PHIL 301 Plato and Aristotle – Fall 2008

Syllabus – keep handy for reference

Dr. Aeon J. Skoble

341 Tillinghast, x2460

Email: askoble@bridgew.edu Web: http://webhost.bridgew.edu/askoble

Office hours: M 10-11, TTH 1:45-2:45, or by appointment

Texts:

Plato, Complete Works, ed. by John Cooper (Hackett Publishing)

Aristotle, Selections, ed. by Irwin and Fine (Hackett Publishing)

Overview and objectives:

Some trendy but superficial critics of philosophy have noted the prevalence of dead white males in the canon. In this class we will devote ourselves to the study of the deadest of them all, the ancient Greek philosophers Plato (427-347 BC) and Aristotle (384-322 BC). One objective of the course will be to see why we continue to bother doing this. One reason might be “there’s enduring wisdom therein”; another might be “their influence shaped the development of western philosophy and is still felt today” – we shall see whether or to what extent these are true claims. More specifically, the main objective of this course is to give the intermediate or advanced philosophy student a firm command of the basic ideas and arguments of Plato and Aristotle, and where possible, Socrates (470-399 BC), who wrote nothing, but of whom we have many first-hand reports and who was very influential on the development of Plato’s thought and, in ways we will see, all subsequent philosophy through 529 AD.

We will devote almost exactly half the semester to Plato and half to Aristotle. In the first half, we will begin with Plato’s relationship to Socrates, and read some dialogues concerned with the very nature of philosophy and its relation to religion, literature, custom, and so on. We will then look very closely at the Republic, which is a comprehensive work dealing with justice, epistemology, ontology, psychology, and art. We will then read some of Plato’s writings on love, sex, and friendship. We will also consider some excerpts from dialogues concerning truth, relativism, knowledge, reasoning, and cosmology. In the second half of the semester, we will begin with some of Aristotle’s writings on the nature of thought and reason, and consider ways in which his methodology differs from that of Plato. We will examine his theories on motion, change, causality, ontology, teleology, psychology, and cosmology. Then we will read his Nicomachean Ethics, which deals with happiness, virtue and vice, and friendship. We will supplement that with his observations about social living, and we will conclude with a look at his theory of art if time allows.

Where time permits, I will draw your attention to either Pre-Socratic antecedents or Hellenistic follow-ups to the material we are covering. I may post additional readings to the course web page from time to time, or distribute a handout.

Requirements:

The 100-point-scaled grade will be comprised of 2 papers, each 6-8 pages in length (45 points each), plus active participation in class (10 points). Fair warning: Plagiarism of any form on written assignments is not tolerated. You will receive an F in the course, and I will recommend to the Dean that you be expelled.

“Active participation” implies that regular attendance is itself also a requirement of the class. This is a reflection of the fact that the primary vehicle for learning the material is the class itself, of which you should see yourself as a part. Obviously there is such a thing as a good reason to miss class, but please be sure you limit your absences to such occasions. Absences in excess of three will result in reduction of your grade. Excessive lateness will count as absence. You are expected to have done the readings and be prepared to comment on them in class. If you do have to miss class, it is your responsibility to get the notes, and any announcements or additional assignments, from a classmate. (On the other hand, if I am late, it almost certainly means I am ill – call the department office at x1258 to find out.)

Adjustments to your grade will be made for both constructive participation in discussions and disruptive behavior, as well as for excessive absences. What is “constructive participation,” and how is it different from “disruptive behavior”? Consider how arguments in a courtroom or legislature take place. Vigorous and passionate disagreement is expressed, but in an atmosphere of civility, courtesy, mutual respect. Decorum matters in those contexts, because that is what enables the coexistence of dispute and civility. There is a difference between philosophical argument (which is cooperative and constructive) and belligerent bickering. You should feel free to ask questions of me and of your classmates, and to agree or disagree as you see fit, but you must strive to maintain an atmosphere of civil discourse, meaning, first, distinguishing between attacks on an idea and attacks on a person, and second, observing some of the ground rules of civilized society. Cell phones, laptops, pagers (and preferably hats) should be off, eat and drink quietly and discreetly, don’t read the newspaper or do homework for another class, don’t go to sleep.

