On Virtue
The first philosophical text I read was Plato’s Republic in PHL201 at Portland State a little over a year ago. PHL201 serves as an introduction to the realm of difficult philosophical texts, something that I was not prepared for. If you’ve ever read Descartes, Rousseau, or Plato, you’d expect that I’d be a bit let down as a new philosophy major expecting to discuss “the meaning of life,” and other stereotypical topics of the like. My critique of the Republic was quite harsh, and I’ve not cracked it open since. Plato’s dialogic style doesn’t do much for me. Sure, the way that the text unfolds is somewhat like a drama, a story that mirrors the topics discussed within; and each paragraph can be broken down to reveal true unparalleled literary genius… perhaps these things are only enjoyed by people smarter than I. I found his style to be drawn out, repetitive, and frankly a waste of paper. I feel similarly about his philosophical claims; few withstood the scientific revolution. Some ...