A
Dialogue Concerning An Undergraduate Seminar in Classical Philosophy
Philosophy 3310
Spring 2016
Dr. Anne-Marie Schultz
TR 2:00-3:15 105 Morrison
“Humanity consists of the Bible and the Greeks. All the rest is
dance."
Emmanuel Levinas
"The safest generalization that can be made about the history of
western philosophy is that it is all a series of footnotes to Plato."
A.N. Whitehead
“For it is owing to their wonder that
human beings both now begin and at first
began to philosophize.” Aristotle
Please tell me a bit about
this course.
First of all, welcome to the world of
Classical Philosophy. I’m so glad you decided to take this class.
I’m excited also, but I am wondering exactly what we’ll study in
this class.
Here’s a description of what we’ll explore together.
Over two thousand years ago, ancient thinkers like Thales,
Anaximander, Anaximenes, Xenophanes, and Sappho began to wonder about the
nature of the world around them. They searched for answers about the structure
of the cosmos and the meaning of human experience. In many ways, they were no
different than the average person who has such thoughts today. We live in a
world where we are bombarded with choices about how to communicate aspects of our experience with others. These
thinkers lived long before there were
blogs and Facebook feeds and Twitter streams.
Their mental landscape was uncluttered by constant texting and email and
cell phone use. However, like us, they longed to communicate. In some
cases, even before there was the written
word itself, these thinkers began to
share their ideas about how the world and human experience appeared to
them. They created the horizon of
philosophical inquiry itself. As the
centuries passed, Heraclitus,
Parmenides, and Pythagoras added their insights to this burgeoning philosophical
conversation. Decades later, the atomists, the sophists, and Socrates debated
the nature of the human soul and the existence of the good. Plato furthered
these conversations by writing great philosophical masterpieces like the Symposium, the Republic, and the Apology.
Aristotle carried these inquires further with his Nicomachean Ethics, Politics,
and Metaphysics. The conversations
recorded in these various texts become the foundation of western philosophical,
social, and political thought. Of
course, there are many voices that remained outside of this conversation but
none the less played important roles in shaping what we know as the practice of
philosophy. To the extent
possible, we’ll try to uncover some of
these lost philosophical voices.
That sounds
pretty cool. I can’t wait to be a part
of this conversation. What books will we read?
We will start the semester with
the presocratic thinkers. Their writings
are for in A Presocratics Reader, 2nd
Edition Edited, with Introduction, by Patricia Curd. Translations by Richard D. McKirahan and
Patricia Curd
ISBN-13: 978-1-60384-305-8.
We will then turn our attention to the
sophists and Plato. You’ll find the sophists writings in in the Presocratics Reader. We’ll also read
some passages from Plato that describe the sophists. When we turn to Plato, we’ll start with the
Allegory of the Cave. That’s available on line. I’ll also provide Allan Bloom’s
translation. In addition, please buy Plato’s Protagoras. Translated by Stanley
Lombardo and Karen Bell ISBN: 0-87220-094-9 and Plato’s Symposium Translated,
w/Introduction and Notes by Alexander Nehamas and Paul Woodruff ISBN: 0-87220-076-0.
The Trial and Death of Socrates or Five
Dialogues will round out the readings for Plato.
We will spend the last part of the semester
with Aristotle. Buy his Nicomachaen Ethics Edited and translated by Roger
Crisp ISBN: 978-0-521-63546-2
Do I have to buy those exact editions and
translations?
There are benefits to working
with the same translation in that the one’s I’ve picked. They are good translations. Also, the syllabus
will have page numbers from these particular editions and translations. if you have other translations
that is also fine, most of these texts also have line numbers that you can use
for reference. Also, we
can learn a lot by comparing how
different translations change our understanding of the texts.
So in sum, having the text is
more important than having a particular version of the text.
Are there any recommended
texts and sources to enhance my understanding of the course material?
Yes. Please visit the class blog at classicalphilosophyseminar2016.blogspot.com
regularly. I post outlines and links to useful sites and articles regularly. It
is also where all your blogs will be listed in a single space. In addition, consult the Stanford
Encyclopedia of Philosophy, at http://plato.stanford.edu/. The
Perseus Project offers abundant primary source material. Find them at http://www.perseus.tufts.edu. My favorite
secondary source on the Presocratics is Nietzsche’s Philosophy in the Tragic Age of the Greeks.
