Phil 103 – The Committed Life
Sections 001 (mwf 8 am) & 003 (mwf 10:20 am) / CH 320
[ Spring 2013 ]
Professor :
Dr. M. J. Seidler / Office: CH 322
Phone : 745-5756 / E-mail:
michael.seidler@wku.edu
Office Hours : mwf 9-10 a.m. & 11:15-12:00 a.m. / T 3:00-3:30 p.m.
/ and by
arrangement
PRELIMINARY
STATEMENT :
Like its associates, Phil 101: Truth and
Relativism, and Phil 102: The Good
and the Beautiful, Phil 103 is a general introduction to philosophy. The three courses
are thematized differently to allow for different approaches, but students may take all three without redundancy.
DESCRIPTION : The
title of the
course refers to moral, social, and political
relations among persons, as they pursue their individual and collective
goals in the context of an organized society. Its thematic thus
includes applied or practical (vs. theoretical) ethics, social
philosophy, and political thought. These areas are covered through
an examination of major political philosophers
and the moral foundations of their arguments. The end of the term
will focus on several topics where such reflection
is brought to bear on
contemporary policy issues. Like other courses
in philosophy, Phil 103 not only studies the ideas of classic
thinkers but also develops students’ ability to articulate and
support their own philosophical views, both orally and in writing. A
major focus will be on reading,
analyzing, and discussing original source texts, and on
exploring their continued relevance and influence in our own
context.
TEXTS :
Assignments : There will be four writing assignments for the class, of increasing length and on the following topics:
(1) a reflection [3-4 pp., 15 pts] on the relation between ethics and politics, based on Plato and Aristotle;
(2) paper on Machiavelli, The Prince [4-5 pp., 25 pts];
(3) paper on Rousseau, The Social Contract [6-7 pp., 30 pts];
Attendance : Students are
allowed four (4) unexcused absences; however, additional absences
may affect your final
grade. Note that
class attendance
and class participation are not identical: the former
signifies
your
physical presence,
the latter your mental involvement.
Electronic
resources
:
Class website ( http://people.wku.edu/michael.seidler/Home.html),
BlackBoard
(http://ecourses.wku.edu),
WKU webmail (https://mail.wku.edu), Research Tools (http://people.wku.edu/michael.seidler/research.htm).
Electronic Equipment: No laptops, no tablets, no cell phones. Any exceptions must be specifically requested and preapproved. Policy violators will be asked to leave class and counted absent for that session.
Read the assigned selections before coming to class. Topics and dates may shift slightly during the term; if you know where we are in class, you'll always know what to read next. Any changes in assignment due dates will be announced in class. If you miss, check with your classmates. Note: Ibid. means 'the same'.
DATES | READINGS | TOPICS |
Wk 1
(J 23) [wf] |
(b) Introduction to course. |
POLITICAL PHILOSOPHERS |
Wk 2
(J 28) [mwf] |
(a) Ibid. |
|
Wk 3
(F 4) [mwf] |
(a)
A, ch.5: Aristotle's Ethics (87-104) |
|
Wk 4
(F 11) [mwf] |
(a)
< buffer
class > |
|
Wk 5
(F 18) [mwf] |
(a)
A, ch..8: Machiavelli 's Dirty Hands (145-168) |
MACHIAVELLI: THE PRINCE |
Wk 6
(F 25) [mwf] |
(a) M, chs.
12-19 (38-63) |
POLITICAL PHILOSOPHERS |
Wk 7
(M 4) [mwf] |
(a) Ibid. |
Machiavelli
paper due |
|
Wk 8
(M 11-15) |
SPRING
BREAK |
|
Wk 9
(M 18) [mwf] |
(a)
Ibid.
|
ROUSSEAU: SOCIAL CONTRACT |
Wk 10
(M 25) [mwf] |
(a) A, ch.11:
Rousseau the Rustic (222-42) |
|
Wk 11 (A 1) [mwf] |
(a) R, SC
II.1-2 (57-81) |
POLITICAL PHILOSOPHERS |
Wk 12
(A 8) [mwf] |
(a) R, SC
IV.1-3 (121-26) |
|
Wk 13
(A 15) [mwf] |
(a) Ibid. | Rousseau
paper due |
APPLIED ETHICS & POLITICS |
Wk 14
(A 22) [mwf] |
(a) Ibid. |
|
Wk 15
(A 29) [mwf] |
(a) W, ch.8:
The Free Market (170-90) |
|
Wk 16 (M 6-10)
|
TAKE-HOME FINAL :
due
on Thursday, May 9, by 1 p.m. (or earlier) |
|