Syllabus: Guided Studies 211: Philosophical Themes in Western Culture 

Fall Semester, 2008

Professor Drew A. Hyland

            McCook 324: Phone extension: 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:

           West (ed.): Four Texts on Socrates

            Cobb (trans.): Plato: Symposium and Phaedrus: The Erotic Dialogues

            McKeon (ed.): Introduction to Aristotle

            Cress (trans.): Descartes’ Mediations

            Hatfield (ed.): Kant’s Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics

            Rauch (trans.): GWF Hegel: Introduction to the Philosophy of History

Assignments:

Wed., Sept. 3:              Introduction

Mon. Sept. 8:               Plato, Apology

Wed., Sept. 10:            Plato, Apology

Mon., Sept. 15:            Plato, Symposium

Wed., Sept. 17:            Plato, Symposium

Mon., Sept. 22:            Plato, Symposium

Wed., Sept. 24:            Plato, Symposium

Mon., Sept.29:             Aristotle, Metaphysics, Bk. I, Ch. 1-3; Physics, Bk. II, Ch. 1-3

Wed., Oct. 1:               Aristotle, Metaphysics, Bk. XII, ch. 6-10

Mon., Oct. 6:               Trinity Days

Wed., Oct. 8:               Aristotle, De Anima, Bk.I, ch.1; Bk.II, ch.1-4; Bk.III, ch. 4-9

Mon., Oct. 13:             Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Bk. I

Wed., Oct. 15:             Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Bk. II

Mon., Oct. 20:             Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Bk. III, ch. 1-5; Bk.X, ch. 6-9

Wed., Oct. 22:             Descartes, Meditations, Introductory passages, Meditation I

Mon., Oct. 27:             Descartes, Meditations, II

Wed., Oct. 29:             Descartes, Meditations, III

Mon., Nov. 3:              Descartes, Meditations, IV

Wed., Nov. 5:              Descartes, Meditations, V, VI

Mon., Nov. 10:            Kant, Prolegomena, Introduction, pp. 1-31, 137-155

Wed., Nov. 12:            Kant, Prolegomena, 32-78, 156-191

Mon., Nov. 17:            Kant, Prolegomena, 79-115, 191-211

Wed., Nov. 19:            Kant, Prolegomena, 116-136

Mon., Nov. 24:            Hegel, Philosophy of History, 3-40

Wed., Nov. 26:            Thanksgiving

Mon., Dec. 1:               Hegel, Philosophy of History, 40-82

Wed., Dec. 3               Hegel, Philosophy of History, 83-106

Mon., Dec. 8:               Hegel, conclusion

Required Work:

1. Participation in class discussion.  This will include both the formal classes led by me and the once-per-week informal discussion sessions led by the mentor.  The primary measure will be quality, though high quality is usually occasioned by regular participation: 15% of final grade

2. Protocols: every week each student will bring to class a 2-3 page discussion of some aspect of the material covered in the previous class.  We will orient each class in relation to previous classes by reading aloud and discussing one or two protocols each class.  These protocols should also raise questions that remain from the previous class’s discussion and reading.  The protocols will be collected each class. 15% of final grade.

3. Two five-page typewritten papers, the first, due October 22, on some aspect of our study of Plato or Aristotle, the second, due November 24, on some aspect of Descartes, or Kant.  If possible, the papers should be submitted via email attachment. 40% of final grade.

4. Final Examination.  30% of final grade.

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

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.