Essay #1 Draft: Close Reading
Contrary to popular belief, the stereotypical “real man” who never shows emotion does not reflect mature, developed behavior. It is easy to assume that if one does not show emotion, he/she is not present, and that by suppressing those emotions one can make them “go away.” Plato argues in “Republic,” his seminal work that describes his ideal city, that not only is suppressing the emotions of sadness, humor, or passion essential in a perfect society, but that the imitative arts, such as poetry, plays, and painting, evoke these emotions and thus have no place in his ideal city. However, the expression of emotion through the imitative arts is not only rational but also a valuable part of the ideal city. Plato makes the radical …show more content…
One of the main issues is that Plato uses his student Glaucon as a yes-man, who provides legitimacy to Plato’s one sided views without providing evidence. Plato assumes that the reader would be ashamed to act as the fool. The reason one would be ashamed to act as one would be the potential to be “regarded as a buffoon” by others (341; bk. 10, pt 606c). Is fear a rational emotion; is it a rational reason not to do a certain thing? Fear, by definition, is an irrational, primeval emotion. It is not justification for acting a certain way. Even if one were to be regarded as a buffoon by others, those that do regard are simply ignorant and uninformed, and thus would not be allowed in the ideal city. If those presumptions were true, and one was actually a buffoon, then oneself would not be allowed in the ideal city and thus would not face this predicament. If Plato values truth so highly, why does he justify a radial decision such as banning humor on mere appearance? Humor does not corrupt men – as causing one to “become a comedian” is not an inherently irrational thought (341; bk. 10, pt
Contrary to popular belief, the stereotypical “real man” who never shows emotion does not reflect mature, developed behavior. It is easy to assume that if one does not show emotion, he/she is not present, and that by suppressing those emotions one can make them “go away.” Plato argues in “Republic,” his seminal work that describes his ideal city, that not only is suppressing the emotions of sadness, humor, or passion essential in a perfect society, but that the imitative arts, such as poetry, plays, and painting, evoke these emotions and thus have no place in his ideal city. However, the expression of emotion through the imitative arts is not only rational but also a valuable part of the ideal city. Plato makes the radical …show more content…
One of the main issues is that Plato uses his student Glaucon as a yes-man, who provides legitimacy to Plato’s one sided views without providing evidence. Plato assumes that the reader would be ashamed to act as the fool. The reason one would be ashamed to act as one would be the potential to be “regarded as a buffoon” by others (341; bk. 10, pt 606c). Is fear a rational emotion; is it a rational reason not to do a certain thing? Fear, by definition, is an irrational, primeval emotion. It is not justification for acting a certain way. Even if one were to be regarded as a buffoon by others, those that do regard are simply ignorant and uninformed, and thus would not be allowed in the ideal city. If those presumptions were true, and one was actually a buffoon, then oneself would not be allowed in the ideal city and thus would not face this predicament. If Plato values truth so highly, why does he justify a radial decision such as banning humor on mere appearance? Humor does not corrupt men – as causing one to “become a comedian” is not an inherently irrational thought (341; bk. 10, pt