SYLLABUS: The Classical Mind

1 The Catholic University of America The School of Philosophy PHIL 201-xx (3 credit hours) The Classical Mind First Year Experience Syllabus, Fall 20xx __________________________________________________________________________________________ Meeting Time: Classroom: Instructor: Office Hrs: T-Th, 12:35-1:50pm Maloney Hall, Rm 018 Colin David Pears The Center for Academic Success, Pryzbyla Center, Suite 204 Office Phone: (202) 319-5655 E-mail: [email protected] Monday-Thursday 9:30am-5:00pm and by appointment Course Description: An introduction to philosophy, using the original writings of several philosophers from the ancient and medieval periods, with a more general consideration of the history of philosophy. Offered both semesters.—This course is meant to be an introduction to the field of philosophy by way of certain canonic philosophic texts. Students in this course will not only become familiar with the texts, but will also begin to recognize and address some of the primary philosophic themes present in the development of Western Civilization. This course is the beginning of a sequence of philosophy classes that will encourage students to identify and wrestle with issues, concepts, and questions that are fundamental to all human beings. Course Goals: The broad goal of this course is to provide exposure to philosophy within the context of Western tradition and to begin to orient students to the crux of a liberal arts education. This course therefore will utilize canonical philosophic texts situated in the history of philosophy to establish the structure and methodology of philosophical thinking. In addition to helping students develop an understanding of classical philosophy in the Western tradition, this course will help prepare first-year students for future studies in philosophy and other disciplines by focusing on the academic skills necessary to be successful at the university level of education. Ideally, the skills, abilities, and insights gained in this course will be transferrable to the students’ greater learning experiences. Students in this class will: § § § § § § Acquire a basic understanding of classical philosophy and culture and the origin of the Western tradition. Learn to engage with philosophic ideas and understand the logical arguments at work and their implications. Refine their ability to communicate ideas and arguments through both written and oral means. Develop their critical thinking ability by identifying, understanding, and evaluating an argument’s major assertions, its background assumptions and the evidence used to support its assertions, its explanatory utility, and its moral and ethical implications. Improve the clarity and precision of their thought, speech, and writing. Hone academic skills like essay development, argumentation, critical reading and thinking, oral communication, note-taking, and effective exam preparation. Course Requirements: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Regular reading assignments specified below, core concepts videos, AND class attendance and participation. Three synopsis papers (1 pg. each). One final paper (5-7 double-spaced pgs.), topic and outline approved by instructor. One mid-term exam and one final exam (see below for dates). A service learning project and a D.C. excursion project (details to be discussed in class). 2 Required Texts: 1. 2. 3. 4. Aristotle. Nicomachean Ethics. Trans., with Introduction and Notes, by Martin Oswald. The Library of Liberal Arts. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1962. Aquinas. Treatise on Happiness. Trans. by John A. Oesterle. Notre Dame: Norte Dame Univ. Press, 1983. Augustine. The Confessions of St. Augustine. Trans., with an Introduction and Notes by John K. Ryan. Image Books. Garden City, NY: Doubleday and Company Inc., 1960. Plato. The Republic of Plato. Trans. with Notes and an Interpretive Essay by Allan Bloom. Second Revised Edition. New York: Basic Books Inc., 1991. Suggested Texts: 1. 2. Prufer, Thomas. Recapitulations: Essays in Philosophy. Studies in Philosophy and the History of Philosophy, v. 26. Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 1993. Cropsey, Joseph, and Leo Strauss, Eds. History of Political Philosophy, third edition. