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]; 

(4)  a final take-home essay [6-8 pp., 25 pts] on one or more of Wolff's policy issues.  

Each assignment will be further clarified in in handouts as we approach that point in the course. There is also a  class discussion component [5 points]
assigned for active participation. (See the grading chart on the class website and in BB.)


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.  NoteIbid. means 'the same'. 

DATES READINGS TOPICS

Wk 1  (J 23) [wf]

(b)  Introduction to course.
(c)  A, ch.1: Plato (17-35)         

POLITICAL PHILOSOPHERS  

Wk 2  (J 28)  [mwf]

(a)  Ibid.
(b)  A, ch.2: Challenges to Plato (36-60)
(c)  A, chs.3-4: Plato Revised (61-86)

Wk 3  (F 4) [mwf]  

(a)  A, ch.5: Aristotle's Ethics (87-104)
(b)  Ibid.  
(c)  A, ch.6: Aristotle's Politics (105-125) 

Wk 4  (F 11) [mwf]  

(a)  < buffer class >  
(b)  
A, ch.7: Augustine & the Problem of Evil (126-144)    
(c)  
Ibid.  |  Reflection paper due 

Wk 5  (F 18) [mwf]

(a)  A, ch..8: Machiavelli 's Dirty Hands (145-168)
(b)  M, chs. 1-5 (1-18)
(c)  M, chs.  6-11 (18-38)

MACHIAVELLI: THE PRINCE  

Wk 6  (F 25)  [mwf] 

(a)  M, chs. 12-19 (38-63)
(b)  M, chs. 20-26 (63-80)
(c)  A, ch.9: Hobbes & the Kingdom of Means (169-96)

POLITICAL PHILOSOPHERS  

Wk 7  (M 4) [mwf] 

(a)  Ibid.  |  Machiavelli paper due
(b)  Ibid. 
(c)  A, ch.10: Locke, Liberalism  & the Possessive Life (197-221)   

Wk 8  (M 11-15) 

       SPRING BREAK

 

Wk 9  (M 18) [mwf] 

(a)  Ibid. 
(b)  Ibid. 
(c)  Ibid.   

ROUSSEAU: SOCIAL CONTRACT  

Wk 10  (M 25) [mwf]   

(a)  A, ch.11: Rousseau the Rustic (222-42)
(b) 
A, ch.12: Rousseau& the Political (243-257)
(c)  
R, SC I.1-9 (41-56) 

Wk 11  (A 1) [mwf] 

(a)  R, SC II.1-2 (57-81)
(b)  
R, SC III.1-7 (82-100)
(c)  
R, SC III.8-18 (100-20)

POLITICAL PHILOSOPHERS  

Wk 12  (A 8) [mwf]

(a)  R, SC IV.1-3 (121-26)
(b)  A, ch.14: Mill & Individuality (279-300) 
(c)  A, ch.15: Hegel & Marx (301-21)

Wk 13  (A 15) [mwf]

(a)  Ibid.  |  Rousseau paper due
(b)  W, Introduction (1-10)  
(c)  W, ch.2: Gambling (37-60)  

APPLIED ETHICS & POLITICS  

Wk 14  (A 22) [mwf] 

(a)  Ibid.
(b)  W, ch.5: Crime & Punishment (109-27)
(c)  
Ibid.

Wk 15  (A 29) [mwf]  

(a)   W, ch.8: The Free Market (170-90)
(b) 
Ibid.
(c)  Wrap-up.  

Wk 16  (M 6-10) 

      TAKE-HOME FINAL : due on Thursday, May 9, by 1 p.m. (or earlier)