In writing The Republic, Plato invents a form of moral thinking: using reflection on ideal structures to illuminate our ordinary moral landscape. His suggestion has been taken up by novelists at many different "distances" from ordinary life.
We all take our moral bearings partly from spaces and times that we judge to particularly good or right or satisfactory. In this first writing assignment, think about your ideal spaces, occasions, situations, and try to explain the moral commitments that they embody for you. The assignment sheet can be downloaded here: Download file