Syllabus

Instructor Information:       
Professor:Dr. David E. Alexander
Office Location:LB 223
Office Phone:359-4305 

Email:dalexander@huntington.edu  

Office Hours:Generally, MWF 4-5pm and TR 3:30-5pm; otherwise email me for a specific time 


Course Description:             
This course will offer you a survey of the Western philosophical tradition from the pre-Socratics through the medieval period (well … sort of). Our primary focus will be on Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, and Aquinas.  We will attempt to discern the epistemological, metaphysical, and ethical commitments of each philosopher while at the same time evaluating their positions and identifying various connections between them.  
       
Course Objectives:
1. To introduce students to important thinkers and important ideas that helped various parts of the world.
2. Students should be able to identify and critically examine the basic assumptions of their own and others’ philosophical positions.
3. Students should be able to clearly express key philosophical ideas and explain how these ideas have impacted both the church and the world.

Textbooks Required:
On Free Choice of the Will. Augustine (abbreviated as FCWbelow)
The Confessions. Augustine 

Requirements:           
Comprehensive Final Exam: Take home (100 points total)
If you read the assignments, take good notes during class, and attempt to really engage the material, you will be prepared for the final. 

Papers(50pts each for short; 100pts for long): You must write either 2 short papers (6-8 pages each—roughly 1800-2500 words each) or one long paper (12-15 pages—roughly 3500-4500 words).  If you choose the 2 paper-option, the first will be due around the middle of the term on some idea in the ancient portion of our course, and the second around the end of the term on some idea in the medieval portion of our course.  If you choose the one paper-option, it will be due at the end of the term, but you are free to turn it in at any time during the semester. I will give you guidelines and suggestions later.  You will have various deadlines to meet for these papers.  Roughly, they are as follows:

Two weeksprior to paper deadline: introductory paragraph (rough draft) and tentative three source bibliography 
One weekprior to paper deadline: outline of paper and actual three source bibliography with 3-5 sentence explanation of relevance of each source

Discussion Leaders (25pts): Students will lead class discussion twice (roughly 2 students to a group).  I’ll pass around a sign-up sheet.  The discussion leaders should come to class prepared to ask a number of questions, make comments, draw connections, etc. about the readings for that week (and previous discussions) as well as guide the discussion along.  

Analytical Outlines: (100 points) Below is a list of the readings we will do this semester.  You must have done the readings before you come to class.  In order to help facilitate classroom discussion and your own growth you must outline 8 of the readings.  Only 1 outline per day.  If there are three different readings for one day, choose 1 of them to outline.  There is no page min or max, but the outlines should cover the entire reading.  

You must do 2 for each author we read.  We are reading 4 different authors.  So, that’s a total of 8 outlines.  

These outlines are due at the end of the class on the day of the reading and may notbe turned in late.  You mustbe in class (on time) in order to turn in these outlines. If you are not in class, do nottry to turn in an outline.  Do notemail an outline to me.  Assessment: I will notify you if you need to rewrite your outline; otherwise I will not hand them back. I am always available to talk about one of your outlines if you’d like. Lastly, you must type your name, the title of the course and the number of outlines you have completedin the header of the paper (see me if you do not know what this is).  The header should look something like this:

John Johnson
History of Ancient and Medieval
Outline #7

            These outlines are to be analyticaloutlines.  See the blog post for some details.

Focus Papers(50pts): All of the readings we will do contain all sorts of fascinating ideas. Some of these ideas will jump out at you as you read the text. When that happens, you should consider focusing your attention on it and writing up a short paper that investigates more deeply the idea that jumped out at you. You can focus on a single statement, an argument, or the entire reading. These should be between 500 and 700 words. Briefly explain the idea that you are focusing on and explain why you are focusing on it. Do you agree with it? Do you disagree with it? Why? Is the idea perplexing and you think it might be worth unpacking? Does the idea have implications beyond what the author states or perhaps even notices? Anything in the text is eligible for a focused paper. You need to write a focused paper on 4 of the readings. You cannot do a focus paper on a reading you analytically outlined (and vice versa). Please type your name and keep track of how many focused papers you have turned in by typing #1 or #2 or… next to your name. You must include a word count as well.   These are due on the day of the reading prior to class (If you have difficulty with these, do not worry; you will get better).  You mustdo one focus paper per author for a total of fourfocus papers. You must be in class to turn in a focus paper for the reading that day. 

Daily Question/Comment:I also expect each student to come to everyclass prepared with at least one well-thought-out question or comment (e.g. a question or comment that will force us to engage in some discussion) based on the readings.  This question should be written out in your notebook.  (25 points)
  
Attendance: From the instructor's point of view, your first and primary responsibility is academic.  Accordingly, I expect you to manage your time with this in mind.  You are expected to be in class, to have studiedthe assignment, and to have your work ready. Research and my experience strongly suggest that your understanding of the material will be hindered by your absence and will be increased by your presence in class.  Your reading and homework assignments are on the course schedule below.  2 percentage points will be deducted from your final grade for each absence beginning with the fourth.  3 tardies = 1 absence.  Students missing one-quarter of the course (or more) will automatically fail.   

