Syllabus - Ancient Philosophy

Boston University CAS PH300: History of Ancient Philosophy (Fall 2023) Professor: Dr. Shaun Miller (he/him/his) Class: MWF, 11:15 - 12:05, CAS B25B Office Hours: Tues./Thurs. 12:30pm - 2pm Room: 536B in the STH building Email: sdm81@bu.edu Course Description This course is a survey of ancient Greek philosophy, with an emphasis on Plato and Aristotle. Topics will include: the fundamental nature of reality, how we know anything about it, wisdom, virtue, and human happiness. We will examine, discuss, and write about various issues found in key ancient Greek philosophical texts, ranging from the pre-Socratics, emphasizing on Plato and Aristotle, and concluding with the Epicureans and the Stoics. While we will discuss major issues in metaphysics and epistemology, the main thematic focus will be on issues in the ethical and political views of the ancient Greek philosophers. This course is in the history of philosophy. The primary aim in a history of philosophy course is not to solve philosophical problems. It is to understand the philosophy in the period of history. Course Format Although the course is primarily organized around readings and lectures, students are encouraged 1 to ask questions and challenge ideas and there will be a number of opportunities for small group discussions as well as whole class discussions. Course Objectives: ● The course is designed to give a systematic introduction to the early beginnings of western philosophy. ● The course will focus on the relevance of ancient philosophy to contemporary philosophical concerns. ● Students will be required to read primary sources in translation. ● Students will be expected to understand the philosophical problems the ancient authors are addressing and the solutions provided. ● To improve your skills as readers, discussants, and writers. Required readings: ● Readings in Ancient Greek Philosophy, 5th ed., ed. Cohen, Curd, and Reeve (2016). ISBN: 1624665322 ● Hellenistic Philosophy, 2nd ed., ed. Inwood and Gerson (1998). ISBN: 0872203786 ● The Handbook or The Encheiridion, Epictetus, Trans. White. ISBN: 0915145693 (cover is white or red) Course Requirements: Discussion Board (20%): This will be done 30 times (of course, you can do more) and students choose the week. Each post will be a pass/fail. There is no deadline when you choose to submit something. As part of the discussion, you can come up with an original post, or engage with other members of the class. Rather than tagging posts to a specific reading or discussion prompt, I set up a number of open-ended forum topics that are used all semester. Students then decide to post something under the relevant forum as they see fit. Here are the open-ended forum topics: ● In-class Connections: Students are asked to draw parallels between different texts in the class, connecting dots between earlier and later material. 2 ● This Reminds Me Of . . . Students are asked to draw connections between my class and other classes they have taken or are currently taking. ● Put Another Way: Students are asked to repackage class material in new, helpful ways, such as analogies or infographics. ● Wait, what? Students are asked to discuss confusions and ask questions. This helps students develop skill in identifying and explaining confusion. It also gives other students a chance to help by answering questions. ● I disagree! Students are asked to argue with the material. This gives students a chance to raise objections, consider alternative points, etc. ● Very Interesting: Students are asked for pure expressions of interest. Show why it is interesting rather than just simply saying “it’s interesting.” ● I never thought about it like that: This is for documenting new perspectives, changed minds, etc. These discussions can help scaffold your final paper. I invite you to collaborate on the forum to work through your papers. You are also required to cite each other if you use another person’s ideas from the forum. Reportatio (15%): Since most of what we know about the Pre-Socratics, Aristotle, and the Hellenistic philosophers is through students’ notes, we are going to follow suit and do the same. This is still very common in German schools and universities, but not in the US. It dates back to medieval times. The name of the assignment comes from Latin: The reportatio is a student transcription of an original lecture by their teacher. The reportatio examinata is a student transcription that has been checked by the master for accuracy. Every student has to write three narrative essays based on what happened in one particular class period, including the main points from lectures and discussion, meaning to incorporate a mix of lecture and student discussion, activities, etc. in the class period. It’s similar to meeting notes, but in the format of an essay. The content is about what we talked about in class. You can choose when to do the reportatio but one must be from (1) Plato, (2) Aristotle, and (3) anyone from the Hellenistic period. The notes will be due one week