Proseminar in Philosophy I

6 Hours Credit

This course appears in the schedule as two 3 hour classes. It meets twice a week. You must take both sections!

 

82330 PHI PHI 6934 001 Proseminar 3 T   6:00pm-8:50pm  FAO 248

82331 PHI PHI 6934 002 Proseminar 3 F 11:00am-12:50pm FAO 248

Instructor Information:

 

Section I. Ancient & Medieval Philosophy

J. Waugh

FAO 231

Office Hours:

Phone: 813-974-5571

jwaugh@chuma1.cas.usf.edu

Section II. Early Modern Philosophy

B. Silver

FAO 233

Office Hours:

Phone: 813-974-5405

bsilver@chuma1.cas.usf.edu

Section III. Continental Philosophy

C. Guignon

FAO 213

Office Hours:

Phone 813-974-9839

guignon@chuma1.cas.usf.edu

Section IV. Analytic Philosophy

K. Wiredu

FAO 243

Office Hours:

Phone 813-974-5698

kwiredu@chuma1.cas.usf.edu

Books: various books and handouts, listed below in each section of the course

Course Description: Emphasis of the course is on the question "What is A Philosophical Argument?" as this question can be answered in the various areas of Philosophy. Central to the course will be the consideration of a series of representative major texts exemplifying philosophical analysis, interpretation and historiography in the various fields of philosophy. Proseminar in Philosophy I examines: Ancient and Medieval, Modern Philosophy, Continental Philosophy, and Analytic Philosophy.

The class meets twice per week, and is divided into 4 units of 3 1/2 weeks each or 7 meetings per section. Attendance is expected. Notify the instructor if an emergency arises and you cannot attend class. The structure is designed to underscore the intensity of concentration that will be expected of you. In each section you will be expected to write and perhaps to present your own short papers. Readings are essential, and the discussions will be designed to both introduce you to the area and, most importantly, to introduce you to the style of current philosophical writings and argument in these areas, both by reviewing current work and by writing. The course will be required for new students, and is highly advisable for students already in the program.

PROSEMINAR SCHEDULE & READINGS

 

 

Section I.    Professor Joanne Waugh   (8/30-9/20)

Ancient & Medieval Philosophy    

 

Texts:

Plato, The Republic, Grube and Reeve, trans. (Hackett, 2nd edition)

Plato, The Symposium, Woodruff and Nehemas, translators, (Hackett, 1989)

Plato, Laches and Charmides, Sprague, trans. (Hackett, 1992)

 

8/27:     Course Introduction


8/30:     Harold Tarrant. "Where Plato Speaks: Reflections on an Ancient Debate," in Who Speaks for Plato? Studies in Platonic
Anonymity, Gerald Press, editor (Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2000).


Joanne Waugh. "Socrates and the Character of Platonic Dialogue," in Who Speaks for Plato? Studies in Platonic Anonymity, Gerald Press, editor (Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2000).
Plato, The Charmides (Hackett, 1992)

9/3:       Eric Havelock."The Socratic Problem: Some Second Thoughts," in Essays in Ancient Greek Philosophy, Volume Two.

John P. Anton and Anthony Preus, editors (Albany: SUNY Press, 1983) 147-173.

           

Plato, The Laches (Hackett, 1992)

9/6:       Plato, The Republic (Hackett, 2nd ed.)     

 

9/10:     Plato, The Republic (Hackett, 2nd ed.)

 

9/13:     Plato, The Republic (Hackett, 2nd ed.)

 

9/17:     The Symposium (Hackett,1989).

 

Michael Stokes, "Socrates and a tragic poet," in Michael Stokes, Plato's Socratic Conversations: Drama and Dialectic in Three Dialogues (Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1986)

 

9/20:     Giovanni Ferrari, "Platonic Love," in The Cambridge Companion to Plato, (New York: Cambridge University Press)

 

Diskin Clay. "The Tragic and Comic Poet of the Symposium," in Essays in Ancient Greek Philosophy, Volume Two. John P. Anton and Anthony Preus, editors (Albany: SUNYPress, 1983)

 

Graded Assignments:  Students will be required to write a research paper of 10-12 pages due on September 24.  The paper will count as 90% of the grade for this section.  Students will also be asked assume to responsibility for leading the discussion on an assigned text or article.  This contribution to the Seminar and other participation will count as 10% of the grade for this section.