Grading Scale.  A (94%-100%); A- (90%-93%); B+ (88%-89%); B (84%-87%); C+ (78%-79%); C (74% to 77%); C- (70%-73%); D+ (68%-69%); D (60-67%); F (59% or below).

Late Work and Missed Tests:
Late work will NOT be accepted.  Exceptional circumstances (hospitalization, etc) must be confirmed. Talk to me if you have any worries. 

Academic Integrity: 
Huntington University regards acts of academic dishonesty as wholly improper for a Huntington student. Plagiarism, taking or receiving the efforts of another person on any test or paper, giving or selling to another student papers, or assignments that are not authorized by the instructor, or using unauthorized resources on tests or examinations are strictly prohibited. The normal sanction is a failing grade on the piece of work involved, but failure in the course is a permissible sanction. 

Course Schedule (subject to revision as needed):
Week                          Assignment
Plato
1 No Class Mon         For Wed: Intro to course

For Fri: Protagoras, email PDF, 317e-334c, 348c-362a (roughly pp. 15-35; 52-69)
Link to text: http://www.bard.edu/library/arendt/pdfs/Plato-Protagoras.pdfhttp://www.bard.edu/library/arendt/pdfs/Plato-Protagoras.pdf

2                                  For Wed: Meno, email PDF
Link to text: https://www.staff.ncl.ac.uk/joel.wallenberg/ContextsJoelGeoff/meno.pdfhttps://www.staff.ncl.ac.uk/joel.wallenberg/ContextsJoelGeoff/meno.pdf




3                                  For Mon:Phaedo, email PDF, 61b-69e, 72d-95e, 100b-107d, 113d-end, (roughly pp. 4-15; 19-47; 52-62; 68-73)
                                    Link to text: http://www.faculty.umb.edu/gary_zabel/Phil_100/Plato_files/310585462-Plato-Phaedo.pdfhttp://www.faculty.umb.edu/gary_zabel/Phil_100/Plato_files/310585462-Plato-Phaedo.pdf

                                    For Fri: Republic, email PDF, Bk. I (all); Bk. II: 357a – 369b, 
                                    Link to text:http://www.3buna.si/uree/disruptedjournal/plato-republic.pdf

4                                  For Mon:RepublicBk.IV: 427d-436c, 439d-end; Bk.IX: 588b-end 
                                    For Wed:RepublicBk. VI-VII: 503b-518d

Aristotle
5                                  For Mon: Categories, email PDF
                                    Link to text: http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/categories.1.1.htmlhttp://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/categories.1.1.html

                                    For Wed:Physics, I.1&7, II.1-3, 7-8, III.1-3
            Link to text: http://www.filosofia.unimi.it/zucchi/NuoviFile/Barnes%20%20-%20Physics.pdf http://www.filosofia.unimi.it/zucchi/NuoviFile/Barnes%20%20-%20Physics.pdf

6                                  For Mon:Metaphysics, I.1-4, 6, 9; IV.1-3
                                    For Wed: Metaphysics, VII.1-4, 6, 10-11, 13, 15, 17; VIII.1-2, 6; XII.6-9
                                    Link to text: 
http://www.documentacatholicaomnia.eu/03d/-384_-322,_Aristoteles,_13_Metaphysics,_EN.pdf

7                                  For Mon: Nicomachean Ethics, I.1-5, 7-9
                                    For Wed:Nicomachean Ethics, II.1-6
                                    For Fri:Nicomachean Ethics, X.6-9
                                    Link to text:http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/samples/cam032/99036947.pdf

Augustine
8                                  For Wed: Book One, FCW
No Class Mon            For Fri:Book Two, FCW (roughly 29-49)

Paper 1 due WED     FOLLOW GUIDELINES

9                                  For Mon:Book Two, FCW (roughly 49-69)
                                    For Fri: Book Three, FCW

10                                For Wed: Books I-III, Confessions
No Class Mon            For Fri: Books VII, IX Confessions


11                                For Mon:Books X-XI, Confessions
                                    For Fri:Books XII-XIII, Confessions

Aquinas
All readings are from the Summa Theologiae.  Please go to the following website to get and print out the readings: http://www.nd.edu/~afreddos/summa-translation/TOC-part1.htm

12                                For Mon:Q.2: The existence of God
                                    For Fri: Q.3: God’s Simplicity

13                                For Mon: Q.3: God’s Simplicity (cont’d)
                                    For Wed:Q.4: God’s Perfection; Q.5: The Good in General
                                    For Fri: Q.6: God’s Goodness

14                                For Mon:Q.7: God’s Infinity
No Class Wed/Fri      


15                                For Mon: Q.8: God’s Existence in Things
                                    For Wed: Q.9: God’s Immutability; Q.10: God’s Eternity
                                    For Fri: Q.13: The Names of God

Paper 2 due FRI        FOLLOW GUIDELINES


Take home final due on the day of the final                                   

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