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1987. Grading (total of 100 points): Exams: mid-term 10%, final exam 25% Final Paper: 25% (including approved topic and outline) Three Short Papers: 30% (10% each) Participation: 10% Schedule of Topics, Assignments, and Assessments: Week 1: Introduction Tuesday 8/31: Introductions, Class Details, What is Philosophy? Thursday 9/2: NO CLASS: University Mass and Picnic Week 2: Republic I Tuesday 9/7: How is philosophy carried out? In what environment? Are answers found? Thursday 9/9: Competing ideas of justice? What is justice? Why be just at all? Week 3: Republic II-III Tuesday 9/14: What is Socrates’ approach? How do cities relate to souls? The role of art in society? Thursday 9/16: The “Noble Lie” and “Myth of the Metals.” Week 4: Republic IV-V Tuesday 9/21: What is the best city? Is it virtuous? How does this relate to the soul? Thursday 9/23: The three “waves.” Who should rule? What distinguishes the philosopher? Problems? Week 5: Republic VI-VII Tuesday 9/28: The “Image of the Ship” and fallout from Book V. Thursday 9/30: The Theory of Forms and the “Image of the Cave.” Week 6: Republic VII-VIII Tuesday 10/5: “Image of the Cave” (Cont’) Thursday 10/7: Types of regimes: which is the best? worst? What do these regimes represent of the soul? Week 7: Republic IX-X Tuesday 10/12: NO CLASS (Administrative Wednesday) Thursday 10/14: Socrates’ description of tyranny. Discussion of Plato and Xenophon. 3 Week 8: Republic IX-X Tuesday 10/19: The “Myth of Er” and conclusions. Thursday 10/21: In class discussion and review. Week 9: MIDTERM and Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics Tuesday 10/26: MIDTERM EXAM Thursday 10/28: The Good for Man: Book I Week 10: Nichomachean Ethics (Cont’) Tuesday 11/2: Moral Virtue: Book II, Chapters 5-9, and Book III, Chapters 1-5. Thursday 11/4: Intellectual Virtues: Book VI, Chapters 1-13. Week 11: Nichomachean Ethics (Cont’) Tuesday 11/9: Friendship: Book VIII, Chapters 1-4, and Book IX, Chapters 1,2, 4-7. Thursday 11/11: Happiness: Book X, Chapters 4-8. Week 12: Augustine’s Confessions Tuesday 11/16: Confessions II: The point of Confessions? What do they provide for others? The pear tree? Thursday 11/18: Confessions VII-IX: Augustine’s path to conversion and what faith brings to his philosophy. Week 13: Augustine’s Confessions (Cont’) Tuesday 11/23: Confessions X-XI: Memory, Time, God, and Creation. Thursday 11/25: THANKSGIVING Week 14: Aquinas’ Summa Theologica Tuesday 11/30: Summa Theologica, Q. 1, Arts. 1, 5, 7, and Q. 2, Art. 6, and Q. 3, Art. 2 Thursday 12/2: Summa Theologica, Q. 5, Arts. 1-3, Q. 6, Art. 1 ***FINAL PAPER DUE 12/3*** Week 15: Aquinas’ Summa Theologica and REVIEW Tuesday 12/7: Summa Theologica, Q. 9, Arts. 3, 6, Q.12, Art. 1, (Handout: Synopsis of Q. 18-20) Thursday 12/9: REVIEW SESSION Week 16: FINAL EXAM: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16th 1:30-3:30 pm (IN THIS CLASSROOM) POLICIES: Reading Assignments and Due Dates: Students are expected to have each assigned reading prepared before coming to class—i.e., you must not only read the text at least once in its entirety, but you must have read it thoughtfully and/or critically. Use of Cliff Notes, Monarch Notes, Spark Notes, and other similar reading aids is emphatically discouraged. There are no substitutes for the required texts, and there is no substitute for the time and mental energy a student is to devote to them. Papers must be turned in by the beginning of the class in which they are due. Late papers will be marked down one whole letter grade (A to B, B to C, etc.) for each day they are late, unless explicit permission for an extension is given by the instructor. NOTE: extensions are only granted for truly exceptional circumstances, but it is always in your best interest to speak to your instructor directly, and sooner rather than later. Papers: All papers should be double-spaced and written in “Times New Roman” 12 pt. font, and should include your name, class and section, and the date. Final papers should include a “Title Page” with the title of the paper, your name, class and section, and the date ON THAT PAGE ONLY. Participation: Full credit will be awarded for the participation grade of students who are consistently attentive in class (indicated mainly by note-taking and question-asking), who successfully complete projects and assignments on time, and attend regular one-on-one meetings with the instructor. Each component that is incomplete may bring the participation 4 grade down. Class disruptions will especially detract from the participation grade (i.e., cell phone calls, texting in class, and other class disruptions). School of Philosophy Attendance