after our lecture/class discussion. Here’s how to do it: ● Take good notes in class. ● Turn your notes into an organized narrative of the content presented by the instructor, and the main moves in the discussion. ● Do not just list bullet points or take brief meeting notes—you must explain, contextualize and organize what was said. In a way, make it into a story. ● Note: this could be used as a way to build into your final paper if you so choose. Oral Exams (40%): Students are expected to have four oral exams. Being able to explain things verbally is a skill that you’re likely to need in the future, whereas taking written exams is something that you’ll almost never do once you finish college. There is the value of “steering” a conversation (towards things you know better) if they give their own spiel, and how the ability to steer a conversation can be useful in job interviews, presentations, conversations with in-laws, etc. 3 The oral exam will be a casual conversation ranging roughly 10 minutes. The oral exam can take place either in my office or over zoom. If over zoom, please ensure you’re in a quiet area where there are no other people around, and the camera must be on. Here are a range of questions I may ask: ● True/False, ● “fill in the blank”, ● descriptive (e.g. explain Aristotle’s definition of the soul), ● comparative (e.g. compare Heraclitus’ view of reality with Parmenides’), ● evaluative (e.g. do you think Epicurus or Epictetus has a better view about “the good life”, and why). (These questions will be given in advance.) Depending on the student’s answers, I may ask clarificatory or factual questions or, on the other hand, more open-ended invitations to discussion. In the schedule, I’ll announce when the oral exam period starts and it must be done a week later. If students fail to show up for the oral exam or don't sign up for that week, they will receive an automatic F. Final Paper (15%): For this requirement, you can choose either the scaffolding paper OR the reflective application essay. Either way, it’s 11-13 pages. Scaffolding Paper (15%): You are to write a final paper on any topic you want. However, the paper will be built over time piece by piece. The end product is a sustained final paper. The paper will be scaffolded as the semester continues. ● Assignment 1 (DUE Oct. 6th): think of a topic you want to write about that pertains to the course. Broadly, what is the topic about? It doesn’t have to be detailed at this stage. Roughly, give me a few sentences to a paragraph. Write a bibliography of things to read. If necessary, I will include things in your bibliography that I think would be pertinent to your paper. ● Assignment 2 (DUE Oct. 16th): write one paragraph summaries of each article. ● Assignment 3 (DUE Nov. 1st): write an 800 word oped responding to one article. ● Assignment 4 (DUE Nov. 15th): write a three-page synthesis of your research. ● Assignment 5 (DUE Dec. 1st): write your contribution to the discussion (e.g., a policy proposal of your own for the problem, your own interpretation with textual evidence). However you contribute, I need to see your distinct voice in the paper and how you contribute something that is original. ● Overall final paper (DUE Dec. 18th): Your paper should incorporate all my feedback and be a coherent narrative rather than five distinct assignments. After each assignment, I will provide feedback. When you move to the next assignment, incorporate my feedback. These are all suggested due dates. You can, of course, hand in materials earlier. –OR– Reflective Application Essay (15%): Identify an area of speculation discussed by Plato onward where our contemporary culture still reflects on these problems. Research the primary texts in 4 which they identify a phenomenon and discuss the way they frame problems related to that phenomenon and discuss their explanation(s) or account(s). Take into consideration the background assumptions, competing theories, and the impact of limitations of technology on their theories. Briefly summarize and compare the ancient account and the modern approach to these problems. Here are some example speculations: ● Aristotle’s explanation of growth. How did Aristotle understand the phenomenon of change, and related phenomena of transformation? Did he improve on his predecessor’s theories? Did his view influence the modern scientific understanding of this phenomena? How have contemporary views of growth improved on Aristotle’s explanation? ● Plato’s conception of education. Did Plato understand education as a science, and if so, what kind of science? Or is it more of an artform? How did the education and schooling of ancient Greece affect his understanding of education? What are the most significant ways in which his conception of education differs from those of modern education? ● The Epicureans on social media. How do the Epicureans view engagement with the real world vs. the digital world? How did their views relate to their contemporaries’ and our culture’s thoughts on social media? What problems