Plato and the Homeless: An Introduction

Tom Gahl (A&S ’04) found a new activity to conduct on a rainy day at the homeless shelter at which he volunteered: discussing Plato. One might reasonably expect this activity to have been too challenging for the group of men, considering that “homeless men have an average reading ability equal to that of a 5th grade student (maybe even lower).” But Gahl found that with some background information on the more complex concepts of metaphysics, truth, and the human soul, the men were able to place themselves in Plato’s allegory of the cave. What resulted was a lively discussion on how Plato’s themes were intelligible to them through their own experiences: “homelessness, alcoholism, drug abuse, fear, lack of knowledge and skills.” Gahl draws two conclusions from his activity. First, he writes that “I am not sure anyone started living a better life because of our activity, but nobody can tell me, or the guys, that Plato is not applicable to everyday life, even for homeless people.” Within this statement there is the certainty that philosophy truly centers on and is applicable to common life experience; rather than mere abstractions, philosophy offers tangible considerations of the experienced world. Second, Gahl writes that “to say philosophy is universally accessible is almost an understatement.” If those lacking in formal education and even in intellectual skill can make a connection, then surely an overwhelming majority of those interested can. These two points, the relevance and accessibility of philosophy, comprise the starting point for this project.

Although this thesis has survived many changes of form and content, the preliminary goal remains the same: to create an accessible project for people who fear philosophy. Philosophy, for those who study it, provides a useful exploration of life and experience. For those who do not study it, it can remain a complex and confusing set of abstractions with little or no connection to the world and everyday life. This project implicitly affirms the relevance of philosophy to everyday life and even suggests its immanence in common experience. As a consequence, the style of the writing intends to be discursive in style while remaining analytical in method. In addition, the content and form reflect the goal of showing philosophy’s relevance to typical experience.

The content of this thesis is twofold. It contains analyses of philosophy and analyses of film. The philosophy is that of Michel Foucault, specifically his philosophy of power as presented in History of Sexuality: Volume One and Discipline and Punish. Foucault’s method of research makes these texts particularly useful. By following Nietzsche through the use of a genealogy, Foucault writes about subjects common to many civilizations. Whether through experience or through media coverage, most people are familiar with sex and with crime and punishment. By selecting common ideas that many people experience, Foucault can approach a difficult concept (power) through appealing and accessible research. Likewise, film provides viewers with an entertaining method of approaching philosophical concepts. Popular films are certainly based on real life scenarios but can also offer artistic portrayals of complex ideas. In many ways, a fine film is a model for a project that seeks to connect great ideas with real life in an accessible way. For these reasons this thesis includes analyses of popular films, connecting them with Foucault’s ideas as presented in the earlier chapters. Ultimately, the content will provide a route to Foucault’s idea of power.

The form of the thesis will also be twofold. First, there will be a long paper typical of a research project. It will include screenshots from the films and will be accompanied by a DVD containing the scenes referred to in the text. The thesis’ truer and more creative form will be that of a video weblog. The website will present the writings of Foucault in juxtaposition with the exegesis of this paper and the pertinent video clips. It will be an open forum for anyone to view and anyone to contribute to. The site, and therefore the project, will be decidedly subject to the power and knowledge immanent in the many rather than the one. If Foucault is correct, it could not be any other way.