POLI 240 Lecture 9: 9
10 Apr 2016
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A lie is rally useless to the gods, but useful to human beings as a form of drug (pharmakou). It is clear that it must be assigned to doctors, whereas private individuals must have nothing to do with it. Rulers may lie, but not anybody else. So what is justice: we do not know yet, but it is coming. Shift from content of stories to styles of storytelling. Narrative: dithyram (choral song to dionysus). A single individual cannot imitate many things as well as he can imitate one. Imitations, if they are practiced much past youth, get established in the habits and nature of body, tones of voice, and mind. Guardians must imitate only good persons, nothing else. Certain musical modes correspond to certain emotional and physical states. Only those appropriate for imitating the vocal sounds and tones of a courageous man in battle and at peace. The flute is banned, the lyre is not.
