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There will be no end to the troubles
of states, or of humanity itself, till philosophers become kings in this world,
or till those we now call kings and rulers really and truly become
philosophers, and political power and philosophy thus come into the same hands. – Plato
Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that
you were so sure was real? What if you
were unable to wake from that dream, Neo?
How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real
world? - Morpheus
This course will introduce you to the
history of Western philosophy and will focus on such issues as metaphysics,
epistemology, the problem of evil, and the philosophical roots of ethics. You
will read from the works of ancient and modern writers such as Plato,
Aristotle, Aquinas, Kant, Hume, Pascal, Smith and Locke as you grapple with the
timeless questions that humans have tried to answer throughout history. You’ll
first learn what philosophy is and then be challenged to become philosophers
yourselves as you learn from the masters how to question and reason.
REQUIREMENTS:
·
We
will also be making good use of your laptops to help us access, analyze and
present information. Much of your
reading will be “on-line” articles. I’ll
direct you to each reading through our class web site (see address below) where
you will find all kinds of resources, including weekly assignment sheets with
helpful links to reading and sites.
We’ll talk more about “cyber” plans, projects and expectations in class.
·
You
can also expect regular quizzes (announced & unannounced), and occasional
tests. From time to time I will also
assign short writing assignments either in class, or as homework, which will
challenge you to think a little more deeply about some of the philosophical
questions we’ll be raising in class.
• It
should go without saying (but I'll say it anyway) - I expect responsible
behavior and regular participation in class.
Participation needs to be an essential part of our study – you can’t
“philosophize” without becoming actively engaged. It will also be part of your grade, so don't
deprive the rest of us of your insight.
TEXTBOOK & READINGS: Expect nightly reading assignments from The Story of Philosophy. You
also will disover, with my help, that there is a
wealth of excellent information on the web.
In addition to nightly reading, you can also expect occasional short
written exercises to help you further develop your “active” reading skills.
The Story of Philosophy by
Mr. P.’s
Phil. Web Site –
http://www.wicknet.org/history/jjpendergast/1_Philosophy/philosophy%20page.htm
OUTLINE OF TOPICS:
- Pre-Socratics, Socrates & Plato
Ø
The Story of Philosophy, pp. 6-19; pp. 20-23; pp. 24-31
Ø “Early Greek Philosphers” Chart & Elizabeth’s KEY
Ø
Plato’s
“Apology: Socrates Defense” - Sections (1) Opening
Remarks through (5) Impiety – [17a - 18a] [18b - 20c] [20d - 24b] [24c - 25e] [26a - 28a]
Ø
Plato’s “Crito” - [ 43a - 44 b ] [ 44c - 46a ] [ 46b - 49 a ] [ 49b- 50c ] [ 50d - 51c] [ 51d - 53a] [ 53b - 54a ]
Ø
“
Ø
Plato’s Allegory of
the Cave: A Springboard for the MATRIX
Ø
“Debate
Instructions & Debrief Paper” (click for outline)
Ø
Background
Questions for Socrates
& Plato
Ø
TEST – Pre Socratics - Plato
- Aristotle and Philosophers of the Hellenistic Age
Ø
Aristotle - The Story of Philosophy,
pp. 32 – 39 &
The Hellenistic Philosophers - The Story of Philosophy, pp. 40 – 47
Ø
Powerpoint Presentation
– The Ethics of Character:Virtues & Vices in Aristotle’s thought (click to download).
Ø
DEBATE: Plato v. Aristotle - RESOLVED: “The key question we should focus
on is, “What is being?” not “What do we hope to become?”
Ø
“Aristotle Background” Worksheet
Ø
Ethical Decision Making
Scenarios – “Nicomachean Ethics”
Ø
Philosophy in the Hellenistic
World: 4th – 1st Century BC - Charts
Ø
Cynics, Epicureans, Stoics and
Skeptics
Ø
Powerpoint in your Groups
- the Cynics, Skeptics, Epicureans and
Stoics – Look on our Web Site for Links to each of your Groups Powerpoints
Ø
QUIZ - Aristotle & Hellenists
- Medieval Philosophy – Anselm (Ontological
Argument), Thomas Aquinas &
“Ockham’s Razor”
Ø The Story of Philosophy, pp 49 – 61
Ø Mr. P’s 10 Questions on
Augustine
Ø Mr. P’s 10 Questions on
Aquinas
Ø Where
does Philosophy end and Religion Begin?
