Great Western Philosophers: Spring 2012

 

Professor K. Rogers              

krogers@udel.edu

831-8480

 

Office: 204 in 24 Kent Way.  Hours: 3-4:30 MW and by appointment.

 

Text: Philosophy: History and Problems Eighth Edition, Samuel Enoch Stumpf andJames Fieser, eds.

(The notes from which I lecture are on my web page, http://www.udel.edu/rogers.  They are a sketchy outline of material presented in lectures and will by no stretch of the imagination substitute for good notes taken on your own.  However, they can be useful in organizing your notes and in making sure that you got everything in the right order. The notes cover much more material than we will get to in class, so be alert to differences between what’s covered in class and what’s in the notes.)  

 

Do the readings before class.  Note that the book is divided into a primary section about the philosophers under discussion, and a secondary section of material by the philosophers.  The page numbers start over at the beginning of the second section.

 

Requirements: Four multiple choice tests, one after each section, to be weighted equally in figuring final grade.  93-100=A, 90-92=A-, 87-89=B+, 83-86=B, 80-82=B-, 77-79=C+, 73-76=C, 70-72=C-, 67-69=D+, 63-66=D, 55-62=D-, below 55 = F. I will be able to take some account of participation.

 

February

 

7          Introduction and starting the pre-Socratics

 

9          The Pre-Socratics, pp.3-19, 11-15

 

14        The Pre-Socratics continued 19-25,15-16 (from Fragments).

 

16        The Sophists and Socrates pp.26-40, pp.16-17 (from Fragments), pp.32-37 (from The Apology).              

 

21        Plato, pp.41-67, pp.60 - 69 (from The Republic and  Phaedo).

 

23        No Class. I have to be out of town.

 

28        Plato continued

 

March

 

1          Test #1

 

6          Aristotle, pp.68-89 (You can skip the part on art.), pp.70-75 (from Physics, Metaphysics, and On the Soul).

 

8          Aristotle continued, pp.75-89  (from Nicomachean Ethics and Politics).

 

13        Plotinus pp.107-113

 

15        Introduction to God (no readings)                                                                                          

 

20        St. Augustine, pp.114-129

 

22        Augustine continued, pp.114-119

 

SPRING BREAK

 

April

 

3          Test #2

 

5          St. Thomas Aquinas, pp. 149-168, pp.124-127 (from Summa Theologica. Note that “Objections” are the views with which Aquinas disagrees!).

 

10        Aquinas continued, pp.129-133 (from Summa Theologica). 

 

12        Descartes, pp.204-215, pp.150-159 (from Meditations)

 

17        Descartes continued, pp. 159-163 (from The Passions of the Soul).