Plato’s Laches and the Nature of Courage

PAPER ASSIGNMENT #1: PLATO’S LACHES AND THE NATURE OF COURAGE

Write a paper of 1000-1500 words on the topic described below. Due by 11:59 pm on Friday, September 18. Assignment should be submitted as an attachment via Blackboard, in some document format that Blackboard can read and display properly. (.doc, .docx, and .pdf files work; .pages files do not.)
The paper must be a minimum of 1000 words: I will not accept a 999-word paper for credit. I also reserve the right to reject papers that reach 1000 words only by means of egregious word-padding (for example, including 500 words of quotations or totally irrelevant material).

TOPIC:
Both Laches and Nicias offer a definition of courage, only to have that definition refuted by Socrates. Choose as your topic either Laches’s definition and subsequent debate with Socrates, or Nicias’s definition and subsequent debate with Socrates—not both.Do not try to cover both Laches’s definition and Nicias’s definition: there isn’t enough space.
First,explainyour chosen interlocutor’sdefinition of courage, andat least one of Socrates’s objections to that definition. Second, offer your own original philosophical response to this debate, and argue for your position.
What I mean by “your own original philosophical response” is that you should take your ownposition on the question the two speakers are debating about (namely, “What is courage?”), in a way that responds to or builds off of their debate.
Questions for brainstorming your original philosophical response: Do you think Socrates’s objection to the proffered definition is a good one, or not? Can you refute Socrates’s objection, and thereby defend his interlocutor’s definition of courage? Or, do you think Socrates’s objection is a fair one, but one that could be avoided if his interlocutor tweaked his definition a bit? Do you think the interlocutor’s basic insight is good, but that his position should be modified slightly? Or do you have a view about what courage is which is different from either Laches’s or Nicias’s, and if so, what do you think courage is? Why is your definition better than the view (either Laches’s or Nicias’s, not both) that you chose to discuss?
Don’t try to answer all of those questions! There’s not enough space. Those questions are just to get you thinking.

GENERAL GUIDELINES:
Your paper must include the following distinct sections:
1) A brief introductory paragraph which ends with a thesis statement
2) An expositionsectionwhich explains the particular argument in the Laches you have chosen to discuss. The exposition should include at least 2 quotationsfrom the text, cited by page number.
3) An original argumentative section in which you argue for your own position (the one stated in your thesis)
Your paper’s thesis should not be mere summary or description of some aspect of the Laches, but must instead state your own position. It should state a potentially controversial, non-obvious position. And the paper (or at least the argumentative section of the paper) should serve to argue for that position.

REFLECTIONQUESTION:
When you turn in your paper, after attaching the document, scroll down and write an answer to the following questions in the “comments” box:
What aspects of this paper do you think are particularly good, or are you particularly proud of? What aspects of this paper do you think might be particularly weak, or are you particularly worried about? Did you especially struggle with any particular aspect of the paper? Do you have any questions or worries for me? Is there anything that you tried to do that was new for you?
Answering the reflection question is a required part of the assignment, but any thoughtful response of at least a few sentences will suffice. You don’t need to answer all of those questions if they’re not all relevant.