Philosophy 201 Spring 2003

History of Philosophy: Ancient and Medieval

Instructor: Will Heusser

Email: wheu@charter.net

Webpage: http://www.cypresscollege.edu/socialscience/faculty/wheusser

"The safest generalization that can be made about the history of western philosophy is that it is all a series of footnotes to Plato." Whitehead

1. Contact: Office Hours at Humanities 277 are Mondays and Wednesdays 11:00-11:30pm and 2:00-2:30pm plus Tuesday and Thursday 11:30-12:30pm and 2:00-2:30pm. In addition, I am available by appointment. My office phone is 714.484.7010. Keep in mind I am able to respond much more quickly to email. I can also be reached via Campus Mail in the Social Science Mail Room (2^nd Floor Humanities).

2. Prerequisites: None; however, good reading and writing skills are essential. Eligibility for English 100 is a skills advisory. Units: 3

3. Course Description (from Catalog): This course is a historical introduction to the Western Philosophic tradition. Selected philosophers will be examined from each of the following periods: Ancient Greek and Medieval. Description (us): A great place to begin the study of philosophy is with the ancient Greeks who invented (or discovered) it. In order to attain a better understanding of our own intellectual history we will explore the birth of rational thought with the Pre-Socratics, then move to Athens with Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and continue with philosophers from the late Classical and Medieval periods. We will focus on their theories of knowledge, metaphysics, and ethics. We will view the writings from these periods as a heritage, which is relevant to many of the significant religious and philosophical issues facing us now, including the perennial search for values. At times, the thought of ancient and medieval masters will force us to cast a critical glance at some of our current assumptions. In short, we will be engaged in a dialogue on perennial issues with some of the greatest philosophical minds the world had produced. Primary and secondary sources will be intertwined in lectures and discussions.

Our Objectives:

1. To gain a solid working knowledge of the major western philosophers and religious thinkers, from the earliest Greeks to the eve of the Renaissance. 
2. To learn how to reflect Philosophically (i.e. to gain insight into the nature of Philosophical argumentation). As you read, ask yourself: "What is this philosopher trying to prove?," "How is the position argued for?," "Is the position one we can ultimately accept?"

4. Reading Materials: Required: The Classical Mind by W. T. Jones. 2^nd Ed. Wadsworth, 1980. The Medieval Voyage by William F. Lawhead. 2^nd Ed. Wadsworth, 2002. In addition, Supplemental Readings will be provided either in class or posted on our website. Readings from web will also be made available on reserve in the library. Supplemental worksheets will be made available in class and on our website.

5. Course Requirements: Points

1. Attendance and Participation 40

2. Philosophy Journal: “Socratic Dialogues” (turn in at midterm and final: 15 + 10) 25

3. Group Mini-Presentation (a listed topic or philosopher of your choice) 30

4. 3 Quizzes (2 quizzes count plus lowest or missed is dropped = 45) 45

5. An in-class Midterm Exam (covering readings, lectures, and discussion). 100

6. Analytic Essay (on announced topic: 4-5 pages) 60

7. An in-class Final Exam (format is similar to the midterm & non-cumulative) 100

400

All work will be graded on a standard 10% scale out of 400 points. A = Excellent: 360 points, B = Good: 320, C = Fair: 280, D = Marginal: 220, F = Failing: <220.

6. It is your responsibility to:

1. Properly enroll in the course. Officially withdraw from the class if you wish to drop the course; students who simply stop attending receive an F as a final grade in the course.
2. Fill out provided notecard with the following: Your name, Course, Major (if any), Philosophy courses (if any), your primary language, your phone # and email address (if any), and a brief paragraph explaining what you like most and least about college.
3. Attend class regularly, participate in class discussions, and participate in group work.
4. Be clear on any announcements are made in class regarding such things as changes in the course outline, scheduling changes, etc. Get all notes and handouts if you miss a class.
5. Obtain and bring to class any announced supplementary readings from our website or copy from library reserves.

7. Exams: Exams are a combination of multiple choice, true/false, short answer, and short analysis essays of excerpts. I will include a study guide and essay topics, so you will have a good idea before the midterm and final. The quizzes contain about 15 multiple-choice questions from the content listed (topics will be announced the session before the quiz). You will need 5 scantrons (#882, but not Parscore) for 2 exams and 3 quizzes.

