Mod1Utopia

Worldview of Sparta:

• Militarism
• Survival
• Domination

Plutarch: The Life of Lycurgus

Spartan Government:

“Utopian” reforms

• Currency, land distribution, messes (everyone eats together) and “superfluous” art
• Social hierarchy; role of women; sex
• Militarism, Education, Marriage & Eugenics (control birth and reproduction)
• Treatment of Helos (slaves)

Plato

Plato’s Life

• student of Socrates (first moral philosopher)
• trying to find the best political system
  • not a fan of Athen’s democracy since it killed Socrates (for perverting the youth of Athens), prefers Sparta
• the Socratic Method (to ask question)
• Voyage to Syracuse
• the Academy
  • taught things like metaphysics, philosophy, etc.

Plato’s Utopian works

• The Critias (Atlantis)
• The Republic (Kallipolis)
• The Laws (Magnesia)

Plato’s Worldview

• Idealism vs Dualism
• Doctrine of Forms
• Art and representation (mimesis)
• Allegory of the Cave
• Tripartite soul
• Deviant Constitutions (alternate)
  • Aristocracy (nobles)
  • Timarchy (soldiers)
  • Democracy (people)
  • Tyranny (one)
• The Afterlife
  • Plato’s intention isn’t to make this life better, it is for us to reach the “light of truth” like Socrates did.

Atlantis: From Utopia to Dystopia

because of desire for wealth

Critias the Elder > Solon > Egyptus, Flood 9500, Atlantis/Athens