Augustine’s “Confessions” to Aquinas’ “Summa Theologica”
to Ockham’s “Razor”
Ø
QUEST: Christianity & Philosophy: Augustine to Aquinas
- The Beginnings of Modern Science to the “Rationalists”
and “Empiricists”
Ø The Story of Philosophy, pp 63 – 119
Ø “Beginnings of Modern Science” Charts
Ø
“Scientists or Philosophers” PowerPoint
Ø
Rationalists v. Empiricists Chart
Ø
Rationalists v. Empiricists
(PowerPoint)
Ø
TEST: “The Beginnings of Modern Science” to the
“Rationalists and Empiricists”
- German Philosophers to the Present - Kant, Nietzsche,
Pascal, Kierkegaard, Dawkins, Collins and Benedict
Ø The Story of Philosophy, pp 132-137 & 172-179
Ø
Read
TIME Magazine
Article: God v. Science
Ø
Read
Bertrand Russell, “Why
I am a Rationalist”
Ø
LECTURE OF THE
HOLY FATHER - University of Regensburg Tuesday, 12 September 2006
&
Ø
“Regensburg Highlights”
– Summary of Key Points
Ø
Kierkegaard’s
“Suspending the Ethical”
POLICIES (the "hate to mention it, but I
must" category):
·
If
you are absent, don’t make the mistake of thinking that we couldn’t bear to go
on without you! It is your
responsibility to come and see me as soon as you return to get
missed work or turn in assignments.
·
If
you miss a quiz or test because you are absent you will have 24 hours after you return to class to
make it up (or to arrange some other solution with me). Talk to me and we’ll work out a convenient
time.
·
If
you know you are going to be absent on a test/quiz-day,
or a day when a paper is due, you must tell me ahead of time and submit all
work in advance whenever possible.
·
Barring
"acts of God" (definition to be determined by me), any paper passed
in after the deadline will lose 5% for each date late. If you are absent the day a paper is due, you
need to make every effort to have the paper delivered to school for you.
·
Plagiarism (the act of representing someone
else's work as your own), and cheating
(any violation of specified rules for test-taking or paper writing) are
considered very serious offenses by the school and myself. Don't test the waters to find out how
serious.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY (From Student Handbook):
The community which makes up
Cheating
The
giving or receiving of any unfair advantage on any academic exercise not
deemed group work by the instructor.
This includes tests and quizzes, essays, homework, projects and reading
notes. Be aware that conversations about
any graded assessment between those who already have completed the task for the
day and those who have not can constitute cheating—do not ask nor tell
your friends about tests questions, in-class essay topics, etc.
Plagiarism
The
submission of work as one’s own any part of which is:
-written or created by another. (This includes term paper
"mill" sites)
-copied or paraphrased from any source without proper
citation (i.e. cutting
and pasting of web materials)
-based
upon an idea unique to another source without proper
acknowledgement.
When
in doubt, check with your particular instructor for clarification.
Dishonesty
The willful perversion of the truth with intent to deceive. In particular,
students tend to be dishonest with regards to homework, be it either written or
read. Unless a teacher specifically says a student can work with
another student, written homework should not be shared or copied. And if you
have not read for the day, the department feels it is better just to be up
front with your teacher instead of trying to "fake" your way through
a Q&A session or a class discussion. Worse yet, begging a classmate
for the details of the prior night’s reading is deceitful as well--remember
your character and reputation are at stake!
Test Taking
It
is in the best interest of the student to take tests on the day they are
scheduled. Minor “sicknesses” and the postponement of tests only set
students back in the long run. However, if a student is truly sick, a
makeup test will be offered. Students must seek out their instructor
first thing in the morning to schedule a time for the makeup. All
make-ups must be taken as soon as possible, preferably on the first day back
unless there are extenuating circumstances which would not allow the student to
take the make-up in the required 24-hour extension period.
Finally,
all students should not discuss tests after a test has been taken.
Post-test discussion, even with students who have taken the exam, can
lead to cheating. Student often do not realize that “private” hallway
conversations are often heard by others who have not yet taken the test on that
day. Play it safe—do not risk being accused of cheating.
The Internet (and the pilfering thereof)
The
Internet is a wonderful resource that greatly lends itself to the study of
history. Still, there are some pitfalls that must be avoided at all
cost. First, the “surfing” of improper sites and/or sites not approved by
your instructor during class time is a violation of school rules. Second, avoid surfing to sites that offer
term papers (often called paper "mill" sites) for downloading and
sale—this is plagiarism. It is surprisingly easy for teachers to find these Web
sites as well. Third, there has been a great rise in the incidence
of "cutting and pasting" of paragraphs from web sites into
papers without proper citation—this also is an act of plagiarism.
Fourth, the use of the
web site Wikipeda is strongly discouraged and is not
an acceptable citation source for essays and/or term papers. The department strongly believes this popular
source of information is often inaccurate and not trustworthy for proper
research. Finally, e-mail is a
great way to communicate with your classmates but sometimes leads to the
cutting and pasting of other’s written homework assignments, in complete
violation of the
In
order to "help" students not stray from the proper path, the
department uses technology developed by Turnitin.com to check all major written assignments. Students are
usually required to turn in both a digital and hard copy of all papers. With
the digital copy teachers can take the text and run a scan of the words via Turnitin.com's software. This software
searches over 12 billion web sites including those called "paper
mill" sites which allow students to buy papers.
Any
details not specifically covered in these guidelines can be found in the Brunswick
School Handbook.
WELCOME ABOARD!!!