or advantages (if any) do they see? Does modern scientific research on social media support or undermine their conceptions of it as a good feature in society? ● The Stoics on emotional responses. How do the stoics see emotions? How did their views relate to their contemporaries’ and our culture’s thoughts on being emotional? Does modern scientific research on having an emotional life support or undermine their conceptions of human nature? ● Of course, there are lots of other types of speculative questions, but if you’re not sure, please feel free to discuss with me. The major portion of the paper will be your reflection on the ancient account and the modern approach to your chosen speculative question. It is engaging in the discussion and analyzing what they are saying. By focusing on a specific issue, it will force you to think along with the author, and detailing the issue and see what’s at stake. In short, don’t simply write your opinions or what you already think about a topic—instead, demonstrate through your writing that you are thinking about the issues. Be reflective with your thoughts as you’re writing about the reading. This can be turned in anytime but is due Dec. 18th. Participation/Attendance (10%): Philosophy is not based solely on writing and reading the material; it’s also figuring out your own beliefs and ideas on the topics. Therefore, discussions will be important in the class and it is expected of you to participate in order to truly philosophize. Philosophy isn’t just armchair thinking; it’s an activity that engages what you think, why you think certain ideas, and the reasons for them. This will apply to your writing as well. Justification for answers and explanations are needed. Talking, texting, or listening with headphones is unacceptable and is considered lack of participation. Education is not a spectator sport. What you get out of this class is dependent upon what you put in. Just as the best coach in the world can’t make you a winner if you don’t put in the effort to practice and train, good professors don’t “give” you an education - they help you develop the skills you need to educate yourself. Here are three ways to think about what this means for you: 5 Scratching the Surface There can be reasons why you can’t or won’t put the work in to really go deep, but you want to at least scratch the surface. That means you keep up with the readings, and come to class hoping to leave with a good idea of the basic gist of the material. You might even participate in discussion when you feel really moved, but mostly you are just letting things soak in. Surface scratchers rarely do better than 2-5% of the participation grade. Finding Your Grove You are reading each text closely and carefully (and more than once) in order to really understand what the authors are trying to tell you. You will also think about how each text relates to others, and how these issues pertain to practical considerations. You will come to class with thoughts and questions to share, and use class discussion to sharpen your own thinking about the issues at hand. You might even come to office hours to talk in more depth, or have conversations with fellow students about the material outside of class. Students will come out of this with at least a 6-9% participation grade. Engagement You read carefully and deeply, seeing points of agreement and contention, while spotting connections, themes, and crosscurrents with other texts. You will be identifying texts and authors for further reading, and perhaps even doing some of that reading. You will come to class with thoughts, criticisms, and questions, ready to challenge yourself, your peers, and your professor to sharpen our ideas. You will come to office hours to continue the conversation. You will see connections between the course content and movies, tv, music, other classes, books, etc. You are making the material your own the same way a musician owns her instrument, or a ball player owns the court. Students who really engage very likely come out with a full participation grade (10%). The breakdown goes as follows: Discussion Board (30 times) 100 points (20%) Reportatio (3 @ 25 points each) 75 points (15%) Oral Exam (4 @ 50 points each) 200 points (40%) Final Paper (75 points) 75 points (15%) Participation (50 points) 50 points (10%) 500 points (100%) TOTAL: 6 Letter grade/numerical grade conversion A = 93 – 100% (450 – 500 points) C+ = 77 – 79% (325 – 345 points) A- = 92 – 90% (400 – 420 points) C = 73 – 76% (300 – 320 points) B+ = 87 – 89% (385 – 395 points) C- = 70 – 72% (275 – 295 points) B = 83 – 86% (365 – 380 points) D = 60 – 69% (250 – 270 points) B- = 80 – 82% (350 – 360 points) F = < 59% (< 249 points) (Fail) There will be no option of doing work for extra credit because a student is unsatisfied with their grade on any of the tests or assignments. Statement on inclusiveness and respect Students in this class are encouraged to speak up and participate. Given the nature of philosophy, this means that sometimes people will express or defend