Philosophy 3375
The Meaning of Life
Spring 2009
Jean Kazez
CONTACT
jkazez@smu.edu
www.smu.edu/jkazez/mol.htm (course web-page)
972-931-8918 (home), 214-202-8937 (cell)
Office hours by appointment (210 Hyer Hall)
OBJECTIVES
In this class, we'll take a rigorous, analytic approach to the "big questions": How should we
live? Is happiness the most important thing? What priority should we give to our various aims
and interests? Does life have any grand purpose? If not, can life still be meaningful? We'll look
at all these issues from a wide range of perspectives, ancient and modern, Anglo-American and
continental, western and eastern. You may (or may not) find out the meaning of life by taking
this class, but you'll certainly think hard--and think for yourself--about some vitally important,
perennial issues.
REQUIREMENTS
Exam I 20%, Exam II 20%, Final Exam 25%, Paper (~8 pages) 25%, Citizenship 10%
CITIZENSHIP
Your citizenship grade is based on an all-around assessment of how you contribute to this class.
Positives are: attending, being attentive, bringing texts to class, being prepared for group
discussions, showing respect for others, making a cooperative contribution to group discussions,
and participating in a high-quality way to class discussions. If necessary, we will occasionally
have pop reading quizzes, which will factor into your citizenship grade.
ATTENDANCE.
Because this is a small, discussion-centered class, your presence is essential. Try not to miss
even one class, as one class is a whole week! You will have a budget of two absences to cover
things that come up, whether “legitimate” or personal. Use this budget wisely! In most cases, a
3rd absence or 4th absence will lower your citizenship grade by 50% each. More than 4 absences:
You will receive a failing grade and should drop the class. Discuss unusual circumstances with
me as soon as they arise.
ELECTRONIC ETIQUETTE
Use common sense. Don’t let phones and laptops distract you or anyone else.
MAKE-UP EXAMS
Make-up exams will be given only to students who have an outstandingly good reason for
missing a class, such as being ill, needing to attend a funeral, or participating in an official SMU
athletic event. If you are physically able, present your excuse before missing an exam. Don't
make any travel plans before looking at the schedule.
DISABILITY ACCOMMODATIONS
Students needing academic accommodations for a disability must first contact Ms. Rebecca
Marin, Coordinator, Services for Students with Disabilities (214-768-4557) to verify the
disability and establish eligibility for accommodations. You should then communicate with me
to make appropriate arrangements. (University Policy No. 2.4.)
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
If you participate in an official, scheduled, SMU extracurricular activity, you will be given the
opportunity to make up exams and assignments missed as a result of your participation. It is
your responsibility to make arrangements with me prior to any missed examination or
assignment. Please discuss your schedule with me at the beginning of the semester.
RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE
“Religiously observant students wishing to be absent on holidays that require missing class
should notify their professors in writing at the beginning of the semester, and should discuss with
them, in advance, acceptable ways of making up any work missed because of the absence.”
(University Policy No. 1.9.).
GRADE INTERPRETATION
You can earn a maximum of 100 points in this class. 100-93=A; 92-90=A-, 89-87=B+, 8683=B, etc. Every component is also graded on a 100-point scale. The letters mean:
A-range
B-range
C-range
D-range
F-range
Very accurate, very insightful. Only a few minor flaws.
Some very good work, but also some significant gaps.
You've learned something, but missed many important things as well.
Very little mastery of any of the material.
No significant mastery. Grade of zero if paper/exam is not turned in or violates
honor code.
HONOR CODE
Violation of SMU's honor code will not be tolerated. Every piece of work you turn in must be
entirely your own. Writing a paper means both expressing your own thoughts, and expressing
them in your own words. You may not copy passages from our texts, from any other texts, or
from the internet, even if the passages are brief. No one else may write a paper for you, whether
in whole or in part. The penalty for academic dishonesty will be a zero on the paper or exam in
question and possibly also in the course. On top of this grade penalty, the case may be presented
to the honor council, which may decide to take further disciplinary action, such as suspension or
dismissal.
