PHIL 200 / CAMS 200- ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY (GH)
Greece
Spring 2015
Mark William Westmoreland
PSU Brandywine
901.896.4749
Office hours: by appointment
mww15@psu.edu
Travel Agency: Celestial Voyagers
Agent: Francoise Cornu
Phone: 516-829-1525
Email: francoise@celestialvoyagers.com
Website: www.celestialvoyagers.com
“The unexamined life is not worth living.”
-Socrates (Plato, Apology 38a)
“All human beings by nature have a desire to know.”
-Aristotle (Metaphysics I.i.)
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES
PHIL 200 / CAMS 200 (GH) Ancient Philosophy is designed to present students with a survey of ancient
Western Philosophy beginning with the pre-Socratics, continuing with Plato (Socrates), Aristotle, and the
post-Aristotelians, and concluding with neo-Platonists and early Christians. Emphasis will be placed on
Plato and Aristotle. The class will examine the historical and cultural foundations from which ancient
Western philosophy grew, and will explore issues which were focal points of ancient philosophy, such as
the nature of reality, change, permanence, truth, form, and matter.
There are four general objectives for our course:
-To better understand and appreciate cultural and philosophical issues of Ancient Greece.
-To share our questions and concerns about philosophy with each other in a civil manner.
-To experience and engage critically with various expressions of philosophical ideas.
-To improve our ability to reason well and to think, read, and write clearly.
COURSE REGISTRATION
You cannot register for this course using the same methods you use for other courses. To register you
need to contact either Mark William Westmoreland (via phone or email) or Dr. Paul Greene
(pdg4@psu.edu), the coordinator of Brandywine’s Global Program, to discuss the course and whether it
makes sense for you to enroll. After doing so, we will either sign an add/drop form for you (PSU
Brandywine students only) or send you an email statement of permission. This statement or form
should be sent to Lisa Krol (LVM4@psu.edu) of the Brandywine Campus Registration Office. You also
need a similar statement of permission from your academic adviser.
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Contacting the travel agency and making initial travel preparations: You will need to contact the travel
agency to make arrangements for travel. Please do this immediately. Contact information for the
agency is provided on the first page of this syllabus. Note that registering for the course does not sign
you up for the actual trip nor does it pay for your airfare and accommodations while in Barcelona (these
things must be arranged directly with the travel agency).
The travel agency will ask that you have a valid passport. If you do not have a passport, you should
arrange to obtain one right away (doing so can take up to 60 days, though rush processing is available
for an extra fee). If you are near PSU Brandywine you can obtain a passport from the Media Courthouse:
http://www.co.delaware.pa.us/ojs/passport.html which is located at 201 W. Front Street, Government
Center 123, Media PA. You can also visit the Department of State’s website:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html
You should also consider purchasing PSU travel insurance. This can be accomplished by contacting Gail
Wray (Main Building Room 212 on PSU Brandywine’s campus; 610-892-1472; gbw1@psu.edu).
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
ASSIGNMENTS
Blog (pre/post travel)
Greece (community contribution, sites, discussions)
Portfolio (post travel)
40%
30%
30%
REQUIRED TEXTS
Readings in Ancient Greek Philosophy: From Thales to Aristotle. 4th Edition. S. Marc Cohen, Patricia Curd,
C. D. C. Reeve. Hackett: 2011. [ISBN-13: 978-1603844628]
Ancient Philosophy: A Contemporary Introduction. 2nd Edition. Christopher Shields. Routledge: 2011.
[ISBN-13: 978-0415896603]
RECOMMENDED TEXTS
Meet The Philosophers Of Ancient Greece: Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Ancient Greek
Philosophy But Didn't Know Who To Ask. Patricia F. O'Grady. Ashgate: 2005. [ISBN-13: 978-0754651321]
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
The University policy on academic integrity is described in detail in section 49-20 of Policy and Rules for
Students. All students are expected to act with civility, personal integrity; respect other students’
dignity, rights and property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed
through the fruits of their own efforts. Academic integrity includes a commitment to not engage in or
tolerate acts of falsification, misrepresentation or deception. Such acts include cheating or copying,
plagiarizing, submitting another persons’ work as one’s own, using Internet sources without citation,
“ghosting”, stealing examinations, tampering with the academic work of another student, facilitating
other students’ acts of academic dishonesty. Students charged with a breach of academic integrity will
receive due process and, if the charge is found valid, academic sanctions may range, depending on the
severity of the offense, from an F for the assignment to an F for the course. The University’s statement
on academic integrity available at http://www.psu.edu/dept/oue/aappm/G-9.html
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NOTE TO STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, it is Penn State’s policy to provide
reasonable academic adjustments for students with documented disabilities. If you have a disabilityrelated need for modifications in this course, contact Sharon Manco, 610-892-1461, sam26@psu.edu.
This notification should occur by the end of the first week of the semester. Students may visit
www.equity.psu.edu/ods/ for complete information.
GRADING SCALE
A = 94-100 A- = 90-93 B+ = 87-89 B = 83-86 B - = 80-82
C+ = 77-79 C= 70-76 D = 60-69 F= below 59
A = outstanding achievement relative to the level necessary to meet course requirements.
B = achievement significantly above level necessary to meet course requirements.
C = achievement that meets course requirements in every respect.
D = achievement that is worthy of credit though it fails to fully meet course requirements.
F = work that does not merit credit because either it was completed at a low level of achievement or was
not completed at all.
