Philosophy 250:
History of Western Philosophy I
Section 000, Spring 2006
[revised 4/11/2006]
Instructor
Steven K. Strange (404-727-0460)
Office hours: Tu 1-2, Th 12-1 and
by appointment
Teaching
Associate
Matthew
McAndrew
Office hours (109 Bowden Hall):
Monday and Wednesday 4-5 and by appointment
Texts
(Students will be required to use
and cite these editions only.)
á
Cohen,
Curd, & Reeve, eds, Readings in Ancient Greek Philosophy, 3rd edition only (Hackett) [RAGP]
á
Epictetus, Discourses,
Handbook, Fragments, ed.
Gill/Hard (Everyman's Library)
á
Musonius
Rufus, selected fragments, ed. Lutz (online reserve)
á
Augustine, On
Free Choice of the
Will, ed. Williams
(Hackett)
á
Selections
from Anselm, Aquinas, Alfarabi, Avicenna, and Maimonides (online reserve)
Requirements
& Grading
Your course
grade will be based on the following factors:
á
Two
1500-2000 word essays (out of three assigned), contributing toward a writing
grade that will count as 5/12 of the course grade.
á
A quiz
(1/12 of the course grade), an in-class examination (1/6 of the course grade)
and a final examination (1/4 of the course grade).
á
Class
attendance and participation (1/12 of the course grade)
Examinations:
Examinations must be taken at the officially scheduled times. The final will be
cumulative, but will emphasize material not covered in the in-class
examination. The in-class and final examinations must be taken in Emory
University examination books.
Writing
assignments: All students must submit the first of the three assigned
essays (on Socrates), plus one of the other two. Essays must be on an assigned
topic and must conform to specified requirements. Your essay grade will be a
composite based on the grades for the individual writing assignments that you
submit, not a strict average.
Your
responsibilities: All students, including S/U (pass/fail) students, must
submit all assigned
work in order to pass the course. Work must be submitted on time, unless
permission is granted in advance by the instructor or teaching associate: late
work may be penalized, or in some circumstances not accepted. All work
submitted must be your own and prepared specifically for this course, except
for quotations and citations of primary texts or secondary material, all of
which must be acknowledged. Use - that is, quotation or paraphrase - of others'
work, or your own work from other courses, without proper acknowledgment,
constitutes a violation of academic integrity. All submitted work must be
accompanied by a signed Honor Code pledge. You should come to class prepared to
stay until the end of the lecture.
Cellphones,
pagers, and wireless communication devices must be kept off or not used
(including on laptops) during class.
Schedule of Class
Meetings, Readings, and Assignments
The main focus of
this course, and the standard for grading, will be the philosophical
understanding of assigned texts. The lectures are intended to help with this,
but it is important that assignments be read before coming to lecture.
1. Presocratic
Philosophy (19-31 January)
á
Reading:
Presocratics & Sophists [RAGP]
In-class quiz on
Presocratics: Tuesday 7 February
2. Socrates (1 -
16 February)
á
Reading: Euthyphro,
Apology, Crito
Writing
Assignment 1: Socrates (due Saturday 4 March)
3. Plato (18
February - 28 March)
á
Reading: Phaedo and Republic selections
á
Supplementary
reading: Parmenides
and Timaeus selections
[RAGP]
In-Class
Examination: (will cover through Plato, Thursday 23 March)
4. Aristotle (30
March-4 April)
á
Reading: Physics,
De Anima, Nicomachean
Ethics I-III selections
[RAGP]
á
Supplementary
reading: Metaphysics XII selection
(13-17 March:
Spring Break)
Writing
Assignment 2: Plato and Aristotle (due Sunday 16 April)
5. Later Ancient
Philosophy (13-20 April)
á
Reading:
Epictetus Handbook;
Musonius Rufus frs. 2-4, 12-15, 21; Augustine On Free Choice of the Will, Book I
á
Supplementary
reading: Epictetus Discourses
I.1, 4, 11, 16, 18, 22, 24, 28; IV.1
Writing
Assignment 3: Virtue, fate & freedom (due Wed 26 April)
8. Medieval
Philosophy (25-27 April)
á
Reading:
Anselm Proslogion
selections (with Gaunilo's reply and Anselm's response), Aquinas selections,
Islamic philosophy selections, Maimonides selection
Final
Examination: Monday, May 8th, 8:30-11AM (Review session TBA)