Observations on the Writing Profession in The Republic by...

Questioning of the Writing Profession Plato’s The Republic For all the time today’s students spend learning to write well, Plato is skeptical of those who spend their lives crafting words. In the tenth chapter of The Republic, Socrates condemns poets as imitators. In the dialogue that bears his name, Phaedrus wonders whether words in the constructed rhythms of speech or poetry will obscure Truth, the philosopher’s ultimate goal. Speech-writing is just the clever use of rhetorical device, poetry is faulty imitation, and both empty voices can deceive us. Eventually, though, Socrates admits that the work of words deserves our effort. Because he is a writer himself, Plato’s criticism of the writing profession rings hollow: It’s not†¦show more content†¦At best, writing can only serve as a reminder to those who already know (277E-278A). But philosophers are knowledge seekers whose search depends on the acknowledgment of ignorance. In a letter to Robert Browning, Elizabeth Barrett Browning once wrote that the f ullness must be in proportion to the vacancy—a vacancy the speechwriter rarely realizes, according to Socrates.2 Most speeches enable the writer and his audience to nod agreement to what they know already: Those [speeches] that are recited in public without questioning and explanation, in the manner of rhapsodies, are given only in order to produce conviction (Republic 277E-278A). Writing assumes the knowledge of its audience and reaffirms it. If there is no vacancy, writing cannot fill it. But by his stringent critique of all written verse and prose, Professor Socrates shows us what he expects of his students’ essays. They should ask questions. They should explain a new point of view, not repeat one that is worn out. As he puts it, writing should help readers remember from the inside, completely on their own (275A). Most importantly, the purpose of writing should not be equivalent to the purpose of thought. When a rhetorician finishes an address, he has nothing more to say. But a real writer’s job is to keep seeking knowledge along with his readers. Like good dialogue, good writing educates continuously. Such an education might be complex, but it does notShow MoreRelatedParadox of the Republic2782 Words   |  12 Pagesopposition to one another but are mutually needed to function. In Plato s Republic he discusses several paradoxes. While reading The Republic we can see which side of these paradoxes Plato favors. We find which side he feels should be stressed so that we may live in a reasonable and safe society and be better human beings. There are three categories in which these paradoxes have been divided into: ethical, metaphysical and political. Plato was a legendary Athenian philosopher. 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