Phil 375 – Ancient GreekPhilosophy -- Spring 2019
Metropolitan Sate University
Syllabus (Note: this is the syllabus handed out on the first night of class. Check the schedule below for updates and corrections)
Writing assignments ((Note: These assignments are carried over from the last time I taught this course. They probably won't change much, but check back for updated versions before you write your papers.)
First Position Paper assignment (updated for Spring 2019)
Second Position Paper Assignment (updated for Spring 2019) - new due date is Saturday, April 13 by 10 AM -- submit your paper as a Word doc attached to an email.
Resources on Ancient Philosophy:
Paper writing guides:
Tentative schedule of Assignments
Date |
Topic |
Reading (Note: DR = The Dream of Reason by Anthony Gottlieb; AGP = Readings in Ancient Greek Philosophy edited by Cohen, Curd and Reeve. |
Writing assignments due |
Jan. 16 |
Introductory Session |
Plato's Euthyphro, in class (in AGP) |
|
Jan. 23 |
Pre-Socratic theories about the nature of things |
DR, Intro and Chapters 1-8 (skip a few, if you are pressed for time); AGP, pp.1-57 (read the introduction and then whatever looks interesting to you - just to get a flavor of the kind of fragmentary texts we have left to us from this period) |
Response paper |
Jan. 30 |
Socrates: The man and his method |
Apology, Crito in AGP pp.153-191 (4th edition), pp.90-114 (5th edition); Meno in AGP, just the first part pp.241-249 (4th), pp.145-151 (5th); last few pages of the Phaedo; DR, Chapters 9 and 10 to page 150. |
Response paper |
| Feb. 6 |
From Socrates to Plato |
DR pp.150-167 (skip the last section of Chapter 10), 176-188 (first sections of Chapter 11); Meno (2nd part) AGP pp.249-254 (4th edition), pp 152-157 (5th edition); Phaedo in AGP pp. 267-319 (4th), pp. 166-201 (5th) |
Response paper |
Feb. 13 |
Plato on justice |
DR pp.188-193; Republic Bks II, III, and IV, AGP pp. 398-482 (4th ed.), pp. 254-311 (5th ed.) |
Response paper |
Feb. 20 |
Plato on knowledge and the Forms |
DR pp.193- 200; Republic Bks V, VI, and VII, AGP pp.515-566(4th ed.), pp. 311-368 (5th ed.) [minimally read 473b-480a and 504d-518d]; Symposium 210a-212c, AGP pp.355-357(4th ed.), pp. 225-227 (5th ed.); Aristotle, Metaphysics 987a28-987b13, AGP p.805(4th ed.), p.542 (5th ed.); review Phaedo 74a-76e |
Response paper |
Feb. 27 |
Aristotle: four causes and unmoved movers |
DR pp 229-261; selections from Physics, AGP pp. 732-764 (4th ed.), pp. 475-496 (5th ed.); [minimally, read Bk II, Chs 3-8 and Bk VIII, Ch. 6] |
Response paper; |
March 6 |
Spring Break |
No Class |
|
March 13 |
Aristotle: mind, body and will |
DR pp.240-241; selections from De Anima Bks II and III, AGP pp.851-869 (4th ed.) pp. 515-529 (5th ed.) and Nichomachean Ethics Bks III and VII, AGP pp.890-901, 913-919 (4th ed.), pp. 593-599, 611-615 (5th ed.) |
Response paper; First position paper due |
March 20 |
Aristotle: virtue and happiness |
DR pp.273-284; selections from Nichomachean Ethics, Books I, II, and X, AGP pp. 870-890 and 919-929 (4th ed.), pp. 578-593 and 616-623 (5th ed.) |
Response paper |
March 27 |
Plato, Aristotle and Politics |
DR pp.200-212; Republic Bks VIII and IX (AGP pp. 567-615); selections from Aristotle's Politics (handout), plus AGP pp. 930-937 (4th ed.), pp. 623-639 (5th ed.) -- if you have the fifth edition, you don't need the handout/online selection, because those passages are included. |
Response paper |
April 3 |
Therapeutic Arguments |
Nussbaum, The Therapy of Desire, Chapter 1 |
|
April 10 |
Aristotelian Therapy |
Nussbaum, The Therapy of Desire, Chapters 2 and 3 |
Response paper; 2nd position paper due by 10 AM on Saturday, April 13 |
| April 17 | Epicurean Therapy |
Nussbaum, The Therapy of Desire, Chapters 4 and 5 |
Response paper |
| April 24 | Skeptic Therapy |
Nussbaum, The Therapy of Desire, Chapter 8 |
Response paper |
| May 1 | Stoic Therapy |
Nussbaum, The Therapy of Desire, Chapters 9 and 10 |
Response paper; |
3rd position paper due by 10:00am, Wednesday, May 8