Philosophy 367WR: Seminar in Ancient
Philosophy
Hellenistic
Philosophy, Fall 2006
(revised
11/27/06)
Instructor
Steven K. Strange
Office: 320 Bowden Hall (7-0460)
Office hours: MTu 1-2 and by appt.
(Bowden 320)
Co-Teaching Associate
Chris Edelman
Office hours: Th 12-1, Fr 3-4
(Bowden 109)
Texts
The
following translations are required (Hackett Publishing except as noted):
Gerson
and Inwood, eds., Introductory Readings in Hellenistic Philosophy, 2nd. ed. (Hackett)
Lucretius,
On the Nature of Things,
ed. Smith (Hackett)
Epictetus,
Handbook, Discourses and Fragments,
ed. Gill/Hard (Everyman's Library)
Musonius
Rufus, selected fragments, ed. Lutz (online reserve)
Seneca,
Moral and Political Writings,
ed. Cooper/Procopˇ (Cambridge Univ. Press)
Sextus
Empiricus, Outlines of Scepticism,
ed. Barnes/Annas, 2nd ed. (Cambridge Univ. Press)
Burnyeat
and Frede, The Original Sceptics: A Controversy (Hackett)
Requirements & Grading
Your course grade will be based on
the following factors:
Class
attendance and participation, including online discussion (20%). Everyone will
be expected to post a brief comment or question on a specific passage on the
current weekÕs reading, or an informed comment on someone elseÕs post, to the
relevant forum on BlackboardÕs Discussion board, by 2PM Sunday before the next
dayÕs class, and also to read everyoneÕs posts for the week.
Three
writing assignments of 7-10 pp. (about 2000-2500 words) each, the second one to
be revised and resubmitted (20% each)
A final
take-home examination (20%)
Essays must be on an approved
topic, and must conform to announced requirements.
S/U students: Students
taking the course on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis must complete all
required assignments in order to pass the course.
Your responsibilities: Exams must be taken at scheduled times. All other work must
be submitted on time, unless permission is granted in advance by the instructor
or teaching associate. 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 the Emory College
Honor Code. Electronic communication devices must be must be kept off and may
not be used during class sessions.
________________________________________
Schedule of Class Meetings &
Readings:
Week 0: 11 Sept.
Introductory: background to
Hellenistic philosophy
Epicureanism
Week 1: 18 Sept.
Lucretius I-IV; Letter to
Herodotus; Sedley, "Determinism"
(also Gerson & Inwood pp.1-45)
Week 2: 25 Sept.
(CE)
Lucretius
V-VI; Letters to Menoeceus and Pythocles
(also Gerson & Inwood,
pp.45-102)
(Essay 1 due Friday, 6 October)
Stoicism
Week 3: 2 Oct.
Long, "Socrates in Hellenistic
Philosophy"; begin Stoicism: Epictetus, Handbook; Discourses I.1, 4, 11, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 28
(also Gerson & Inwood,
pp.103-131)
(9 October: Emory Fall Break)
Week 4: 16 Oct. (CE)
Epictetus, Discourses I.2, 6, II.8, 10, 19; III.1, 12, 22, 24;
IV.1, 7; fragments
(also Gerson & Inwood,
pp.132-189)
Week 5: 23 Oct.
Sedley, "Chrysippus";
Musonius Rufus fragments 2-4, 12-15, 21
(also Gerson & Inwood, pp.190-260)
(Essay 2 due Friday, 3 November)
Week 6: 30 Oct.
Frede, "Affections";
Seneca On Anger, On Mercy
Week 7: 6 Nov. (CE)
Striker, "Oikei™sis": Seneca, On the Private
Life, On Favors
Week 8: 13 Nov.
Concluding discussion of Stoicism;
Academicism: Gerson & Inwood, pp261-302
(Revision of Essay 2 due by
Saturday 18 November)
Skepticism
Week 9: 20 Nov.
Sextus Empiricus, Outlines of
Scepticism, Introd.
& Book I.1-34
(Essay 3 due Monday, 4 December)
Week 10: 27 Nov. (CE)
Sextus Empiricus, Outlines of Scepticism I.35-end
Gerson & Inwood III-29 (on the
proof that no proof exists: pp316-317, the ladder-image), III-34 (on the
general counter-argument against all dogmatism: pp324-325)
Week 11: 4 Dec.
Sextus Empiricus, Outlines of
Scepticism, Book II
also: Gerson
& Inwood III-45 (Aenesidemus on causes, pp376-378)
Week 12: 11 Dec.
Sextus Empiricus, Outlines of
Scepticism,
Book III; Burnyeat and
Frede., ed. The Original Sceptics: A Controversy, articles by Frede, "The Sceptic's
Beliefs", and Burnyeat, "Can the Sceptic Live His Scepticism?"
also: Against the Learned XI, transl R. Bett (online reserve);
Gerson & Inwood III-43 (on theology, pp364-373), III-50 & 51 (on
ethics, pp396-397)
Takehome final due Saturday 16 December