Other useful tips:

*I will have a web page for this class. On the top of my home page look for a link to “PHIL301”.

*Make use of my office hours, and don’t hesitate to make an appointment if the posted times are not convenient for you. In any class, don’t wait until it’s “too late” to seek help. If you’re having trouble, let the professor know and show you are concerned. Don’t expect a full recap of the entire semester’s work the day before an exam. Come to office hours with definite questions, concerns, or problems in mind. Don’t wait until you arrive to think about what you need help with.

*Never ask “Did I miss anything important in class the other day?” Of course you did. I recommend the “buddy system.” If you do have to miss class for some reason, get your buddy’s notes and see what you missed first, then come and ask me questions. Also, you are responsible for all notes missed and all announcements made, and the buddy system is your best avenue for seeing to this.

* Please don’t ask for “extra credit.” If you have time for an extra credit project, you have time to work hard on the regular assignments. That’s how you can bring your grade up. Hand in all assignments on time, and do not ask for extensions or make-ups, except under the most extraordinary circumstances. Late papers will suffer grade reductions.

*On a more positive note – Enjoy yourself! This class is meant to stimulate your mind, to provoke you, to challenge you, to shake you up a bit. The fact that there is real work ahead does not mean you cannot enjoy it. Keep a positive attitude, do your work, follow the guidelines, put in real effort, and you should get a lot out of the class and enjoy it.

*If you’re finding the subject matter interesting, consider getting involved with the BSC Philosophy Club, which is student-run and meets periodically, independent of faculty oversight. You might also consider the advantages of Philosophy as a major or minor. It offers excellent preparation for a variety of careers, especially law, public policy, and management. I will make one announcement about this later in the semester, but feel free to speak to me or any of my colleagues about it at any time.

*The department maintains a web page, which contains links to useful resources, fun philosophical diversions, and information about coming events of potential interest. Go to http://www.bridgew.edu/philosophy and have a look around!

*It is my sincere hope that you do not view this class as a burden, but as opportunity to explore some of the fundamental questions of life, to grow as a person, and to become better acquainted with some of the ideas that have, for better or worse, shaped our world. If you enjoy taking this class half as much as I enjoy teaching it, you’ll have a blast.

Outline:

The basic outline for the course will be as follows, subject to change as necessary. This gives us 6 weeks for each figure.

Sept 4: Introduction – why study this material? Socrates-Plato-Aristotle: bios

Sept 9-11: Plato: Apology/Euthyphro/Crito/Phaedo (nature of philosophy, religion, custom, law, etc.)

Sept 16-18: Republic (justice)

Sept 23-25: Republic (w/ excerpts from Meno) (justice, knowledge, reality, the soul)

Sept 30-Oct 2: Republic (w/ excerpts from Statesman) (justice and politics)

Oct 7-9: Symposium/Phaedrus/Lysis (love, friendship, sex)

Oct 14-16: Gorgias/Protagoras (excerpts) (reasoning and relativism)

Oct 21: Aristotle: Categories, Topics (how to think, part 1) (no class 10/23)

Oct 21: First paper due (4:00pm)

Oct 28-30: Physics, Metaphysics (motion, causation, change, the actual and the potential)

Nov 4-6: Physics, Metaphysics (realism and nominalism; how to think, part 2)

Nov 12-13: De Anima (the nature of the human soul or psyche; teleology) (NB-W=T)

Nov 18-20: Nicomachean Ethics (happiness and virtue)

Nov 25: Nic. Ethics (happiness, virtue and vice) (11/27-Thanksgiving)

Dec 2, 9: Nic. Ethics w/ excerpts from Politics (friendship, society) (no class 12/4)

Dec 18: Second paper due (11:00am)