Syllabus: Philosophy 281-01: Ancient Greek Philosophy

Fall Semester, 2008

Professor Drew A. Hyland

McCook 324: Phone 2426

Office Hours: Tuesday, 1:30-4:00 pm or by appointment

Email: Drew.Hyland@Trincoll.edu

Website: http://www.trincoll.edu/~dhyland/

Class Blackboard Site: http://bb.trincoll.edu

Books:

Hyland: The Origins of Philosophy

Sachs (trans.): Plato: Theaetetus

Brann et al (trans.): Plato: Phaedo

McKeon (ed.): Introduction to Aristotle

Assignments:

Tue., Sept. 2:                Introduction

Tue., Sept. 9:                Hyland, Origins, Introduction, Ch. 1-3; 1-144

Tue., Sept. 16:              Hyland, Origins, Ch. 4; 145-178

Tue., Sept. 23:              Hyland, Origins, Ch. 5, 6; 179-236

Tue., Sept. 30: Hyland: Origins, Ch. 7-10; 237-342

Tue., Oct.7:                  Trinity Days

Tue., Oct. 14:               Plato, Theaetetus

Tue., Oct. 21:               Plato, Theaetetus

Tue., Oct. 28:               Plato, Phaedo

Tue., Nov. 4:                Plato, Phaedo

Tue., Nov. 11:              Aristotle, Metaphysics, Books I, XII

Tue., Nov. 18:              Aristotle, De Anima, Bk. I, ch.1; Bk. II, ch. 1-4; Bk. III, ch. 4-9

Tue., Nov. 25:*            Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Bk. I, II

Tue., Dec. 2:                Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Bk. III, ch. 1-5; Bk. VIII, ch. 1-8; Bk. IX, ch. 4-12; Bk.X, ch. 6-9

·        This is the Tuesday evening before the start of Thanksgiving vacation.  Assuming many of you will need to leave that Tuesday, I propose that we have this seminar the previous Sunday evening, Nov. 23, at the regular time and place.  Alternatives will be considered in the first class.

Required Work:

1.      Class Discussion: This is philosophy: no one has the “last word” on the issues we will discuss.  We will all benefit from each others’ insights.  You therefore have an ethical responsibility to share your insights, questions, criticisms, etc. with the class.  16% of Final Grade.

2.      Three 5-page typewritten papers, one on some aspect of the presocratic philosophers, one on some aspect of Plato, one on some aspect of Aristotle.  You will be expected to consult secondary sources for your paper and include discussion of and reference to them in your paper. You should consult me about your topic before writing your paper.  The first paper is due October 7, the second paper is due November 11, and the third on December 9.   60% of the final grade.

3.      Protocols: Every other week, each student must come to class prepared with a 1-2 page discussion paper to present to the class.  This protocol should address aspects of the previous week’s class that you find especially important, challenging, or problematic.  They should not be summaries of the entire discussion.  We will begin each class with the presentation of one or two protocols, whose purpose will be to orient the previous week’s material with the assignment for the evening.  Protocols will be collected at the end of class.  24% of Final Grade

N.B. No Late Papers.  If you do not hand in a paper at the time it is due, you will receive a failing grade for that paper. 

N.B. Attendance: If you have an utter contempt for learning and are here to waste large amounts of your parents’ money, you may miss class whenever you choose.  Let me assure you, your grade will reflect those absences, as you cannot do well if you miss class.  But of course, you also have a contempt for grades.