8. Participation: Attendance and participation will be considered in the determination of the final grade--particularly in borderline cases. I would like to rely upon class discussion and participation just as much as formal lecture. I strongly encourage questions at any point during the lectures. In my view, no question is too silly or naïve provided it comes from a sincere attempt to understand. A particularly good question shows some intellectual insight. You earn your participation grade by asking questions and making comments on the material under scrutiny. Discussion is a chance for you to work through the material in more detail than in lecture, and practice what we have covered. You should weigh the considerable burden of participation and attendance when considering whether to take this course. While I won't try to count the number of times one does or does not speak up in class, an attempt will be made to reward active participation.

9. Attendance: Attendance is, of course, necessary for success. Accurate attendance is your responsibility; make sure to sign the roll sheet. It will be passed around at the beginning of each class session after the second week. Each missed unit will count -4 points. (Excused absences count for half) If you miss 4 unit weeks, however, you will receive a fail in the class. You are allowed one absence grace. I understand the inevitable sometimes happen, but keep in mind that each time late after the first is counted as an absence. Leaving early is automatically counted as an absence unless pre-approved. Late work including make-ups will be penalized 10% per class session late. Make-ups for exams will be given only if there is adequate evidence of an acceptable excuse, e.g., sickness, car trouble, death of a suitably close relative, a war in which you are called to participate, a natural disaster that targets you, etc. One missed quiz is dropped (No make-ups).

10. Email: Strongly encouraged. Accounts are available at Cypress College (and through hotmail.com, yahoo.com, excite.com, msn.com, eudoramail.com, juno.com, netzero.net, etc.). Go to a computer lab to get one set up. Some “supplemental” class worksheets may be distributed through e-mail. You will need to request by email in order to get on the mailing list. (The note card will not suffice). Just write your name and which course you are taking and email me at the address on the first page of this syllabus. I will reply “Ok” to indicate you are on the class list. If you do not check e-mail weekly, stay in touch with a friend who does. Please see me if you are having difficulty getting an account or see me if you need special accommodations.

11. Internet Use: Handouts (also called “Study Guides”or “SG”) can be found and downloaded on my website. Learning Center H303 allows 7 free printouts with school ID. Each handout should be downloaded at the beginning of the semester and brought to class, as we will be going over them in class. If you use an Internet source for your Analytic Essay, you must include the web address PLUS a hard copy of the article you used. For your presentations, I will not require a hard copy, however I do want the address cited with footnotes.

12. Essays: One essay, 4-5 pages long. Details will follow shortly, but will focus on analysis of a film in conjunction with our readings. Type double-spaced, 10-12 pt type, use 1" margins (top/bottom/sides) and properly document sources. Use a complete bibliography and parenthetical references (name of author, page of reference). You are not required to use any references, so just focus on analyzing the piece yourself, unless further research is necessary. Come to office hours if you need any help or want to talk about a draft of your essay.

13. Philosophy Journal: You are required to keep a journal with your thoughts on relevant questions throughout the semester. I will give these questions (in class usually at the beginning) throughout the semester. (They will not necessarily include the ones I head each section of the syllabus with below). You will need to acquire a small notebook or otherwise which should be separate from class notes. This is a very rough journal of your thoughts and does not need to be typed. However, you are required to address each numbered question with at least a paragraph response as well as an alternative answer provided by a classmate (this latter portion can be more brief). In your answer, you will want to draw implications and consider counterexamples.

14. Group Work: Journal questions or “Socratic Dialogues” will be given in class for you to consider in groups of three (as numbers permit). One person will be the “note-taker” while the others will attempt together to establish at least two responses to the question. After about 5 minutes, each group note-taker will choose one of the responses to share with the rest of the class. Other groups are welcome to comment on these responses. Your own response as well as that of one classmate should be rewritten in your philosophy journal.

15. Documentation & Academic Honesty: Honesty is expected and dishonesty taken seriously. Intellectual theft is still theft. All paper sources must be cited. Give credit. Any time you quote, paraphrase, or use anyone else's ideas, put in a citation to that effect. See the Academic Honesty policy in the College Catalog if you do not know what academic integrity involves. If you are still unclear, please see me. Plagiarism, copying, modifying yours or others previous work, buying papers or exams, working with another student in writing a paper is considered Academic Dishonesty. Cheating is unethical and will be penalized in accordance with the Code of Academic Conduct. For your Presentation: When you use an Internet source, you must include the web address plus use quotation marks around all cited material. More details will be provided later.