2
SCHEDULE
BOOKS
Kazez, The Weight of Things (WT)
Bauby, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Epictetus, The Handbook (trans. White)
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (trans. Irwin)
Singer, Ethics
Nietzsche, The Gay Science (trans. Kaufmann)
Klemke, The Meaning of Life
IMPORTANT- Please bring the night’s readings to class every time!
 You’ll find it hard to complete all the readings for one week in one sitting…so plan
accordingly.
 Do the readings in the order they are listed.
DATE
TOPIC & READINGS
Week 1 (1/21)
Why?
Kazez, WT 1-15
Read Bauby at your leisure
Week 2 (1/28)
The Good Life
Kazez, WT 16-35
Lecky, “The Desert Saints,” Singer 194-97
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics
Book I, ch. 1-4, 7-10, Book II, ch. 6-7, 9, Book X, ch. 7-8
(Glossary, notes, and introduction are helpful)
Week 3 (2/4)
Stoicism and Buddhism
Epictetus, The Handbook, complete
Kazez, WT 35-45
The Buddha, “The Ceasing of Woe,” Singer 183-85
Week 4 (2/11)
Happiness
Epicurus, “The Pursuit of Pleasure,” Singer 188-90
Voltaire, “Story of a Good Brahmin,” Singer 198-99
Bentham, “Pushpin and Poetry,” Singer 199-200
Mill, “Higher and Lower Pleasures,” Singer 201-205
Nozick, “The Experience Machine,” Singer 228-29
James, “Good as the Satisfaction of Demands,” Singer 205-11
Week 5 (2/18)
Happiness (cont)
Parfit, “What Make’s Someone’s Life Go Best,” Singer 235-42
Kazez, WT 46-60
Explore www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu
MISC.
1 HOUR
EXAM
3
Week 6 (2/25)
Objective List Theories
Kazez, WT 61-80
Finnis, “The Basic Values,” Singer 229-235
Week 7 (3/4)
Living with Disabilities
Kazez, WT 81-98
Johnson, “Unspeakable Conversations” (course webpage)
Explore http://www.princeton.edu/~psinger/faq.html (section III)
Week 8 (3/18)
Hard Choices
Kazez, WT 99-110
Sartre, “Existentialism is a humanism” (course webpage)
Week 9 (3/25)
How Good Do We Need to Be?
Gandhi, “Truth and Ahimsa,” Singer 219-20
Nietzsche, The Gay Science, sections 116-119,125, 128, 276, 28390, 325-28, 338, 341, 343, 345, 352, 359, 381-83
Week 10 (4/1)
How Good Do We Need to Be? (cont)
Wolf, “Moral Saints,” Singer 345-52
Kazez, WT 111-127
1 HOUR
EXAM
Week 11 (4/8)
The Religion Question
Tolstoy, “My Confession,” Klemke 11-20
Pojman, “Religion Gives Meaning to Life,” Klemke 27-30
Fackenheim, “ Judaism and the Meaning of Life,” Klemke 31-34
Kazez, WT 128-137
TURN IN
Impermanence and Absurdity
Nozick, “Death” HANDOUT (course webpage)
Nagel, “The Absurd,” Klemke 143-52
Kazez, WT 137-145
TOPICS
Week 12 (4/15)
PAPER
TOPIC
RETURNED
Week 13 (4/22)
The Meaning of Life
Camus, “The Myth of Sisyphus,” Klemke 72-81
Taylor, “The Meaning of Life,” Klemke 167-75
Wolf, “Meaning in Life,” Klemke 232-35
Cahn, “Meaningless Lives,” Klemke 236-38
Week 14 (4/29)
Everything Else
Kazez, WT 146-158
Explore www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu
PAPER
DUE
Final (5/6)
Final is in Hyer 111 at 6:30
FINAL
EXAM 1
4
5