COMMUNICATION
Students should check the blog both their email and ANGEL mail regularly. Students are strongly
encouraged to communicate with the instructor regarding any issues regarding the course. We can
discuss any concerns in person, over the phone or skype, or through email. Because we will not be
holding traditional class meetings, it is particularly important that you seek me out. I will be happy to
schedule an appointment with you on campus at a time that is convenient for both of us. It is very easy
to reach me by email or by leaving a message on voicemail. I want you to get the most out of this trip
experience and this course, so don’t let your questions go unanswered.
Because the Western intellectual tradition has been constituted by debate on many philosophical
questions, you should not be afraid to express your thoughts or raise pointed questions. The goal is to
have a thoughtful, civil, reasonable, and informed discussion. This class functions best as a dialogue:
students in conversation with the instructor and their peers. My overall expectation for students is that
they attempt to think for themselves, challenge their presuppositions, and engage in a conversation
with those who think differently. Education is best sought in a community within which everyone’s voice
may be heard. In other words, there is no expectation that the students always agree with the
instructor; rather, the expectation is that students think for themselves—to reflect, think critically, and
develop a richer understanding of our world.
Grades will not be changed based on oral negotiation. If a student believes that the instructor has
overlooked something in the grading policy, then one should submit via email a detailed written
explanation of what has been overlooked along with the graded copy of the work.
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COURSE SCHEDULE
This course is divided into three distinct segments: (1) pre-travel, (2) Greece, (3) post-travel. Important
dates include:
1.12
SEMESTER BEGINS
Students should familiarize themselves with the course site on the blog (check
ANGEL for details about accessing the blog). Students should browse through
their Greece travel guides and skim through the IEP and SEP entries on our
assigned authors.
2.23
UNIT ONE A: PRE-SOCRATICS/SOCRATES/PLATO
Students will be responsible for posting and commenting on the blog.
UNIT ONE B: PLATO/ARISTOTLE
Students will be responsible for posting and commenting on the blog.
3.2
TRAVEL
UNIT TWO: GREECE
During our trip, students will be expected to hold meetings with the instructor,
visit sites individually, and visit sites as a class. Specific details about the
schedule will be made available at a future date.
4.6
UNIT THREE: HELLENISTIC PHILOSOPHY
Students will be responsible for posting and commenting on the blog.
5.4
PORTFOLIO DUE
ASSIGNMENT DETAILS
***Check ANGEL for details about how to access the blog. Students will need to register
with the instructor to gain access to the blog. Students should take care of this as soon as they
register for the course.***
READINGS/BLOG
1. Students should consult the expanded assignment description and rubric posted on the blog.
2. Students are expected to complete all of the assigned readings. Students are encouraged to be proactive
in completing the work and not to wait until the night before assignments are due. Students should try
to pace themselves so that the work is evenly distributed throughout the semester.
3. Blog posts of 500-750words should explore one question that is interesting to you by offering a critical
exegesis of specific texts that you have read. Posts should be focused, thoughtful, and based on
attentive analysis of the text. Reviews should not be a repetition of wikipedia or any other secondary
source nor should they be based on uncritical opinion or feeling. Students are not required to be
comprehensive but should (a) be focused and explicitly state their main argument (e.g., include a
statement such as “I will argue”), (b) quote and analyze textual evidence (the use of parenthetical
citations is required), and (c) carefully proofread their work before submission.
4. Blog posts should be posted on the class blog by 6pm by the correct due dates.
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5. Students are responsible for commenting (150-300words) on another student’s blog post in order to
generate a class discussion. Comments are due within 48hrs after blog posts are due.
GREECE
1. While in Greece, students will be expected to visit specific sites, participate in group discussions over
lunch and/or breakfast, and contribute to the community more generally. Specific details regarding
the schedule of the trip will be provided on the blog.
2. Students should bring a camera. Students are expected to take pictures of various sites and activities
and place a selection of photos in their portfolios.
3. Students should bring a journal in which they can document their experiences.
4. In general, your Community Contribution grade will reflect what you do to make this trip an effective
and exciting intellectual experience for your community of fellow travelers. Here are some other
factors that will impact your Community Contribution grade: Have you collaborated with one of
your colleagues in locating and visiting a museum, performance event, historic sight, etc.? Have you
discovered opportunities of sites to visit to meet your course requirements, and shared them with
your colleagues (perhaps at a breakfast meeting)? Please note that activities that detract from the
traveling community’s intellectual experience carry penalties. For example, failing to follow
instructions from the travel agent or the instructors in the program (including instructors of courses
other than your own) could result in a 0 for your Community Contribution grade. Likewise, violation
of Penn State University’s Code of Conduct, excessive drunkenness, or violation of the country’s
laws or customs will be met with severe penalties. In addition to a 0 in Community Contribution,
additional penalties may be assigned to you and your academic record by the university’s Judicial
Affairs Office.
5. Possible sites to visit: Academy, Acropolis, Agora, Areopagus, Athenian bus tour, Athenian court and
jail, canal in Corinth, Cynocargus, Epicurus’ house, Gymanasium, Lyceum, National Archeological
Museum, Parthenon, Piraeus, the Plaka, Stoa, Syntagma Square, Temple of Poseidon, and/or
Theatre of Dionysus. Pending travel agent, there might be excursions to Delphi, Epidaurus,
Mycenae, Olympia, Patras, and Tolo.
PORTFOLIO
1. Students should consult the expanded assignment description and rubric posted on the blog.
2. Students will be assigned portfolio that will be developed in stages throughout the semester and
submitted at the end of the semester.
3. The portfolio will showcase the student’s best blog posts, a reflective journal, pictures from the trip, and
short essays.
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