Contact information:

Professor James E. Mahon

24 Newcomb Hall

540.458.8051

mahonj@wlu.edu

Office Hours: Tu, W 2:30-4:30 p.m., and by appointment.

Required Texts

• "R": Readings in Ancient Greek Philosophy: From Thales to Aristotle, eds. S. Marc Cohen, Patricia Curd and C. D. C. Reeve (3rd ed., Indianapolis: Hackett, 2005)

• "PE": Plato’s Euthyphro, Apology, and Crito: Critical Essays, ed. Rachana Kamtekar (Rowman and Littlefield, 2004)

• "AE": Aristotle’s Ethics, J. O. Urmson (Oxford: Blackwell, 1988)

An examination examination of the metaphysics, epistemology, ethics and political philosophy of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, as well as the metaphysics and epistemology of the Pre-Socratic philosophers, especially Thales, Pythagoras, Xenophanes, Heraclitus, Protagoras, Parmenides, and Zeno of Elea. Topics include the origin and nature of the kosmos (ordered universe), the nature and existence of the gods, the possibility of change and motion, atoms and the void, the polis (city-state) of Athens and the trial of Socrates, the nature of hosion (piety) and of arete (virtue), civil obedience and conscientious objection, the nature of the Forms, knowledge and truth, the nature of dikaiosune (justice) and of the ideal state, the nature of eudaimonia (happiness, flourishing) and the possibility of akrasia (weakness of the will).

Students are required to attend all classes on time and attendance will be taken. If for any reason you believe that you will be unable to attend a class, or if for any reason you miss a class, notify me in order to determine if work needs to be done to make up for missing the class. Failure to do this may result in a failing grade for Participation, and may also result in a failing grade overall.

Material to be read for the subsequent class will be assigned in the previous class. The assigned reading will follow the Class Schedule (see below). Students are required to do all of the assigned reading before class. Students will be asked questions on the day's reading and will be expected to spontaneously contribute to the class discussions. Students may also discuss readings with me outside of class by e-mailing me or by meeting me during office hours or by scheduling a meeting. All participation in class discussion and outside-of-class discussion counts towards the Participation grade.

In order to help students develop their critical reading skills, and as a way of focusing class discussion, students will be asked to write short (half-page/page) assignments, normally one each week, excluding weeks in which a paper is due. The assignment will take the form of an answer to a question about the reading. These assignments will be awarded an individual grade. At the end of the course an overall Assignment grade will be awarded.

This course aims to teach students how to write a philosophy paper if they have not already learned how to do so. Before the first paper, students will be given instructions on how to write a philosophy paper. They will also be required to read the Guide to Writing a Philosophy Paper (available on the course homepage). All students are encouraged to schedule a meeting with me about their papers, and especially those who have not written a philosophy paper before and/or who have not written one for me before.

Students will have to write THREE six-page papers for this course. Papers must be typed (double-spaced) and stapled. More guidelines (about the correct citing of sources, and so forth) will be given when the first paper is assigned, and will follow the guidelines of the Guide to Writing a Philosophy Paper. Note that everything in the Guide is to be understood as a supplement to the Honor System guidelines that apply perforce to the writing of papers.

The due dates for the papers are given in the Class Schedule (see below). Papers will be assigned at least one week before the due date. Each paper will be awarded an individual grade. At the end of the course an overall Paper grade will be awarded.

Examination

There will be ONE Final Examination in this course during the examination week at the end of the course. The three-hour examination will range over all material covered in the course. More details about the examination will be given closer to the examination week.

Breakdown of Course Grade

Paper Grade                       50 %

Examination Grade             30 %

Class Assignment Grade     10 %

Participation Grade             10 %
 

Class Schedule

September

4 Thales, Anaximander and Anaximenes: The Origin and Nature of the Kosmos, R*, p. 1-14

9 Pythagoras and Xenophanes: Gods and the Soul, R, p. 15-23

11 Heraclitus: “Everything is always changing”, R, p. 24-34

16 Parmenides and Zeno of Elea: The Impossibility of Change or Motion, R, p. 35-41, p. 59-63

18 Anaxagoras, Empedocles and Democritus: Atoms and the Void, R, p. 42-58, p. 64-71

23 Socrates: Euthyphro, Piety and the Gods, R, p. 97-114, PE*, ix-xix, p. 23-34, p. 35-48

25 Apology: The Oracle, Socrates and Athens, PE, p. 72-96

30 Apology: Private Life vs. Public Life, PE, p. 49-71, p. 150-162

1st Paper Due

October

2 Apology: Private Life vs. Public Life, PE, p. 49-71, p. 150-162                

7 Crito vs. Apology: The Contract with Athens, R, p. 141-153, PE, p. 127-149, p. 163-174, p. 229-259

9 Republic Bk. I: What is Justice?, R, p. 331-359

14 [ No Class – Reading Day ]

16 Republic Bk. II: What is Justice?, R, p. 360-385

21 Republic Bks. III & IV: The Soul and the State, R, p. 386-444

23 Republic Bks. V & VI: The Philosopher Kings and Queens, R, p. 445-503

28 Republic Bks. VII & VIII: Injustice and the Tyrant, R, p. 504-555

30 Republic Bk. IX: Justice and Happiness, R, p. 556-577

November

4 Republic Bk. IX: Justice and Happiness (contd.)

6 Republic Bk. X: Art and Philosophy, R, p. 578-603

11 Nicomachean Ethics Bk. I: Eudaimonia, R, p. 645-654, p. 832-845, AE*, p. 1-24            

13 Nicomachean Ethics Bk. II: Ethical Virtues and the Mean, R, p. 845-852, AE, p. 25-37

18 Nicomachean Ethics Bk. III: Voluntary and Involuntary Actions, R, p. 852-863, AE, p. 42-61

20  Nicomachean Ethics Bks. V-VI: Ethical Virtues & Intellectual Virtues, R, p. 863-875, AE, p. 62-88

24-28 [ Thanksgiving Break ]

27 Nicomachean Ethics Bk. VII: Weakness of Will, R, p. 875-881, AE, p. 89-98

29 Nicomachean Ethics Bks. VIII & IX: Friendship, AE, p. 97-117

December

2 Nicomachean Ethics Bk. X: The Contemplative Life, R, p. 881-127, AE, p. 118-127

3rd Paper Due 

4 Review

10-14 FINAL EXAMINATION