Phil 103 – The Committed Life
Sections 001 (mwf 8 am) & 002 (mwf 10:20 am) / CH 320
[ Fall 2012 ]
Professor :
Dr. M. J. Seidler / Office: CH 322
Phone : 745-5756 / E-mail:
michael.seidler@wku.edu
Office Hours : mwf 9 - 10 a.m. / TR 9 - 9:30 a.m. / and by
appt.
PRELIMINARY
STATEMENT :
Like its associates, Phil 101: Truth and
Relativism, & Phil 102: The Good
and the Beautiful, Phil 103 is a general introduction to philosophy. The three courses
are simply thematized differently to allow for different approaches. 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
figures 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.
TEXTS :
Assignments : There will be four writing assignments for the class, of varying lengths:
(1) A short Reflection [3-4 pp., 15 points] on the relation between ethics and political thought, based on materials covered thus far;
(2) paper on Machiavelli, The Prince [4-5 pp., 25 points];
(3) paper on Rousseau, The Social Contract [6-7 pp., 30 points];
(4) a final take-home essay [6-8 pp., 25 points].
Each
assignment
will be
further clarified in writing as we approach that point in the course. There is also a class discussion component
[5
points] assigned for participation. (See the grading chart on the
website and in BB.)
Attendance : Students are allowed a
maximum of
four (4) unexcused absences; additional absences may affect your final
grade. Note that
class attendance
and class participation are not identical: the former signifies
your
presence,
the latter your active 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: Laptop
use must be approved
in advance by the professor. In such cases, students may be
asked to sit
in assigned areas in order to minimize
distraction to other students. Abuse of laptops (e.g.,
web-surfing,
Facebook, emailing, games, etc.) during class -- and this is the
professor's call -- will
result in
immediate termination of all privileges. Cell phones: anyone using
a cell
phone (incl. iPod, iPad, iWhatever etc.) during class
must leave for the
rest of
that session and will be counted absent. (If you expect an
emergency call,
inform the professor ahead of time.)
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
(A 27) [mwf] |
(a) Introduction to course. |
POLITICAL PHILOSOPHERS |
|
Wk 2
(S 5) [wf] |
LABOR
DAY (no class) |
|
|
Wk 3
(S 10) [mwf] |
(a)
A, ch.5: Aristotle's Ethics (87-104) |
|
|
Wk 4
(S 17) [mwf] |
(a)
A, ch.7: Augustine & the Problem of Evil (126-144) |
Reflection
paper due |
|
|
Wk 5
(S 24) [MWF] |
(a)
M, chs. 1-5 (1-18) |
MACHIAVELLI: THE PRINCE |
|
Wk 6
(O 1) [mw] |
(a)
M, chs. 20-26 (63-80) |
|
|
Wk 7
(O 8) [mwf] |
(a) no class |
|
|
Wk 8
(O 15) [mwf] |
(a) A, ch.9: Hobbes & the Kingdom of Means
(169-96) | Machiavelli
paper due
|
POLITICAL PHILOSOPHERS |
|
Wk 9
(O 22) [mwf] |
(a)
A, ch.11: Rousseau the Rustic (222-42) |
ROUSSEAU: SOCIAL CONTRACT |
|
Wk 10
(O 29) [mwf] |
(a)
R, SC II.1-2 (57-81) |
|
|
Wk 11 (N 5) [mwf] |
(a)
R, SC IV.1-3 (121-26) |
POLITICAL PHILOSOPHERS |
|
Wk 12
(N 12) [mwf] |
(a) Ibid. |
|
|
Wk 13
(N 19) [m] |
(a) W, Introduction (1-10) | Rousseau
paper due
|
APPLIED ETHICS & POLITICS |
|
Wk 14
(N 26) [mwf] |
(a)
W, ch.2: Gambling (37-60) |
|
|
Wk 15
(D 3) [mwf] |
(a) Ibid. |
|
|
Wk 16 ( D 13-17) |
TAKE-HOME FINAL :
due
on Thursday, Dec. 13, noon (or earlier) |
|