5231005History of Western Philosophy (Special Lectures)
| Numbering Code | G-LET02 65231 LJ34 | Year/Term | 2022 ・ First semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Credits | 2 | Course Type | special lecture |
| Target Year | Target Student | ||
| Language | Japanese | Day/Period | Mon.5 |
| Instructor name | HAYASE ATSUSHI (Graduate School of Letters Associate Professor) | ||
| Outline and Purpose of the Course |
In this lecture I shall discuss Plato’s philosophical method of collection and division with a special reference to his /Cratylus/, a dialogue in which Socrates and his interlocutors discuss the correctness of names. After a general review on the method of collection and division, I shall carefully examine /Cratylus/ 421c3-427d3, the passage in which Plato explicates how one should apply this method in order scientifically to investigate the primary elements of names. Plato suggests that, if one wants to become proficient in a certain branch of science, one should investigate and teach various objects involved in that branch of science by applying the method of collection and division. Plato extensivley discusses this method in some dialogues chronologically posterior to the /Republic/, but the first application of this method can already be found in the /Cratylus/ which belongs to Group I dialogues (or the early dialogues). Plato famously calls this method “dialectic”, and considers it to be the central element of his philosophy. This method was inherited to Roman world through Aristotle and Academics, and was later established as the paradigmatic method for organizing and systematising each branch of science in the Western world. I shall give a detailed explanation of Plato’s method of collection and division in the first half of this lecture, and analyse the first application of this method in the /Cratylus/ in the latter half. The purpose of this lecture is clearly to understand Plato’s influential method of organizing and systematising each branch of science, and a difficult passage in the /Cratylus/ in which Plato applies this method to investigate the correctness of names. |
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| Course Goals | At the end of the term students will have a basic understanding of Plato's philosophical methodology, and will acquire basic skills for comprehending and critically examining various applications of methodology in the construction of Western science. | ||
| Schedule and Contents |
The lecture is organised as follows: The 1st session: Introduction The 2nd session: Review of problems The 3rd session: Expertise and methodology The 4th session: The method of collection and division (1): outline The 5th session: The method of collection and division (2): the procedure of difinition The 6th session: The method of collection and division (3): scientific analysis The 7th session: The method of collection and division (4): development after Plato The 8th session: The outline of Plato’s Cratylus The 9th session: Etimology and the elements of names The 10th session: The science of the elements of names (1) The 11th session: The science of the elements of names (2) The 12th session: The science of the elements of names (3) The 13th session: The science of the elements of names (4) The 14th session: The place of the application in the Cratylus in Plato's philosophy The 15th session: Review and feedback |
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| Evaluation Methods and Policy | Final term essay | ||
| Course Requirements | None | ||
| Study outside of Class (preparation and review) | Participants will be given a list of books and articles essential for understanding Plato's metaphysics. They are expected to prepare for the lecture by reading some of these books and articles in advance. | ||
| References, etc. | The Cratylus of Plato: A Commentary, Francesco Ademollo, (Cambridge University Press, 2011年), ISBN:9781108458276 | ||