Do you lecture a
lot?
I will lecture a bit from time to time, but, by and large, this
class will follow a seminar format. You might wonder what makes a seminar
format different from a regular class format.
Well, in fact, I
was wondering just that.
It is a good question. I see you are really getting the hang of this
philosophy as dialogue already. Here are four answers to that most excellent
question. First, the class is discussion-centered rather than lecture-based.
Though I’ll lecture some during class, generally we will read through the texts
together and discuss them together. Second, your philosophical interests shape
the direction the class will take. Seminars require your active involvement. Third, there are no quizzes and no
exams. Fourth, you will make two
presentations to the class. Fourth, you will keep a semester long philosophical blog. Fifth, you write a final seminar paper.
Wait a minute.
What did you say about there being no exams?
That’s right. No exams. I don’t like to give exams. I don’t like to
grade them. You don’t like to take them. I don’t think they are a valuable use
of our collective time together. I’ve created other assignments aimed at deepening
your understanding of the philosophers we study. For example, you will keep a
philosophical blog. You will give a
class presentation on a pre-socratic philosopher (15-20 minutes). You will write a seminar paper in which you
explore some aspect of another pre-socratic philosopher or Plato or Aristotle’s
thought. You’ll also make a brief (12-15 minute) presentation on your seminar paper to the class.
Will you provide
me with more detail about these
assignments?
Yes. We’ll go over what is
expected about blogs during the first couple classes. I’ll give you a detailed description of what
is expected of you and a grading rubric for each of the assignments as the time
to do them draws nearer.
Great.
I’m really excited about the opportunity to approach this class in
this sophisticated way. I hope you enjoy it as well.
How can I get in
touch with you outside of class?
Here’s some information about my Office
and Office Hours: I am generally in my BIC office (101 Morrison)
on Tuesdays and Thursdays. My office hours are by appointment. Please contact Mildred_Hubbard@baylor.edu to
schedule an appointment with me. The best way to get in touch with me is via email
at Anne_Marie_Schultz@baylor.edu. I try to answer all email within a few hours.
Wow. That’s
impressive.
Thanks.
So, I know we are supposed to be into this
love of wisdom thing for its own sake, but I’m really pretty focused on getting
a good grade in this class. And I’m now a little worried about this no exam
thing.
That’s understandable. Grades
are important, not as important as the intrinsic love of wisdom or becoming a
life long learner or finding your soulmate or ascertaining your vocation or
knowing God, the nature of the soul, and
other abiding truths of the cosmos, but
important nonetheless.
Well, how is my grade determined for this class?
There are 1000 points possible. If you
earn 900 or above you get an A, and so on down the line…
How do I earn these points?
You earn points by completing
various assignments in the class. Your overall grade will depend on how well
you do on the assignments that I mentioned above (along with participation and
attendance.
Would you mind presenting me
with that information in a chart
form? Sure. .
Attendance and Participation
|
150 points
|
Graded weekly
|
10 points a week.
|
Semester
Long Philosophical Blog
|
350 points
|
Graded weekly
|
25 posts total, up to 14
points per post.
|
Pre Socratic Presentation
|
100 points
|
Due at various dates around
the middle of the semester
|
You’ll be graded on the
content and style of your presentation, your use of Powerpoint,
Prezi or really good use of the board and a handout for us all)
|
Final Paper Abstract
|
50 points
|
Due March
31
|
250 word description of
your final paper project
|
Draft of seminar Paper
|
100 points
|
Due April 14
|
1000 words of your final paper.
|
Critique of seminar paper
|
50
|
Due April 21
|
You’ll be graded on how
much feedback for improvement you give to your critique partner.
|
Final Paper
|
100
|
Due on day of final exam.
|
|
Final Presentation
|
100
|
Due at various dates during
the last three weeks of class
|
You’ll be graded content and style of your
presentation, your use of
Powerpoint, Prezi or really
good use of the board and a handout for us all.
|
Will you
tell me a bit more about each of the assignments?
Yes, I will in the FAQs for
each assignment. I find that it is helpful
to have these FAQs closer to the time you begin to work on the
assignments. Right now, the main
assignments are blog posting and
attendance and participation, so we’ll cover those FAQs on the first
day.
I have
another question. How do I know what I need to read for each day?
That’s easy. Just consult the Class Calendar.