PHR 2010: Ancient Philosophy
Instructor: Dr. Corey McCall
Office: McGraw 210B
Telephone: 735-1889
E-mail: cmccall@elmira.edu
Class Location: Harris Hall Rm. 15
Class Day and Time: MWF 10:20-11:20am
Office Hours: TR 10-11am
F 1:30-2:20pm and by appointment
Course Description:
This course comprises an historical and thematic introduction to ancient Greek philosophy, roughly
covering the period from 625 BCE (Thales) to 325 BCE (Aristotle). Questions considered include the
following: what is the nature of the philosophy for the ancient Greeks? What form did their philosophizing
take, and why? What is the relationship between the philosophical form of life and the political form of
life? We will consider these questions and others within the context of Plato’s and Aristotle’s thought in
order to consider their lasting influence on perennial philosophical debates in ethics, political philosophy,
metaphysics, and aesthetics.
Course Objectives:

By the end of the course, students will be able to identify key ideas in the thought of Plato and
Aristotle.

Students will have a clear sense of the history of ancient Greek philosophy and its continued
relevance.

Students will understand the arguments made by these philosophers and why they held these
views.

Students will assess these philosophical ideas and arguments through a series of discussions,
presentations, and written assignments. Each student is expected to carefully read and think
through the reading assignment prior to attending class.
Required Texts:
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, 2nd ed. Trans. Terence Irwin. Indianapolis: Hackett
Publishing, 1999. ISBN: 0872204642 [NE]
Patricia Curd, ed. A Presocratics Reader: Selected Fragments and Testimonia.
Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing, 1996. ISBN: 0872203263 [PR]
Plato, Five Dialogues. Ed. G.M.A. Grube. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing, 2002. ISBN: 0872206335
[5D]
Plato, Gorgias. Trans. Robin Waterfield. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994. ISBN:
0192836307 [G]
Plato, Symposium. Trans. Alexander Nehamas and Paul Woodruff. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing,
1989. ISBN: 0872200760 [S]
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Recommended Texts:
These texts are useful background sources and may prove helpful as you prepare your presentation.
Anthony Gottlieb, The Dream of Reason: A History of Philosophy from the Greeks to the Renaissance.
NY: Norton, 2000. ISBN: 0393049515.
Pierre Hadot, What is Ancient Philosophy? Trans. Michael Chase. Cambridge: Harvard University Press,
2002. ISBN: 0674013735.
Martha Nussbaum. The Fragility of Goodness: Luck and Ethics in Greek Tragedy and Philosophy.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1986. ISBN: 0521277027
Course Format:
The course consists largely of lecture and discussion. In addition, students will be asked to present on a
Presocratic figure.
Availability:
Please take advantage of the office hours listed on the first page of this syllabus. I am available to discuss
any issues, questions, and problems you may have regarding the course. Come see me before small issues
or problems become big ones or feel free just to introduce yourself and say ‘hello.’
Course Requirements:
5 pp. exegetical paper (20%)
Essay Midterm (20%)
Presentation and 2-3pp. summary (20%)
Essay Final Exam (20%)
Class Participation (20%)
Academic Dishonesty:
No written work that is not the student’s own will be accepted. Any cases of plagiarism will result in a
grade of “0” for the assignment in question and the matter will be referred to the Dean of Faculty. Please
see pages 61-62 of the Student Handbook for more information. If you have questions about citing work
that is not your own, please contact the instructor. It is always better to err on the side of caution when
dealing with ideas that are not your own—you will never get in trouble for having too many citations, but
you can easily get in trouble for passing off ideas that are not original as your own.
Attendance Policy:
You must be present in order to meaningfully contribute to class. Three unexcused absences will lower
your grade by one letter, and any more than five unexcused absences will result in a grade of “F” for this
course. If you anticipate being absent, please come see me. If you are absent due to illness, please contact
me as soon as possible regarding your absence. Your class participation grade will be calculated based
upon your performance on in-class writing assignments and reading quizzes as well as class discussion.
Late Papers:
I will accept papers late, but the paper loses 10% of its value for every day that it is late (not class period).
Papers are generally due by 5pm; if the paper is not received before 5pm on the day following that which it
was due, then a 10% penalty will be assessed for that day, 20% for the next day, etc.
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ANGEL:
ANGEL Course Management Software will be used to supplement class discussion. I will post discussion
questions pertaining to the subsequent class’s reading on ANGEL. Each participant will be expected to
prepare answers to these questions for class (this will be a primary component of your class participation
grade). Additionally, I will post supplementary materials on ANGEL, and you will be asked to submit all
of your materials via the TurnItIn Dropbox on ANGEL. I will also post announcements on ANGEL and email you course announcements.
Students with Special Needs:
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 provide
students with learning or physical disabilities the right to certain educational modifications or special
assistance. If you will be making any such requests, please speak with the instructor during the first week
of class so that the necessary arrangements can be made promptly. If you have any questions about your
