Syllabus
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
PHIL 4321.001
Ancient Philosophy
Fall 2024
MW 2:00 – 3:15
CS-111
https://philosophy.tamucc.edu
Professor
Don Berkich, Ph.D.
Office: FC-280
Student Hours: MW 12:00 – 2:00; TR 11:30 – 12:30; and by appointment.
Office#: 3976 (do not leave a message, send email or text to mobile instead)
Mobile#: 361-944-2756 (never after 9:00 p.m., text only--be sure to identify yourself!)
Email: berkich@gmail.com
Web: https://philosophy.tamucc.edu/people/faculty/berkich
Course Description:
This course is a reading and discussion seminar devoted to the two major figures of Ancient Western Philosophy, Plato and Aristotle. Our focus will be a close reading of a selection of their major texts.
Our emphasis will be to set the stage for the philosophical transition to the medievals and, eventually, the moderns. The course concludes with a discussion of the philosophical problems discovered by Ancient Western Philosophy. There are no prerequisites.
Student Learning Outcomes*
As demonstrated by pre and post-test, students will
1. Learning the names of at least two historically important philosophers--e.g., Plato and Aristotle.
2. Learning the names of at least three important texts written by these philosophers--e.g., The Symposium, The Republic, and The Metaphysics.
*Ignore this. It's just something we're required to have on our syllabi. Pointless drivel. A requirement of the University for accreditation purposes only. A result of the contemptible commodification of education and the corporatization of its institutions. Used as the basis for a pre- and post-test in a facile attempt to demonstrate quality in teaching and learning. Fails to reflect any grasp of the distinction between training and education by presupposing that understanding, discovery, and knowledge can be precisely measured, economized, and thereby controlled. An embarrassing academic fad and an affront to the towering intellects whose investigations we have the privilege of pursuing this semester. The very idea of student learning outcomes when we consider Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle is as preposterous as it is contemptible.**
**The professor whose course this is has been informed by the administration that the above statement repudiating Student Learning Outcomes is both 'uncivil' and 'sets a poor example for students'. The professor is deeply grateful to the administration for their protest and takes no small pride in their having echoed (albeit unwittingly and however distantly) Meletus' charges against Socrates. Frankly, there can be no greater honor for those who find inspiration in Socrates the gadfly, Socrates the midwife, and, above all, Socrates the self-stinging stingray.
Texts*
Plato Complete Works, J. Cooper & D.S. Hutchinson, eds. New York: Hackett.
The Complete Works of Aristotle, Jonathan Barnes, ed. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
*Useful but not required--selections from these and other sources will be provided as necessary.
Requirements
Weekly Essays:
About fifteen minutes will be set aside at the start of every Wednesday beginning the third week of class to write a response to a prompt given in advance of class.
Weekly Essay Revisions:
During our scheduled final examination period, you will revise (rewrite) your three lowest-scoring essays.
Participation
Students should be prepared to contribute to class discussion, help formulate answers to discussion questions posted in advance, and help read and interpret portions of the text.
Grading Formula
There are 1000 points possible as follows:
Essays: 100 points each
Total Points = sum of the best 7 of the 12 essays and the 3 revised essays
Course Grade is determined by the following scale:
A 900-1000
B 800 - 899
C 700 - 799
D 600 - 699
F 000 - 599
Policies
The professor assumes that students enrolled in this course are sincere student-scholars. That is, the professor shall treat students with the respect due scholars, and students shall do their best to live up to the standards of scholars. To wit,
Preparation
Scholars carefully read assignments in advance of class, take notes on their reading, explore specific issues in discussion with fellow scholars, and follow-up class by re-reading portions of the required readings and exploring suggested readings.
Participation
Scholars are eager to respectfully, openly, and critically discuss arguments and issues raised by the readings. Scholars are adept at following a line of reasoning wherever it may lead. Most importantly, scholars welcome the insights and criticisms of their peers: A scholar understands that it is possible to entertain a proposition without believing it, just as it is possible to present an argument without personally endorsing the argument. Scholars enjoy vigorous deliberations and are always careful to treat fellow scholars with patience and good humor.
Assignments
Scholars fully immerse themselves in assignments and never assume that an assignment is only legitimate if it will be covered on a test. Scholars are naturally curious and see every assignment as an opportunity to explore new issues, see old issues in new light, and hone their growing skills.
Cheating
Scholars are very careful to give proper credit and maintain the highest standards of scholarly conduct. Scholars who fail to meet their responsibilities let themselves down, the professor, and, most importantly, their peers. In an effort to protect this community they will be prosecuted by the professor to the fullest extent allowable by university guidelines.
Responsible Attendance
Scholars always attend class barring serious injury, illness, or disaster inasmuch as they view class-time as rare and valuable for the thought it evokes and the opportunities it presents.
Additional Notes
This syllabus is authoritative and tentative. That is, the syllabus as it appears on this page in its most recent form supersedes any other version with which it conflicts. At the same time, any change to the syllabus will be made here and announced in class. Further, no change will be made which would be detrimental to the student's grade. The professor and the students are only responsible for the syllabus as it appears in its entirety here, including particularly the schedule on the course home page, which should be considered part of this syllabus.
Any student missing an assignment due date must provide a documented, acceptable reason according to university guidelines. Students with a proper excuse for missing a due date will be given a reasonable extension.
The following are links to statements required by the University and, separately, the College of Liberal Arts to appear on every syllabus. Please note that these statements are an ever-growing testament to ever-increasing numbers of administrators fretting that students will otherwise have missed some important, or not, nugget of information. Yet for some reason they (the administrators) at times take it upon themselves to write in the first person, as if the statement were written by the professor whose syllabus this is. No doubt, they were well-intentioned. However, please note that this professor neither wrote nor would have written any of the following University or College of Liberal Arts statements.
Required University Syllabi Statements
https://www.tamucc.edu/faculty/faculty-affairs/assets/syllabi-statements.pdf
Required College of Liberal Arts Statements
https://www.tamucc.edu/liberal-arts/resources/student-resources.php
By accepting this syllabus the student indicates that the syllabus has been read, all requirements are understood, and all policies are acknowledged.