms in this set 9 what are the three types of censorship socrates argues is needed in order for happy state to be created and maintained. Socrates cites many passages from the iliad and the odyssey that would not be permitted. Plato book ii of the republic on censorship books ii and iii of the republic are notoriously difficult to teach. Justice as the advantage of the stronger 336b347e 4. Plato on rhetoric and poetry stanford encyclopedia of.
Stanley rosens latest book is a collection of essays, the first of which gives the collection its title. After book i, the entire dialogue is pervaded by an extended analogy between the justice of individual human beings and the that of an entire society or citystate. It is known as a socratic dialogue and is perhaps one of. Some feminists argue that pornography is an important form of sexual expression that does not harm women, and may even benefit them by liberating women and womens sexuality from the oppressive shackles of tradition and sexual conservatism. Gallons of ink have been spilled on republic exegesis, and at least a few cupfuls went to a good cause. To have a good society, we must have good citizens. Glaucon, eager to hear socrates demonstrate that justice is worthy of pursuit as both an end and as a means to an end, offers to play devils advocate and oppose. We must guarantee that the themes advanced in the fictive arts be morally uplifting. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the republic, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Stories that portray hades domain as full of terror will be banned, as well as laments by heroes 386b. It seems like it is mainly plato complaining about homer and hesiod, coupled with some very strict views on censorship in the ideal state.
Socrates does not seem very attractive in these sections. Socrates adds that, because bravery in war is necessary, children must not be taught to be afraid of death. Naddaff develops this stunning argument through an extraordinary reading of plato s work. Chapter summary for plato s the republic, book 3 summary. Book censorship can be enacted at the national or subnational level, and can carry legal penalties for their infraction. Ramona naddaffs reading of plato s republic explicitly challenges two simple but nevertheless common, and therefore powerful, objections to the treatment of poetry in this dialogue. Censorship of literature texts and platos banishment of. The republics overall argument for censorship thus combines a particular conception of morality with religion and authoritarian politics. His stance is perhaps summarized in book ii of the republic by the phrase that literature may be either true or false, i. Plato s thinking about poetry in the republic is far from settled. A core talk dealing with the topic of plato and censorship.
Socrates argument for censorship of poets and storytellers in his city stems from the idea that people are impressionable, and are particularly impressionable at a young age. This extract is from the republic by plato, book iii 398403. The republic book iii summary and analysis gradesaver. Plato wrote the remainder of the republic in an attempt to provide an adequate, satisfying answer to this question. The burning of a book is a sad, sad sight, for even though a book is nothing but ink and paper, it feels as if the ideas contained in the book are disappearing as the pages turn to ashes and the cover and bindingwhich is the term for the stitching and glue that holds the pages togetherblacken and curl as the flames do their wicked work. He also accepts platos illiberal measures such as the censorship of literature. Davey naugle in christian scholarship may 31, 2001 plato s republic. He uses examples from arab history to illustrate just and degenerate political orders. He asserts that the beginning of any process is most important, especially for anything young and tender 377b. Questions on plato s republic books 2, 3, 7 book 2.