views that others find absurd or offensive. It is important that students feel free to both express and defend their views without fear of reprisals and that they also feel free to disagree with and critique the views of others. Because the class will represent a diversity of individual beliefs, backgrounds, and experiences, every member of this class must show respect for every other member of this class. Excellence in critical discourse requires careful and generous listening as well as kind and considered responses. Academic Conduct All Boston University students are expected to maintain high standards of academic honesty and integrity. It is your responsibility to be familiar with the Academic Conduct Code, which describes the ethical standards to which BU students are expected to adhere and students’ rights and responsibilities as members of BU’s learning community. All instances of cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic misconduct will be addressed in accordance with this policy. Penalties for academic misconduct can range from failing an assignment or course to suspension or expulsion from the university. If you have questions about appropriate citations, please ask. I take plagiarism to be the most serious form of academic dishonesty. Ignorance is not an excuse for plagiarism. Plagiarism includes (but is not limited to): 1) Downloading papers from the web 2) Quoting from a book, article, website, movie, or lecture without proper citation 3) Paraphrasing an author’s work without credit 4) Copying the structure of another author’s work and “inserting” your own material without giving proper credit for the author’s influence 5) Taking someone else’s idea and claiming it as your own 6) Copying parts of websites and pasting them into your paper without citation 7) Dishonest conduct or dishonest correspondence with the instructor concerning work See the link for more details: www.bu.edu/academics/policies/academic-conduct-code/ 7 Attendance Policy Students are expected to attend each class session unless they have a valid reason for being absent. If you must miss class due to illness or another reason, please notify the instructor as soon as possible, ideally before the absence. View the attendance policy: www.bu.edu/academics/policies/attendance/ Absence Due to Religious Observance If you must miss class due to religious observance, you will not be penalized for that absence and you will receive a reasonable opportunity to make up any work or examinations that you may miss. Please notify the instructor of absences for religious observance as soon as possible, ideally before the absence. View the religious observance policy: www.bu.edu/academics/policies/absence-for-religious-reasons/ Bereavement In the event of the death of an immediate family member, you should notify your advisor, who will help you coordinate your leave. You will be automatically granted five weekdays of leave, and if necessary, your advisor will help you to petition the Dean for additional leave time. You may also request a leave of absence due to bereavement. Please contact your advisor, who will help you with the process. View the bereavement policy: www.bu.edu/academics/policies/student-bereavement/ Disability & Access Services Students with documented disabilities, including learning disabilities, may be entitled to accommodations intended to ensure that they have integrated and equal access to the academic, social, cultural, and recreational programs the university offers. Accommodations may include, but are not limited to, additional time on tests, staggered homework assignments, note-taking assistance. If you believe you should receive accommodations, please contact the Office of Disability & Access Services to discuss your situation. This office can give you a letter that you can share with instructors of your classes outlining the accommodations you should receive. The letter will not contain any information about the reason for the accommodations. If you already have a letter of accommodation, you are encouraged to share it with your instructor as soon as possible. Disability & Access Services 25 Buick Street, Suite 300 617-353-3658 access@bu.edu bu.edu/disability/ Educational Resource Center The Educational Resource Center offers tutorial assistance to all undergraduate students in a range of subjects. You are encouraged to explore the resources this office can provide. Educational Resource Center Yawkey Center for Student Services 100 Bay State Rd, 5th floor 8 617-353-7077 bu.edu/erc Grade Grievances If you feel that you have received an arbitrary grade in a course, you should attempt to meet with the grader before filing a formal appeal. If the student and the instructor are unable to arrive at a mutually agreeable solution, the student may file a formal appeal with the chair. This process must begin within six weeks of the grade posting. To understand how an “arbitrary grade” is defined, please explore the following link: www.bu.edu/academics/policies/policy-on-grade-grievances-for-undergraduate-students-in-bosto