With reference to both (i) the Myth of the Hawk and the Nightingale and (ii) the nature of the divine rule that Zeus establishes after the War with the Titans, how does Hesiod explain the nature of rulership or power?
The take-home assignment (aka Test #1) is based on four long-answer questions.
Clearly identify which question you are answering.
Each question should be answered in clear prose writing, like a mini essay, but do not add any introductory nor concluding remarks – just get straight to the point.
Each answer should be roughly 3/4 a page to 1 and 3/4 pages in length, so that the total assignment should not exceed roughly five pages.
You are being marked on both (i) the accuracy of your explanations of the course material and (ii) the clarity by which you are able to explain this material in your own words.
You may use quotes from the readings to support your answers, but this is not necessary. It’s fine just to refer to relevant parts of the readings and describe things in your own words.
QUESTION ONE:
With reference to both (i) the Myth of Pandora and (ii) the Myth of the Five Races, how does Hesiod explain our lot in life? That is, identify what principle Hesiod uses to explain our suffering or our lot in life, explain it in your own words, and explain how these two myths illustrate it.
With reference to both (i) the Myth of the Hawk and the Nightingale and (ii) the nature of the divine rule that Zeus establishes after the War with the Titans, how does Hesiod explain the nature of rulership or power? That is, identify what principle Hesiod uses to explain the nature of rulership or power, explain it in your own words, and explain how these two myths illustrate it. (The two points of this question go together, so it’s a good sign if you see that Hesiod is making a similar point in both cases!)
QUESTION TWO:
What is the Problem of the One and the Many? Explain it in your own words.
How does the work of the Presocratics, as we studied it in class, illustrate or present the Problem of the One and the Many? Explain this in your own words, and refer to at least the work of the Milesians in giving your answer. (You may also refer to Heraclitus and/or Xenophanes if you wish.)
QUESTION THREE:
Explain in your own words the distinction between intelligibles and sensibles. That is, explain what intelligibles are, what sensibles are, and how they are similar and/or different.
Explain in your own words how the fields of mathematics and astronomy relate to the distinction between intelligibles and sensibles. In your discussion of astronomy, explain two different ways that we might understand what it is that astronomers study. (This should really just illustrate the answer you gave to the first point!)
QUESTION FOUR:
What is Diotima’s Ladder? Explain it in your own words. Do not just list the “rungs”, but explain to me what the “ladder” is describing and what its significance is, as if I had never heard of it, and then explain how the rungs illustrate or carry out its purpose.
How do love and beauty relate to the distinction between sensibles and intelligibles? In your answer, you may draw conclusions from what you’ve already explained about Diotima’s Ladder and it may also help to refer to Diotima’s mythological account of love.
