PHI 313: The History of Philosophy I, Fall Semester 2008

10:00 AM, MWF, Provine 106

John Meadors

Office: 925-3293

Home: 925-5376

E-mail: meadors@mc.edu

I. Course Description: A study, in historical perspective, of selected figures in ancient philosophy. The study will begin with an overview of the Pre-Socratic period before launching into a study of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. The semester’s study will include Thales, Anaximander, Anaximenes, Pythagoras, Xenophanes, Heraclitus, Epicurus, Zeno, Epictetus, Lucretius, Marcus Aurelius, Pyrrho, Sextus Empiricus, and Plotinus. There are no prerequisites.

II. Course Objectives:

A. To develop the ability to think and read critically.

B. To make progress in the ability to write clear and concise analyses of primary source materials in the field of philosophy.

C. To understand some of the basic issues of the ancient period in their historical context.

D. To formulate personal responses to the major issues encountered in our study.

III. Rationale: The General Education Requirements of Mississippi College identifies three learning areas within the General Education Program. Each area is defined by an educational goal and several outcome objectives. Two of these three learning areas are addressed by PHI 313. The first of these is the area called “Analytical Reasoning and Effective Communication.” The educational goal of this area is identified as “The ability to think critically and independently, apply scientific and quantitative methods, and communicate effectively.” The first outcome objective associated with this goal is the empowerment of students to “write and speak logically and precisely.” The second outcome objective is the empowerment of students to “engage in problem solving and make informed judgments.” Philosophy 313 addresses the Analytical Reasoning and Effective Communication area of the General Education Requirements in a rather direct manner as students are required to critically analyze and then write about complex arguments taken from the history of philosophy. A second learning area addressed by PHI 313 is called “Social and Cultural Understanding.” The educational goal of this learning area is identified as “An examination of various dimensions of human civilization.” Included in the outcome objectives of this goal are the concerns that students be empowered (1) to acquire perspective into the society and culture of the Americans and other peoples, (2) to appreciate and experience the arts, (3) to explore how the visual, spoken and written record has shaped the human experience, and (4) to examine customs, ideas and institutions across diverse cultures. By reading and analyzing seminal sources in ancient philosophy, PHI 313 directly addresses most of these outcome objectives. As the course learning objectives above indicate, PHI 313 is designed to enable students to think critically and communicate effectively by leading them through a detailed survey of some of the most influential thinkers in human history.

IV. Course Requirements:

A. Attendance: Part of the value of the course lies in the discussion that takes place in the classroom. For this reason, class attendance is a must. Excessive absences will negatively affect one’s grade at the rate of one point off the student’s final average for every absence subsequent to absence number three. Students who participate in classroom discussion frequently will be given extra credit when final grades are tabulated. Please be informed that an accumulation of 12 or more absences in this class will result in an automatic grade of F for the course, regardless of the nature of the absences.

B. Written Examinations: Students will take three examinations during the course of the semester. All of the exams will consist of a selection of short-answer and essay questions pertaining to materials covered in assigned readings and class discussion. Students will have some choice as to which essay questions they answer. The two mid-term exams and the final exam will each account for 33 and 1/3 percent of the student’s final grade.

First exam date is Friday, October 3

Second exam date is Monday, November 3.

Final exam date is Friday, December 12, 11:00 AM.

C. Reading: Students are responsible for all reading assignments made in class. In the event that the professor perceives that students are not doing their reading, pop quizzes will be administered. Poor performance on pop quizzes may negatively affect a student’s average when final grades are tabulated. An average of less than 70% on quizzes will result in the loss of one letter-grade from the student’s final grade. The required texts for this course are:

Mark Cohen, ed., Readings in Ancient Greek Philosophy.

David Roochnik, Retrieving the Ancients: An Introduction to Greek Philosophy.

E. Academic Integrity: Mississippi College students are expected to be scrupulously honest. Dishonesty, such as cheating or plagiarism, will be regarded as a serious offense in this course and subject to severe penalty. A student who is found cheating on an examination will be given a grade of “0” and reported to the college administration. Plagiarism is the submission of someone else’s work as one’s own. No student shall submit as his or her own work any term paper, research paper, thesis or other academic assignment of original work that in any substantial part is not in fact his or her own work. Violation of this regulation shall result in the grade of “0" on the paper or project and the matter will be reported to the college administration. Students should be thoroughly familiar with the discussion of these matters found in the Mississippi College Undergraduate Catalog.

V. Grading: Final grades will be tabulated on the basis of:

Three examinations (33% each) = 100%

Participation/Quizzes +/- points

Average of these grades = 100%

Grading Scale

100-94 = A (Engaged, determined, work is polished and thoughtful)

93-86 = B (Participating, wrestling with ideas, work is clean and promising)

85-76 = C (In the game, struggling with ideas, work is average)

75-70 = D (Effort is lacking, in a fog, work is shoddy)

69 > = F (No effort, excessive absences, work is deficient)

Assignment for Friday, August 29, please read Cohen, pp. 1-14 and Roochnik, pp. 1-17.