| title | Syllabus — Winter 2012 |
|---|---|
| layout | phil301w2012 |
| section | syllabus |
Syllabus --- Winter 2012 (PDF Version)##
Professor : David Sanson, 372 University Hall, sanson.7@osu.edu : Office hours: M 1:30-2:30, W 10:30-11:30, or by appointment
Grader : Jerilyn Tinio, 214 University Hall, tinio.1@osu.edu : Office hours: M 3:30-4:30, Th 12:00-1:00, or by appointment
Lecture : Caldwell Lab 0120, MW 11:30-1:18
Webpage : http://davidsanson.com/301
An introduction to Ancient Greek Philosophy, from its traditional beginning in 585 BCE to the death of Aristotle in 322 BCE. We will cover several Presocratics, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Our focus will be on ancient views on the nature of reality, our knowledge of it, and our place in it.
- McKirahan, R. D. (2011). Philosophy before Socrates: An Introduction with Texts and Commentary (Second Edition). Indianapolis: Hackett. ISBN: 1603841822
- S. Marc Cohen, Patricia Curd, and C.D.C Reeve, eds. (2011). Readings in Ancient Greek Philosophy: From Thales to Aristotle. Fourth Edition. Indianapolis: Hackett. ISBN: 1603844627
Philosophy Before Socrates is also available in PDF, ePub, and Kindle formats; Readings in Ancient Greek Philosophy, in PDF format. See http://www.hackettpublishing.com/ebooks for more information.
Additional readings and resources will be made available through the course website.
One short (2 page) paper (worth 20%), a midterm exam (25%), one longer (5 page) paper (30%), and a final exam (25%). Active participation and engagement, in class and/or office hours, will also be considered in our final assessment and assignment of grades, but this is not something we will attempt to quantify.
The final exam is on Monday, March 12th, 11:30am--1:18pm, in our usual lecture hall.
Email is the best way to reach me. However, I am not always online. Please allow me 48 hours to respond. If I have not responded in 48 hours please email me again, letting me know it is your second email (I won't take this as harassment). Please include (a) "301" in the subject line of your email and (b) your full name somewhere in the body of your email.
You are encouraged to discuss the course material with your peers---philosophical conversation is one of the best ways to get better at doing philosophy. But your papers must be your own work, and all sources must be cited. I will report offenders to the committee on academic misconduct. Academic misconduct can take on many forms: if you are confused, or need more guidance on this issue, ask. If you have not already, take a look at http://oaa.osu.edu/coam/faq
If you need (or may need) an accommodation based on the impact of a disability, you should contact me now to discuss your needs. I will work with the Office for Disability Services to coordinate reasonable accommodations for any student with a documented disability. http://www.ods.ohio-state.edu/current-students/
This course has been approved to fulfill both the Arts & Humanities Literature requirement and the Arts & Humanities Diversity (International--Western) requirement. The expected learning outcomes associated with these requirements are reproduced below. This course aims to achieve these outcomes through intensive reading and analysis of some ancient greek philosophical texts that arguably form the backbone of all subsequent western intellectual culture.
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Arts and Humanities
- Students develop abilities to be informed observers of, or active participants in, the visual, spatial, performing, spoken, or literary arts.
- Students develop an understanding of the foundations of human beliefs, the nature of reality, and the norms that guide human behavior.
- Students examine and interpret how the human condition and human values are explored through works of art and humanistic writings.
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Arts and Humanities: Literature
- Students learn to analyze, appreciate, and interpret significant literary works.
- Through reading, discussing, and writing about literature, students learn to understand and evaluate the personal and social values of their own and other cultures.
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Arts and Humanities: Diversity
- Students exhibit an understanding of some combination of political, economic, cultural, physical, social, and philosophical differences in or among the world's nations, peoples and cultures outside the US.
- Students are able to describe, analyze and critically evaluate the roles of categories such as race, gender, class, ethnicity, national origin and religion as they relate to international/global institutions, issues, cultures and citizenship.
- Students recognize the role of national and international diversity in shaping their own attitudes and values as global citizens.