16. Learning Disabilities: Persons with verified disabilities will be accommodated - discuss your needs as soon as possible. Be sure to confirm this in the Roosevelt Center and ask them to send a letter so the appropriate accommodation is made.

17. Class Etiquette: This (I hope) is obvious, but treat one another with kindness and make any criticisms (e.g. of individual students) constructive. Come to class on time. Do not have pagers or phones on in class and please go to the restroom before class (especially during an exam) so as not to disturb anyone. Bottled water is okay in class.

18. Assistance: Need Help in general? See me! I am happy to tutor and help with material. This can usually take place right after class either in class or during my office hours. Be aware that others may be having difficulties as you might. DO ask questions in class about portions that are confusing or obscure. Classics in literature are often difficult to read because of several reasons. One is that they address issues that have a substantial background literature we might be unfamiliar with. Do NOT get behind in the reading because of this difficulty. Students are expected to spend a minimum of two hours of study for each hour of class.

19. Extra Credit: There will be a 10 point opportunity in the second half of the semester in the form of a short paper topic. There will be an announcement concerning this.

20. Topics and Readings: The following are the topics of the course in the order we will take them up. It is not possible nor, I think, desirable to assign exact dates. I break the schedule up into units that last approximately one week each. As we go along I will keep you informed when it seems appropriate to go on to a new topic. Our discussions or time limits may suggest either deletions or substitutions, but generally, I recommend staying one unit ahead of the readings.

21. Tentative schedule: All readings should be completed before class meetings. I will let you know which topic when we will be moving on to the next topic. If our discussion of topics takes more time than I have planned for, some later ones may be skipped. If a topic is skipped, there will not be exam questions on it. It is always wise to take careful notes and come to class prepared. "I am so close to Socrates that I find myself always doing battle with him." Nietzsche

M/W Section 22669 9:30pm-10:50pm

1/22: Preliminaries 1/27: Introduction to Philosophy 1/29: Ch. 1 Pre-Socratics

Question: What is Philosophy?

Week 2 Intro to Issues in f: Metaphysics (including Ethics), & Epistemology.

1. Methods in f: (A short introduction to logical concepts) The Basics of Reasoning in general and philosophical discourse in particular. i. Premises and Conclusions, ii. Inductive and Deductive Arguments, iii. Validity, and Soundness.

2/3 & 2/5

Week 3 Jones: Continue with Pre-Socratics + Ch. 2 Education through Violence

2/10 & 2/12

Week 4 Jones: Continue Ch. 2 + Ch. 3 Atomism

2/19 & 2/24 (2/17 is a Holiday)

Week 5 Quiz 1: (At beginning of class: 2/19)

Jones: Continue Ch. 3 + Ch. 4 Plato: The Theory of Forms

2/26 & 3/3

Week 6 Jones: Continue Ch. 4 + Ch. 5 Plato: The Special Sciences

3/5 & 3/10

Week 7 Jones: Continue Ch. 5 + Ch.6 Aristotle: Metaphysics, Science, Logic

3/12 & 3/17

Week 8 Quiz 2: (At beginning of class: 3/12)

Jones: Review

In-Class Midterm: Monday 3/17

3/19

Week 9 Jones: Continue Ch. 6 + Ch. 7 Aristotle: Ethics, Politics, Art

3/26 & 3/31

Week 10 Jones: Continue Ch. 7 +

Ch. 8 The Late Classical Period

4/2 & 4/7

Week 11 Jones: Continue Ch. 8 (Hellenistic and Late Antiquity) +

Lawhead: Ch. 7 Christian Thought: The New Religious Orientation

4/9 & 4/21 (Spring Break 4/13-4/19)

Week 12 Lawhead: Ch. 8 Augustine

4/23 & 4/28

Week 13 Lawhead: Continue Ch. 8 Augustine + Ch. 9 Early Medieval Philosophy

4/30 & 5/5

Week 14 Lawhead: Ch. 10 Philosophy and Theology in the 11^th and 12^th Century

Analysis Paper Due: Monday: 5/12

5/7 & 5/12

Week 15 Lawhead: Ch. 11 Aquinas

5/14 & 5/19

Week 16 Quiz 3 (At beginning of class 5/14)

Lawhead: Ch. 12 Unraveling the Medieval Synthesis

Date: ?

Finals: In-Class Final: (no regular classes after 5/19)

It is not the spoon that bends, but it is you…