Policy: The School of Philosophy maintains a uniform attendance policy for all Phil 201-202 courses. Attendance is required and will be checked on a daily basis. Attendance counts toward the assessment of the final grade in the following way: for classes meeting two days per week (such as this course), three absences will be tolerated without academic penalty. Each absence after the third will result in a reduction of three points of the total 100 points for the course up until the seventh absence, which results in failure for the course. For such a course (like this one), a maximum of six absences will be allowed without failure for the course due to absences. One absence is equivalent to one hour of class missed. No distinction in general is made between excused and unexcused absences. Please note that this policy is non-negotiable. Please also note that good attendance implies punctuality. If you are late to class and are marked absent, it is your responsibility to check with me in person after class to see that your attendance status is revised. Three late marks will be deemed equivalent to one absence (exceptions may be granted to students with a class that meets immediately before this one in a building on the other side of campus). In-class computer policy: Except for students with special needs, students should not use laptops or other computing devices in class. However, students who wish to use one nevertheless must get permission from their instructor. Students found to be instant messaging, e-mailing, or looking at any material inappropriate for class will be considered disruptive, their participation grade will suffer, and they may lose their computer privileges. Students viewing offensive content may be subject to further disciplinary action. Make-up assessments: Make-up assignments and assessments are permitted only for serious reasons beyond the student’s control. For instance, sickness, family crisis, or other unforeseen circumstances may warrant consideration, whereas oversleeping or poor preparation may not. These circumstances are at the discretion of the instructor; please see your instructor in person if you may need special consideration. Academic Dishonesty policy: Academic honesty is expected of all CUA students. Faculty are required to initiate the imposition of sanctions when they find violations of academic honesty, such as plagiarism, improper use of one’s own work, cheating, and fabrication. For undergraduate students the presumed sanction for academic dishonesty will be failure for the course. Circumstances may warrant a more serious sanction, such as suspension or expulsion. In exceptional cases, mitigating circumstances may warrant a lesser sanction than the presumed sanction. For the complete texts of the University policy and procedures regarding Student Academic Dishonesty, including requirements for appeals, see http://policies.cua.edu. Also, consult the School of Philosophy “Statement on Plagiarism” which will be distributed in class. In other words, presenting someone else’s work as your own constitutes plagiarism (whether the work of a published author, a web site, another student, etc.). It is academically dishonest and indicates a student’s unwillingness to engage in college level work. Using a “cheat sheet” or any unpermitted resource during an exam also constitutes academic dishonesty because it misrepresents one’s work and completely undermines the value of the exam. Therefore, students who plagiarize or cheat will most likely fail the course, although a different penalty may be warranted in certain cases, as explained above. Grading scale (based on the university grading system): Grade Meaning A Excellent AB+ B Good BC+ Satisfactory C (minimum to graduate) C- GPA Equivalent 4.00 3.70 3.30 3.00 2.70 2.30 2.00 1.70 Corresponding Percentage 95-100% 93-94 90-92 83-89 80-82 77-79 70-76 66-69 5 D F I W F Lowest Passing Failing Incomplete Withdrawal Administrative Failure 1.00 0.00 60-65 Below 60% Support for students seeking additional assistance (These offices exist to help you!): The Center for Academic Success 204 Pryzbyla Center 202-319-5655 [email protected] success.cua.edu Writing Center 111 O’Boyle Hall 202-319-4286 [email protected] english.cua.edu/wc/ For students with disabilities: Disability Support Services 207 Pryzbyla Center 202-319-5211 [email protected] disabilitysupport.cua.edu For students who seek counseling: Counseling Center 127 O’Boyle Hall 202-319-5765 counseling.cua.edu