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In Plato’s Phaedo, Socrates offers four arguments to demonstrate
the immortality of the soul. In lecture, three of these arguments were described
as:
1.
The argument from
opposites (including the argument from existential balance)
2.
The argument that all
knowledge is recollection
3.
The argument from the
nature of the soul vs. the nature of the body
In Chapter 2 of his Office of Assertion, Scott Crider explores the
method of ‘inventing’ or ‘discovering’ arguments by detailing the rhetorical tools
of (1) the syllogism/enthymeme and (2) the topics of invention, including:
Definition, Comparison, Relationship, and Testimony (see Class 23 slides and
Chapter 2 of the Crider text).
Choose one of the above arguments Socrates develops for the immortality
of the soul:
1)
Identify at least one
premise essential to the argument’s conclusion which you find questionable
(i.e. open to debate) and why you find it questionable.
2)
Answer whether you think the
premise (and thus conclusion) of Socrates’ argument is made persuasive by
Socrates through his use of syllogisms, enthymemes, and/or at least one of the following
topics of invention outlined by Scott Crider: Definition, Comparison, and/or
Relationship.
3)
Articulate your answers
to questions 1) and 2) as your thesis argument.
4)
Demonstrate your thesis
argument through:
a.
Development: Expand upon
the reasons for your thesis argument through defining the terms you and
Socrates are using and explaining how you and Socrates are interpreting them.
b.
Explication/Testimony: Quote
a passage in Plato’s text that substantiates your claims and explain it
through:
i.
Analysis: Make clear how
the passage supports your claim
ii.
Synthesis: Through
referring to at least one other passage in Plato’s Phaedo,
explain how the meaning you have derived from the passage is related to and/or
reflected in Plato’s general discussion about the immortality of the soul.
Your
response should be in paragraph form and approx. 350-500 words in length. It
should begin with your Thesis argument (Part 3) followed by your Demonstration
of it (Part 4) through Development
and Explication/Testimony
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