 

 

Section II.    Professor Bruce Silver   (9/24-10/15)

Early Modern Philosophy 

 

Objective:

The principal objective of this component of the proseminar is to assist beginning graduate students in writing well-crafted critical papers on selected philosophers of the late Renaissance and early-modern period.

Texts:  

Berkeley, George. Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous, (Hackett).

Descartes. Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy, (Hackett).

Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, (Hackett).

Montaigne. Apology for Raymond Sebond, trans. Screech (Penguin).

 

Required Readings:
9/24: Montaigne, Apology for Raymond Sebond.

9/27: B. Silver, "Montaigne, An Apology for Raymond Sebond: Happiness and the Poverty of Reason."

10/1: Descartes, Discourse on the Method, Pts. I-III, and Meditations, I-III.

10/4: Descartes, Meditations, IV-VI.

10/8: B. Silver, "Rational Religion, Early-Modern Skepticism and Descartes's Body."

10/11: Berkeley, Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous

10/15: B. Silver, Hume's An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding: Skepticism Triumphant?

 

Critical Papers:

 

10/4: First critical paper due on the problems with "Montaigne, An Apology for Raymond Sebond: Happiness and the Poverty of Reason" (5-6 computer-printed or typewritten pages, i.e., 1,250-1,500 words).


10/15: Second critical paper due: an analysis of Hume's Skeptical Arguments in the Enquiry, sections iv and xii (5-6 computer-printed or typewritten pages, i.e., 1,250-1,500 words).

 

 

Section III.    Professor Charles Guignon   (10/18-11/8)

Continental Philosophy      

 
Objective:

This section of the Proseminar will look at how ideas developed in continental thought are developed by thinkers in the AngloAmerican tradition. Our goal is to (1) grasp and critically evaluate the ideas of major thinkers, in order to (2) formulate and defend our own views on these topics.


Required texts:

Existentialism: Basic Writings, 2nd edition, C. Guignon and D. Pereboom, eds. (Hackett, 2001) = E

Time and Narrative, Paul Ricoeur, vol. 1 (University of Chicago, 1984) = TN.

Recommended texts:

Consequences of Pragmatism, Richard Rorty, (Univ. of Minnesota, 1982) = CP

After Virtue, Alasdair MacIntyre, 2nd ed. (Univ. of Notre Dame, 1984) = AV

Human Agency and Language, Philosophical Papers volume 1, Charles Taylor, vol. 1 (Cambdrige Univ. Press, 1985) = PP

[Readings in "recommended" books will be on reserve at the library and may be photocopied.]



Required Readings:

10/18: Hegel (in E, pp. 19-25; optional: E, pp. xiii-xxxviii)

10/22: Husserl and Sartre (in E, pp. 255-308; optional: E, pp. 352-362)

10/25: Rorty, Intro to CP and chapter 9 of CP

10/29: Heidegger (in E, pp. 183-221, 243-254)

11/1: Taylor, Intro and chapters 2 and 3 of PP

11/5: Ricoeur, chapters 2 and 3 of TN

11/8: MacIntyre, chapters 10, 14, and 15 of AV


Evaluation Criteria: two short (3-4 page) papers on assigned topics.

Section IV.    Professor Kwasi Wiredu   (11/12-12/6)

Analytic Philosophy
 

Texts:  
Baille, James. Contemporary Analytic Philosophy, (Prentice Hall, ISBN 0-13-520974-9).
Klemke, E.D.  Contemporary Analytic and Linguistic Philosophies, (Prometheus, ISBN 1-57392-807-0).
Munitz, Milton.  Analytic Philosophy, (MacMillan, ISBN 0-02-384840-5). Out of Print; will be available via USF Custom        Publishing on Bookstore shelf and on reserve at USF Library, Tampa Campus.

 

Other readings as assigned.


Reading List and Assignments


Class Meetings:

11/12
11/15
11/19
11/22
11/26
(11/29 Thanksgiving Break)
12/3
12/6            

NOTE: Final grades for the course will be based on the grades for each unit, and each unit's grade will be equally weighted. Each unit’s grade will be based upon grades received for writing assignments and upon class participation.