When I wrote the review of the Garrison book, I mentioned that I taught a Sunday School class in 1960-61. Upon reflection, that was a very good class, I thought. I taught a small group of high school students. We began with Plato's Republic. Because they did not have the book, and they were not going to do homework, I would have one, and then another, read some of the dialog in Books 1 and 2 of the Republic. The question was, 'What is Justice?". but it could easily be reformed into what is righteousness? what is the good? The book begins with rather simple definitions, that Socrates quickly shows these to be contradictory. Then more complex definitions. And then the question of why bother with this, because justice and righteousness is simply the interest of the stronger. From there I knew the rest of the book would take too long to present Plato's answer to some of these challenges, so I tried to sum up his position.
Next in class we read the book of Job, or much of it. This poses the question, what can happen to the just or righteous person? It is poetic, and not necessarily rational, but interesting.
Finally we read only one chapter of Dostoievski's Brothers Karamazov - The Grand Inquisitor chapter. It is a story within the novel and can stand alone. The point is, do people want righteousness? Or truth? When they can have magic and mystery instead/
At the time I thought it was an excellent and thought-provoking class. I still tstand by that observation.
I had an eye operation 2 days ago and my sight is not yet that good. Please excuse any typing errors. Hugh Murray
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