eligibility for such services, please contact Carolyn Draht, Director of Education Services (X1922).
Grading Criteria for Essays:
The following outline is intended to help you understand what I am looking for when I read your essay, and
the criteria I follow in determining your grade. There are two points I want to emphasize up front: 1) A
college paper is ultimately more than the sum of its parts. Thus, no outline like this can provide an absolute
formula. 2) I consider a grade of C (C+ if I am feeling generous) to be an average grade. In other words: A
= excellent, B = good, C = adequate, D = poor, F = inadequate.
An “A” paper demonstrates superior command of the subject matter and presents that information so
effectively that the reader enjoys reading the paper and learns from it. This paper shows a clear pattern of
organization and keeps the reader involved through all stages of its composition. In addition, the “A” paper
demonstrates a sophistication in style and an original voice; sentences are appropriately varied in length
and construction; transitions are used effectively to produce a smooth flow for the reader; connections
between ideas and sentences are clear. The “A” paper demonstrates superior word choice and contains
almost no errors in mechanics and grammar. The “A” paper is the work of a writer who is able to deal
comfortably with complex material and can present that material effectively. The “A” paper has something
intelligent and significant to say, and says it well.
A “B” paper is almost free of mechanical errors and delivers a substantial amount of interesting
information effectively. The specific points are logically ordered, well-developed, and follow a clear
organizing principle. The introduction and conclusion are effective, but not as engaging as in the “A”
paper. Transitions are adequately smooth, sentence structure sufficiently varied in length and construction,
and word choice is effective. The writing in a “B” paper is organized, clear, coherent, and correct. While
not in the same class as the “A” paper, the “B” paper is far more than competent.
A “C” paper is generally competent and reasonably well organized and developed. It demonstrates an
average knowledge of the subject matter, but the analysis and discussion is vague and superficial. The “C”
paper has a weak thesis and does not develop it particularly well. The sentence structure is unvarying,
word choice is sometimes inappropriate, and/or there are other mechanical and grammatical mistakes.
Though a “C” paper fulfills the assignment, it is not especially engaging or enlightening.
A “D” or “F” paper fails to fulfill the assignment. It has serious flaws in grammar, mechanics,
organization, and/or word choice. It demonstrates an inadequate or inaccurate knowledge of the material
and is careless in its presentation. Such a paper has no argument, no thesis, and no point to make
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Tentative Reading Schedule:
Week One:
9/3: What is Ancient Philosophy?
Part I: Plato
During the first part of the course, we will read several of Plato’s dialogues. Key topics we will consider
include, but are not limited to, the following: Plato’s conception of philosophy, the relationship between
philosophy and politics, the relationship between philosophy and rhetoric, the nature of beauty, the nature
of the Forms or Ideas as the ultimate basis of reality, being versus seeming, virtue, the relationship between
philosophy and religion in the dialogues, Plato’s theory of recollection, and the nature of the soul.
9/5: Euthyrphro, 5d: 1-10 (Religion and philosophy, ethics)
9/7: Euthyphro, 5d: 10-20
Week Two:
9/10: Meno, 5d: 58-71 (the nature of virtue, can virtue be taught, doctrine of recollection)
9/12: Meno, 5d: 7192
9/14: Gorgias, G: 3-26 (relationship between philosophy and rhetoric, nature of the soul, knowledge)
Week Three:
9/17: Gorgias, G: 27-45
9/19: Gorgias, G: 46-69
9/21: Gorgias, G: 70-108
Week Four:
9/24: Gorgias, G: 108-137
9/26: Apology, 5d: 21-44(philosophy and politics)
9/28: Crito, 5d: 45-57(philosophy and politics, the nature of laws)
Week Five:
10/1: Phaedo, 5d: 93-122(the soul, the forms)
10/3: Phaedo, 5d: 122-154
10/5: Exegetical Paper Due by 5pm
Week Six:
10/8: Phaedo, cont.
10/10: Phaedo
10/12: Phaedo
Week Seven:
10/15: Midterm Break
10/17: Symposium, 1-25
10/19: Symposium, 25-49
Week Eight:
10/22: Symposium, 49-77
10/24: Review
10/26: Midterm Exam
Part II: Pre-Socratic Antecedents
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The presentations during this part of the term will discuss a pre-Socratic philosopher (e.g. Thales,
Anaximander, Heraclitus, Parmenides, Empedocles) relative to at least one of the issues that we have
discussed during our readings of Plato’s dialogues.
Week Nine:
10/29: Presentations
10/31: Presentations
11/2: Presentations
Week Ten:
11/5: Presentations
Part III. Aristotle
We conclude the course with a close reading of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics. Key topics include:
Aristotle’s conception of the philosophical way of life, the moral and intellectual virtues, the nature of
friendship, and the nature of the relationship between ethics and politics in Aristotle’s thought.
11/7: Aristotle, Bks I-II NE: 1-30
11/9: Bk. III, NE: 30-49
Week Eleven:
11/12: Bk. IV, NE: 49-67 (Moral Virtue)
11/14: Bk. V, NE: 67-85 (Justice)
11/16: Bk. VI, NE: 86-99 (Intellectual Virtue)
Week Twelve:
11/19: Thanksgiving Recess
11/21: Thanksgiving Recess
11/23: Thanksgiving Recess
Week Thirteen:
11/26: Bk. VII, NE: 99-119 (Continence)
11/28: Bk. VIII, NE: 119-137 (Friendship)
11/30: Bk. IX, NE: 137-153 (Friendship)
Week Fourteen:
12/3: Bk. X, NE: 153-171 (The Good Life)
12/5: TBA
12/7: Review for Final Exam
Week Fifteen:
Final Exam TBA
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