Philosophy Dialogue With Plato, Aristotle, and Augustine
Instructions:
• Write a 10-12 page dialogue script between yourself and 3 of the philosophers we have covered in this class
• Ideally these philosophers will be from different time periods
Format:
• The paper should be standard format (12 pt font, 1 inch margins, page numbers.)
• The proper spacing for a script is single space within a dialog, double space between speakers.
Writing prompt :
• Imagine that you are hiking on a mountaintop (Or any other setting you choose...).
• You are speaking with 3 of the philosophers we have studied at DIFFERENT points in class.
• The four of you start to discuss how to set up a society and achieve the good life.
• In this discussion, you debate the following topics
1. Who are we (humans) at our core?
2. What kind of rule/govt should we choose? Who should hold power?
3. How could justice be achieved?
4. How do we best handle material/economic concerns?
5. What advice do you and our philosophers have for a US President, so that he/she may better achieve these goals in the US?
What I am looking for:
• clear presentation of the individual philosophers viewpoints
• insightful comparison and contrast of the philosophers as a group
• natural flow of dialog, without there being a lot of filler or “fluff”
• Your own personal insights (Remember that this dialog is between 3 philosophers and yourself. You have an active role)
Options for completing this assignment
This assignment is focused on the ideas presented by the philosophers. The prompt asks you to imagine yourself hiking. The setting, however, is not central to the project, so you may chose any setting you want. You may also take liberties with the philosophers and their lives , as long as the ideas of the philosophers are portrayed accurately. Bascially, you are welcome to be creative and have fun with the project. Over the years, I have received many different kinds of papers. Here are a few examples:
The philosophers are participants on the Dating Game, and the Bachelorette is British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
John Locke and Karl Marx are a same sex couple hosting a dinner party. John Locke is a civil and gracious host, while Karl Marx gripes about all the money they are spending on a lavish meal
The philosophers are together in family therapy
The philosophers are all characters on Friends. The girl who wrote this paper took the role of Phoebe. She "sang" her philosophical ideas to the tune of Smelly Cat
The philosophers have engaged in all kinds of setting. They fought Zombies; were members of the mob, played poker, got on Discord, hung out at Starbucks, and were stranded on Lian Yu....
In the sample student paper, the philosophers were drunk and had no money for Uber, so they called the writer to take them to IHop at 3 am....
You are not required to be creative or take liberties. You are graded on the adherence to directions and the clarity /thoroughness of the ideas. So don't feel any pressure to be creative...have fund with it only if its fun for you.
Here are a list of philosophers to choose from:
Plato
Aristotle
Augustine
Aquinas
Hobbes
Locke
Rousseau
Marx
Mill
Student
Instructor
Course
Philosophy Dialogue With Plato, Aristotle, and Augustine
I walk with Plato, Aristotle, and Augustine towards the car park. As we walk, the three old men appear to seem to be cheerful and all merry. It is almost the new year, and the weather in tropical countries like it is very warm. We are on our journey to Mt. Kenya. We will be taking a three-day hike until we reach the peak of the mountain. As I ponder what we should do on our way to Mt. Kenya, I decide to start a conversation about key philosophical issues affecting our scout. Before the driver could enter the car, every person requests a bottle of water. Probably they sensed that they would talk for long as we head to Mt. Kenya. Since I was the driver, I decided to make the sharing exciting and somewhat philosophical. There are many things I wanted to learn about philosophy, and I figured this is an opportune moment to learn from Plato, Aristotle, and Augustine.
Me: (After starting the car) Without a doubt, I believe that I only have humans on board.
(Deep sighs are heard from the seats behind, probably, the three were considering what I meant by the statement. Plato breaks the silence)
Plato: As long as all of us have certain qualities, we cannot assume that we are all humans.
Augustine: Yes, I agree with you. Humans must possess certain virtues, which I believe are given by God.
Plato: What do you mean when you say that virtues come from God?
Augustine: Based on biblical doctrines, it is the man who has fallen from the state of holiness. He no longer desires goodness. In the fallen nature, man's only ambition is to do evil. Selfishness is the natural inclination of man, and none desires to do good.
