Philosophy 172305(postgraduate)
School of Philosophy and Social Development
Huaqiao University
Ancient Greek Philosophy Seminar: Aristotle’s De Anima
Winter, 2013
Instructor: Dr. Xumin Chang
Email: xumin.chang@hqu.edu.cn
Seminar Time: Sat. 09:00‐11:30am
Seminar room: 2nd. Seminar room
or xuminchang@gmail.com
Office room: F4 - 506
Uni. Library (Xiamen Campus)
Websites
Dr. Chang’s personal web: http://xuminchang.net/
Dr. Chang’s official web: http://spsd.hqu.edu.cn/s/53/t/136/1e/19/info7705.htm
Course Objectives
1) to offer an introduction to Aristotle and his Psychology;
2) to interpret and discuss the main texts of Aristotle’s De Anima.
3) to analyse and understand the core philosophical issues and texts in De Anima;
4) to improve student’s reading comprehension of
western
philosophical
texts
and writing skills in English, and develop student’s critical reasoning and analytical skills.
Required texts
1. Aristotle’s On the Soul , in The Complete Works of Aristotle, Vol. 1, the revised Oxford
translation, ed. by Barnes, Jonathan, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1984
2. Aristotle’s De Anima BooksⅡ and Ⅲ, (Clarendon Aristotle Series), tr. with intro. And
notes by Hamlyn, D.W., Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1978
3. 亚里士多德，《灵魂论及其他》，吴寿彭译，北京：商务印书馆，1999
4. Polansky, Ronald, Aristotle’s De anima, New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007
5. Amélie Oksenberg Rorty & Martha C. Nussbaum(ed.), Essays on Aristotle's De Anima,
(Clarendon Aristotle Series), Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995
6. Shields, Christopher, Aristotle’s Psychology,
http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2011/entries/aristotle-psychology/
7. Shields, Christopher, Aristotle, (Routledge Philosophers), New York: Routledge, 2007
Schedule of readings and assignments (to be completed before class):
1st Week Sat. 9 Sep.:
Introduction: Aristotle’s works, thought and the outline of De Anima
2nd Week Sat. 14 Sep.: Book Ⅰ: 402a -404b15, §1 – 2
3rd Week Sat. 21 Sep.:
Book Ⅰ: 404b16 -406b14, §2 – 3
4th Week Sat. 28 Sep.:
Book Ⅰ: 406b15-409a30, §3 - 4
5th Week Sat. 5 Oct.:
Book Ⅰ: 409a31 -411b31, §5
6th Week Sat. 12 Oct.:
Book Ⅱ: 412a -414a28, §1 – 2
7th Week Sat. 19 Oct.:
Book Ⅱ: 414a29 -416b31, §3 – 4
8th Week Sat. 26 Oct.:
Book Ⅱ: 417a -418a25, §5 - 6
9th Week Sat. 2 Nov.:
Book Ⅱ: 418a26-424b19, §7 – 12
10th Week Sat. 9 Nov.:
Book Ⅲ: 424b20 -427a16, §1 - 2
11th Week Sat. 16 Nov.:
Book Ⅲ: 427a17 -430a9, §3 - 4
12th Week Sat. 23 Nov.:
Book Ⅲ:430a10 -430b32, §5 - 6
13th Week Sat. 30 Nov.:
Book Ⅲ:431a1 -433a8, §7 – 9
14th Week Sat. 7 Dec.:
Book Ⅲ:433a9 -435b26, §10 - 13
15th Week Sat. 14 Dec.:
Presentation & Discussion：Burnyeat’s “Is an Aristotelian Philosophy of Mind Still Credible? “
16th Week Sat. 21 Dec.:
Presentation & Discussion：Cohen’s “Hylomorphism and Functionalism “
17th Week Sat. 28 Dec.:
Presentation & Discussion：Whiting’s “Living Bodies “
18th Week Sat. 4 Jan., 2014:
Presentation & Discussion：Nussbaum & Putnam’s “Changing Aristotle's Mind “