PHIL301 -- Ancient Philosophy -- Fall 2014
Click here for the syllabus.
Scroll to bottom for newest entry. Please check this page frequently for announcements, assignments, web links of interest, and so on.
9/6/10: To begin with, here are some sites you ought to get to know. Our
department web site includes this
list of student research tools (with some amusements at the bottom).
Note especially William Stephens' guidelines
for paper writing.
I'll be mentioning this: the famous painting
"The Death of
Socrates" by Jacques-Louis David (1787). (Updated with
meme goodness)
Totally Optional Plato Movie:
I used to assign intro classes to watch the 1998 film A Simple Plan, and
then write the following paper: "Plato
argues that by being unjust, one harms oneself, and that to look after oneself
properly requires justice. According to the theory Plato develops, being
just and virtuous is one’s self-interest, and being unjust and vicious is
destructive of the self, not likely to promote one's happiness. Do you
think the movie A Simple Plan
is a dramatization of this theme? Why or why not?" You don't have to
do this assignment, of course, but you may enjoy the movie, and you may find
that it does indeed show this. In 2006, instead of assigning students to
write on this theme, I decided to write on it myself, and, should you be
interested, the essay appears in the book The Philosophy of Neo-Noir,
edited by Mark T. Conard (Univ. Press of Kentucky, 2007). Here is a
pdf of the essay here, but see the movie first -
you can get it from Netflix, e.g. (Note-you may have to rotate the PDF, it
scanned sideways. Go to "view"; "rotate"; counterclockwise)
Your paper, however, is on another aspect of Plato, and is due in just
over two weeks. Here's the
assignment:
Assignment for First Paper:
Even though this will be submitted electronically, the paper should be formatted
as if for printing: 6-8 pages, double-spaced, in Times New Roman, 12-point, with
1-inch margins on all sides. Do not submit incorrectly formatted papers. Put
your name, date, and "PHIL301" on the top right of page 1, and number the
pages. Use MS WORD, and submit electronically, as an attachment sent from
your bridgew.edu email account. This is due in my inbox NLT 9:00 am Tuesday,
October 28. (See the link above William Stephens' writing guide for useful
tips.)
Topic: Central to understanding anything else in Plato is his theory of
Forms. What are the Forms? Consider at least two of Plato's arguments
discussing the forms: the one in the central books of Republic, and one other, perhaps
(but not necessarily) the one in the Symposium.
Compare, critically analyze, and evaluate these arguments, and say first of all
what you take Plato to be saying, and second of all whether you find this
persuasive.
UPDATE: 11/18 - Optional readings on Aristotle you may fine illuminating, amusing, or both:
Here's a way to think about Aristotle's ethics via
Seinfeld.
Here's a way to think about Aristotle's ethics via
The Lord of the
Rings.
Assignment for Second Paper:
Paper should be 6-8 pages, double-spaced, formatted in Times New Roman, 12-point, with
1-inch margins on all sides. Your name, date, and "PHIL301" top right.
Do not submit incorrectly formatted papers. Again, see the link above to William Stephens'
writing guide.
Use WORD, and submit electronically as an attachment sent from your bridgew.edu email account. This is
due in my
inbox NLT 10:00am, Monday, Dec 15.
Topic:
CHOOSE ONE:
1)
Explain Aristotle's criticism of Plato's understanding of the relationship
between universals and particulars. What does Aristotle suggest instead?
All things considered, which is more plausible and why?
OR
2) Explain the role of practical reason in Aristotle's account of human virtue,
friendship, and flourishing.
