In the second episode of this season of Vital Remnants, Dr. Gary Gregg begins by comparing Plato’s philosophical assumptions about the origin of communities with those that have shaped the modern understanding, including the views of Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau (5:11). Gregg then dives into the creation of Plato’s city and discusses the origins of war (13:20), the need for guardians, and the question of who will guard against them. Plato’s metaphor of the “noble puppies” is examined along with the education of the guardian class (17:57). Other key topics include censorship (24:22), “The Noble Lie” (32:37), culture and corruption (34:28), music (44:01), and the very important relationship between politics and culture (47:40). Dr. Gregg ends with highlights of what will be covered in Target 3 (53:19).

Target 2 Reading: Books II, III, & IV pp. 40-103 of "The Republic of Plato", 2nd edition, translated by Allan Bloom (Basic Books, 1968 and 1991).

Download Dr. Gregg’s Guide to The Republic here

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Intro: Bridget Kim
Host: Dr. Gary L. Gregg II
Editor: Connor Tracy
Music: Selected from http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Damiano_Baldoni/