RPH 305: MAJOR THINKERS: PLATO
General Information
Class meeting time: MWF 4:00-4:50
Room: Barton Room, Alphin Building
Professor: Dr. Martha Beck
Office: Alphin 214
Office phone: 793-1774
Home phone: 793-8500
E-mail address:
P. O. Box: 2317, Alphin Bldg.
Office hours: 5:00-5:30 MWF and 4:00-5:30 TR and by appointment
Catalog Description
RPH 305: Major Thinkers:
Concentrated study of one or two major thinkers in either religion or philosophy.
Course Readings
All readings on-line, on reserve, or handouts given out by Dr. Beck
Website address: http://www.lyon.edu/webdata/users/mbeck/Plato/schedule.htm
Course Objectives
1. To enable students to “commune with” one of the great minds of all time.
2. To allow students to reflect for themselves on the meaning and value of the texts.
3. To enable students to formulate their own questions and lead the class discussion
according to their own interpretation and understanding of the texts.
4. To provide ample opportunity for extensive dialogue about Plato’s dialogues.
5. To situate Plato’s work within the cultural and philosophical context out of which it
arose.
6. To find analogies between Plato’s life and situation and our own. To learn how to
apply the lessons of Plato to ourselves as individuals and to our society.
7. To provide the opportunity for students to write a definitive statement at the end of the course on what they have learned from reading Plato that they want to take with them and remember for the rest of their lives.
Teaching strategy
Obviously, given the above objectives, the teaching techniques used in this class will not be a standard lecture-exam format. I hope to provide an opportunity for you to be able to achieve the course objectives through your own personal reflection, and through what emerges from the class discussion, on the course material.
Attendance
Attendance is required and will be taken at the beginning of each hour. If you have a good reason to be absent, leave a message on my voice mail (1774) or a note on my office door (Alphin 214). If I do not receive a note or message by noon on the day after you were absent, you will receive a zero for that day. If you give me a legitimate excuse, you may hand in the written assignment for that day and receive credit.
Written Assignments
About once each week I will ask you to either answer some specific questions of mine or to bring with you three questions you would like to be discussed and three points you want to make about the material. This can be directly related to the reading for the day, or it can include comparing the reading to previous readings or to the general themes we are discussing throughout the class. These will be graded on a 4.0 scale (.67=D-; 1.0=D; 1.33=D+; 1.67=C-; 2.0=C; 2.33=C+; 2.67=B-; 3.0=B; 3.33=B+; 3.67=A-; 4.0=A; 4.33=A+). I will throw out your lowest two grades. The average from all the daily written work will account for 20% of your final grade.
Four class presentations
Each of you will be responsible for leading the class discussion four times during the course of the semester. You will need to meet with me a few days before the class you will lead. The presentation will begin with a few overall comments and then you will read a 5-6 page paper (1300-1500 words). After reading the paper, you must answer questions from the other members of the class. You will be graded both on your paper and on your ability to answer the questions. Each presentation counts for 20% of your final grade. I will bring a sign-up sheet the first day of class and remind you to sign up as well as remind you of when you are scheduled to present.
Final Paper: 7+ pages (at least 1750 words)
The theme of the paper will be, “What have I learned by reading Plato that I can apply to my life for the rest of my life?” This is not the thesis. The grade on this paper will account for 20% of your final grade.
Portfolios
Please keep all of the written work you do for this class in chronological order in a 3-hole punch notebook, or a 3-hole punch folder you can get at the Bookstore. This needs to be handed in on the last day of class. I will look it over and give it back to you in two days, so you can use it to write your final paper. The grade on the portfolio will count as one of the daily written assignments.
Course Time Commitment
You should be spending 8-10 hours each week on this class. Certainly it will vary, depending upon whether you are giving a presentation or not. Let me know if there is a vast difference between this and how much time you are spending on the course.
Calculation of Final Grade
Daily written assignments: 20%
Three paper-presentations @ 20% each: 60%
Final paper: 20%
Total: 100%
Late Papers or Assignments
If you will be unable to attend class the day you are supposed to give a presentation you must contact me as soon as possible, preferably a few days before the class. I will use my discretion in determining whether and/or how much the grade will be lowered. If you are absent on a day that a written assignment is due, contact me by noon the next day and we will discuss how you can make up the work.
Honor Code Policy
Please read carefully the section on the honor code in your student handbook. The discussion of plagiarism is very important. The references for the websites are on the on-line schedule. On-line references also need dates. The date for all of the references is June 2000.
Also, feel free to discuss ideas with other members of the class. When you sit down to write your paper, however, make sure your thesis statement, the quotes you use to support it, and the organizational structure of the paper are all your own work.