n-university-courses/ Incomplete Grades An incomplete grade (I) is used only when the student has conferred with the instructor prior to the submission of grades and offered acceptable reasons for the incomplete work. If you wish to take an incomplete in this class, please contact the instructor as soon as possible but certainly before the submission of final grades. To receive an incomplete, you and your instructor must both sign an “Incomplete Grade Report” specifying the terms under which you will complete the class. View the policy: www.bu.edu/academics/policies/incomplete-coursework/ Student Health Services Offers an array of health services to students, including wellness education and mental health services (behavioral medicine). ■ BU Student Health Services: bu.edu/shs/ ○ Student Wellness & Prevention: bu.edu/shs/wellness/ ○ Behavioral Medicine Office: bu.edu/shs/behavioral-medicine/ Medical Leave of Absence If you must take a leave of absence for medical reasons and are seeking to re-enroll, documentation must be provided to Student Health Services (SHS) so that, so that you may re-enroll. To take a medical leave, please talk with SHS and your advisor, so that they may assist you in taking the best course of action for a successful return. View the policy: www.bu.edu/academics/policies/withdrawal-leave-of-absence-and-reinstatement/ ISSO The International Students & Scholars Office (bu.edu/isso/) is committed to helping international students integrate into the Boston University community, as well as answering questions and facilitating any inquiries about documentation and visas. 9 If you do not study the readings well before class your performance will suffer, and you will forever regret this lost opportunity to expand your mind and truly grow as a person. But reading philosophy well is tricky, and rushing through the text 20 minutes before class won’t cut it. Take notes as you read. Write down questions. Look up unfamiliar terms. Note key conclusions and what arguments the author uses to support them. The author wants to convince you of something. What is it? Tentative Schedule of Classes: AGP = Readings in Ancient Greek Philosophy HP = Hellenistic Philosophy Date Topic and Events Sept. 6 Introduction and Syllabus Sept. 8 The Pre-Socratics: Thales, Anaximander, Anaximenes, Pythagoras, Xenophanes Sept. 11 The Pre-Socratics: Heraclitus, Parmenides, and Zeno Sept. 13 The Pre-Socratics: Empedocles, Anaxagoras, Leucippus and Democritus Sept. 15 The Sophists Sept. 18 Plato: Euthyphro Sept. 20 Plato: Crito Sept. 22 Plato: Meno (to 86c) Sept. 25 Plato: Meno (finish the dialogue) Reading Syllabus AGP: 7-19 Course Requirements AGP: 19-32 AGP: 32-59 AGP: 63-73 AGP: 80-90 AGP: 106-114 AGP: 145-157 AGP:157-166 10 Sept. 27 Sept. 29 Oct. 2 Oct. 4 Oct. 6 Plato: Republic I Plato: Republic II Plato: Republic III Plato: Republic IV Plato: Republic V AGP: 234-254 AGP: 254-271 AGP: 271-293 AGP: 293-311 AGP: 311-333 Oct. 9 INDIGENOUS DAY. NO CLASS. Plato: Republic VI INDIGENOUS DAY. NO CLASS. AGP: 333-352 Plato: Republic VII Plato: Phaedo (up to pagination 78b) Plato: Phaedo (up to pagination 95a) Plato: Phaedo (finish the rest of the dialogue) Plato: Parmenides AGP: 352-369 AGP: 161-179 Aristotle: Categories chap. 1-5 Aristotle: Posterior Analytics I. 1-3, II.19 Aristotle: Physics I. 7-8, II. 1-2 Aristotle: Physics II. 3, 8 AGP: 452-456 AGP: 464-468, 474-475 AGP: 477-484 AGP: 484-485, 489-491 AGP: 543-546, 546-550, 552-553, 573-576 AGP: 512-516 Oct. 10 (Tues.) Oct. 11 Oct. 13 Oct. 16 Oct. 18 Oct. 20 Oct. 23 Oct. 25 Oct. 27 Oct. 30 Nov. 1 Aristotle: Metaphysics I. 9; IV; VII. 1-2; XII. 6-9 Nov. 3 Nov. 6 Nov. 8 Aristotle: De Anima I. 1-2, 4; II. 1 Aristotle: De Anima II. 2-5, 12 Aristotle: De Anima III. 4-5, 10 Nov. 10 Nov. 13 Aristotle: Ethics I. 1-5 Aristotle: Ethics I. 7-9, 13 Nov. 15 Nov. 17 Aristotle: Ethics II. 1-7, 9 Aristotle: Ethics VII. 1-3 Aristotle: Friendship Chapter VIII Aristotle: Friendship Chapter IX Nov. 20 AGP: 179-189 Oral exam #1 Due Oct. 6 Assignment #1 Due (if you are doing the Scaffolding Paper) Assignment #2 Due AGP: 189-201 AGP: 419-425 AGP: 516-523 AGP: 524-526, 528-529 AGP: 578-580 AGP: 580-585 AGP: 585-593 AGP: 611-615 and ONLINE READING ONLINE READING Oral exam #2 Due Oct. 27 Assignment #3 Due Oral exam #3 Due Nov. 20 Assignment #4 Due 11 Nov. 22-26 Nov. 27 Nov. 29 THANKSGIVING BREAK Epicureanism (Physics and Epistemology) I-30-31, I-67-69, I-77-87, I-104 Epicureanism (Ethics) THANKSGIVING BREAK HP: 3-5, 72, 81-87, 93 HP: 28-31, 36-40, 95-102 Dec. 1 Epicureanism (Ethics) cont. I-25 HP: 60-61 Dec. 4 Stoicism: On Philosophy, Theory HP: 110-111, of Knowledge II-4, II-5, II-6, II-7 124-126 Dec. 6 Stoicism: Ethics HP: 203-217 (stop at 10) Dec. 8 Stoicism: Epictetus The Handbook of Epictetus Dec. 11 Stoicism: Epictetus (cont.) The Handbook of Epictetus Dec. 13 Stoicism: The Passions HP: 217- 219 (stop at 11a); 197-203 Dec. 15-21: Oral exam #4 Assignment #5 Due Dec. 18: Scaffolding Paper OR Reflection Application Essay Due 12