Philosophy 311: Philosophy of Aristotle
Winter Term 2 2017/18MWF 11-12
Professor Sylvia BerrymanCHBE 102
This course continues on from Philosophy 310, which is a prerequisite. Aristotle stands beside Plato as one of the dominant figures of ancient Greek philosophy and its legacy. His philosophical system offers new answers to problems of continuity through change; causation and the fundamental principles of the natural world; the nature of living beings; the soul, perceiving and thinking; and the goal of human life. In this course, we will approach Aristotle as a systematic thinker studying nature and human nature.
This is a reading-intensive lecture course: focus will be on reading and understanding primary texts from the corpus of Aristotle’s works, in English translation. There will be a fair amount of reading, some of it very dense. Students should be prepared to read the assigned chapters before each class and bring the text to class.
Texts: The Complete Works of Aristotle, edited by Jonathan Barnes, vol 1.
Nicomachean Ethics Ross/Urmson translation.
Readings (subject to minor revision):
Week One: Jan 3/5The Rejection of Platonism
Nicomachean Ethics 1.6; Categories 2
Week Two: Jan 8/10/12The Critique of Atomism
Categories 5, 7; GC 1.2
Week Three: Jan 15/17/19Teleology
Physics 2
Week Four: Jan 22/24/26Some Puzzles
De Interpretatione 9; Physics 4.6-7
Week Five: Jan 29/31, Feb 2What Makes the World Go Round?
Physics 8.1-2; Metaph. 12.6-7
First short paper due in class Wed Jan 31st
Week Six: Feb 5/7/9Cosmic Order
GC 2.10-11; PA 1.1, 1.5
Midterm in class Friday Feb 9th
Week Seven: Feb 19/21/23Investigating Animals
Generation of Animals 1.17-2.3
Week Eight: Feb 26/28, Mar 2Knowledge
Prior Analytics 1.1-2; Posterior Analytics 1.2, 1.13, 2.8. 2.16
Week Nine: Mar 5/7/9Perceiving, Thinking and the Soul
On the Soul Bks 2-3
Week Ten: Mar 12/14/16Poetry and the Emotions
Second shortpaper due in class Wednesday Mar 14th
Poetics 1.6-14
Week Eleven: Mar 19/21/23Action and Choice
Nicomachean Ethics 1,6
Week Twelve: Mar 16/28Practical Reason and The Human Telos
Nicomachean Ethics 10
Week Thirteen: Apr 4/6Aristotle's Legacy
Final Exam at scheduled time during exam period
Evaluation: Students will be asked to write two 3-4 page papers (1200 word limit), a midterm and final exam. Regular attendance and preparation are expected. Student presentations (oral or blog postings) can be done individually or in small groups: these will help us appreciate the historical relevance of Aristotle's ideas. One-point quizzes on the day's reading will be offered at the beginning of class.
Grades for coursework will be distributed as follows:
Midterm: 25% 1st paper: 15% Presentations: 10%
Final 25% 2nd paper: 20%Quizzes: 5%
Policies: Late papers may be accepted in the case of family emergencies and illness; otherwise penalties apply. Students with special needs and disabilities are asked to contact the instructor as soon as possible to arrange appropriate accommodation.
Plagiarism:
Plagiarism, which is intellectual theft, occurs where an individual submits or presents the oral or written work of another person as his or her own. Scholarship quite properly rests upon examining and referring to the thoughts and writings of others. However, when another person's words (i.e. phrases, sentences, or paragraphs), ideas, or entire works are used, the author must be acknowledged in the text, in footnotes, in endnotes, or in another accepted form of academic citation. Where direct quotations are made, they must be clearly delineated (for example, within quotation marks or separately indented). Failure to provide proper attribution is plagiarism because it represents someone else's work as one's own. Plagiarism should not occur in submitted drafts or final works. A student who seeks assistance from a tutor or other scholastic aids must ensure that the work submitted is the student's own. Students are responsible for ensuring that any work submitted does not constitute plagiarism. Students who are in any doubt as to what constitutes plagiarism should consult their instructor before handing in any assignments.