Me: (Posing a question to Augustine) If what you are saying is true, does it mean that even what we do as a human is evil?
Augustine: (He gazed at me with a serious posture, appearing to be in deep thoughts) If you would want to know more about these issues, you need to study the biblical doctrine and the church history.
Aristotle: (Aristotle was silent when they were exchanging their views. After getting the gist of the discussion, he interrupted. He seemed to have been figuring out what to say, maybe because his teacher, Plato, was present). I do not believe that God gives people virtues. While I acknowledge God's place and religion in human life, it is wrong to consider we humans are powerless and all we have come from him.
Plato: (Picks up after Aristotle) I acknowledge that human is both body and soul. However, to place responsibility on God when he can do that is wrong. Man has two separate entities, the body, and the soul. Of these two, the soul is nobler. The concern of man must be centered on the goodness of the soul, and it is the soul that initiates certain decisions.
Aristotle: (Clears his throat) I do not believe that God is the one who gives people virtues. Man, as an individual, has a moral obligation to act in the best interests of all people. Even when faced with a dilemma, it is essential to identify relate the issues and decide based on the best choice.
Me: (I wanted to know more what Plato and Aristotle mean when they say 'god') Augustine has said that God is the giver of virtues. What do you mean when you say God in your case?
Aristotle: Personally, I am very subjective, and I believe in science. Everything that follows is known. God is an abstract being, and there is no way we can prove whether he exists or not. It is simply a matter of faith.
(Plato ignored to respond to my question, maybe because his views were closer to Aristotle's. There was a long silence after Aristotle made his remarks).
Augustine: (Takes a deep breath) I believe that God created humans as perfect. When we consider the power and authority of God, no subject will dare to trust them in order to come out alive. When we consider man's nature before they rebelled against God, they were naturally good, and their free will was aligned to choose good rather than evil. I agree with Plato that the human soul has power over the body, but that was before the fall. However, after man sinned against God, we can only choose evil. Before the first fall, men were able to take a stand and choose good, unlike now, when the priority is placed on material things. Although free will still exist, there was never an option to choose what was good in the eyes of God.
Aristotle: Thank you for the sermon, Augustine. You want to persuade use buy into your religious forms.
Augustine: Absolutely! I'd rather all of you would become like me. I tell you the truth, and nature offers a general sense of Christian duties that each of us must carry while living here. However, the fact that we ignore and choose our own way.
Plato: Well, Augustine. Do you imply that we are all humans because we choose evil over good?
Augustine: Yes, when our souls are never redeemed from the power of sin, its fallen state, we can never do anything good, and that makes us sinners. However, redemption from this condition comes when someone confesses and believes in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Plato: In this case, you imply that the ability of the human soul to reason rationally through issues is not realistic. Right?
Augustine: Yes, this is because the most important aspect of someone's life is the will. When the will is bondage to immorality, one will act according to its nature, and vice versa?
Me: If I get you well, at the core of human nature is the will and soul, but they will determine what someone does.
Augustine: yes, you are right.
(There was a prolonged silence. We had driven for about 60 km now, and we still had a long journey to reach our destination. I was feeling excited that Augustine, Plato, and Aristotle were traveling with me. It is great to invite people who may be interested in sing and performing from their stage. I started to consider what kind of people we should choose as our political leaders? Should we focus on Christians?")
Me: Now that we know what is at the core of humans, what kind of people should lead us?
Plato: Political truth is usually based on subjectivity. With a failed morality system, politics will also not favor the common people. Therefore, I believe that those who rule must be moral people.
Me: Thank you, Plato. Augustine, is there anything that you firmly believe influences how effective a ruler will be?
Augustine: (Coughs) I believe that humans must live in peace. If there are any chances for people to avoid conflict, such courses must be pursued. Every form of injustice must be addressed promptly. The leader must be able to protect his people from oppression. God designed all people to live together in peace, and justice to prevail. Fallen man can choose to live in society according to the divine will or against it. All that man chooses to do; they must know that God will judge and repay everyone according to their deeds.
Plato: (Reacting to Augustine's remarks) I agree with Augustine that people must live in peace. However, this cannot be attained through religion. In a society that has conflictin...