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political
science 406 Aristotle:
Nicomachean Ethics
Tuesday
evenings, 6-9 pm, Winter term
– 2006-07
email: Don.Carmichael@ualberta.ca NB: First Class
(Tues, Jan 9th) This will be an important
session. A schedule of topics
and deadlines will be established, and students will be asked to choose dates
and topics for seminar papers.
Anyone unable to attend this session should contact me before the
seminar to discuss possible assignments. Provisional Course
Outline This course will be
a seminar on Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, with particular attention to the
account of justice, human excellence, practical wisdom, and the importance of
certain social goods (love, friendship, political participation) in human
well‑being. Aristotle's views on
these topics will be contrasted with Plato's very different account in
Republic. But the focus will be
on Aristotle's work and the issues it raises The course will be
taught as an undergraduate-only seminar. A separate seminar (Pol S 515) will be conducted for
graduate and advanced students.
For this course however, only Pol S 210 is required: students are not
expected to have any further background in Aristotle or political theory
beyond this. The seminar will
have two stages. In effect, we
will work through Aristotle's account twice. The first time, the focus will be on understanding what
Aristotle means. Having done
this, we will work through his account again; this time, aided by some recent
essays, the aim will be to assess Aristotle's account critically. Students will be expected to
participate in both aims. The course will be
conducted as a seminar. Students
will be expected to contribute actively in discussions and the seminar will
be organized around the presentation of student papers. Two short papers (5‑7
pp) will be required during the term, plus a somewhat longer paper (7-10 pp)
at the end of the term. One of
the short papers will be distributed and discussed as a seminar paper in the
class. There will be
considerable choice of topics for all three papers. Students will also be expected (1) to open the discussion
on one of the student seminar papers with a brief oral commentary and also
(2) to prepare brief digests (1‑2 pp) of the readings each week as an aid to
critical reading and mastery of the text. These will be due each week before the class; (though
everyone will get 2 weeks off of their own choosing) Essay Requirements All essays should be terse, analytical, and "positional" -- arguing a definite thesis in relation to some aspect of the readings. Students are encouraged to develop their own views in these essays -- eg, by contesting a specific claim made by Aristotle, or by arguing a rival thesis on the topic, or (in certain cases) by writing a critical response to a fellow student in the seminar. The only requirement is that the essay argue a specific and explicitly stated thesis ("In this essay I will argue that... "). Grades* Essays:
(3 @ equal weight)**
80% Commentary
10% contributions to the seminar*** 10% ‑‑‑‑‑ 100% * The reading digests ‑‑ which
must be submitted each week before the seminar ‑‑ will be graded only
as satisfactory/ unsatisfactory.
But they are a necessity and marks will be deducted from the final
grade (up to two stanines) for missing digests (note again that everyone gets
two weeks off, at dates of their own choosing). ** As noted above, one of the essays
will be discussed in the class as a seminar paper. Students will be asked to
make copies of their seminar papers available one or two days in advance, by
some date/time and in a format agreed by members of the class. It is an essential course requirement
that seminar papers be available by the agreed time -- failure to do so will
result in an automatic zero. ***
Seminar contributions will ordinarily be evaluated by the quality of
oral contributions, including questions. Alternative forms of seminar contribution are possible,
and students who are uncomfortable with speaking in the seminar are invited
to explore these with me. Texts Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (Ross
translation: Oxford University Press). All participants are asked to use this even if they
already have some other edition. Jonathan
Barnes, Aristotle: A Very Short Introduction Course pack: Supplementary Readings for Pol S
406 Cooper,
"Friendship
and the Good in Aristotle", The Philosophical Review 86:3 (1977),
290-315 Aristotle, On the Soul Book 3, Parts 4-7, http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/soul.3.iii.html Rorty, “The Place of Contemplation in Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics", Mind 87 (1978), 343-358 Nagel, "Aristotle on Eudaimionia", Phronesis 17 (1972), 252-59 Wilkes, "The Good Man and the Good for Man in Aristotle's Ethics", Mind 87 (1987), 553-571 |
Jan 9 Introduction Jan 16 B The Nature of Ethics:
Happiness, Excellence & the Good Life Aristotle,
Nicomachean Ethics, Book 1. (Digest). Barnes: Aristotle,
A Very Short Introduction (chs 1-13) Either: John Wallach, Contemporary
Aristotelianism” (just pp
613-27) Political Theory 20:4, 1992 (e-journal) Or Julia Annas, “Ancient Ethics and
Modern Morality” Philosophical Perspectives 6 (1992) (e-journal) Jan 23 B Virtue, Character, & The Mean
Aristotle,
Nicomachean Ethics, Book 2 Everson, APsychology@ (course
pack) Barnes: Aristotle,
A Very Short Introduction (finish) Jan 30 B Responsibility
/ The Virtues Aristotle,
Nicomachean Ethics, Books 3-4
(Digest Book 3 with a one paragraph summary of Book 4.) Feb 6 B Justice Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book 5. Feb 13 B Practical Wisdom / The Critique of Socrates Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book 6 and Book 7 (chs 1-10). (Digest both) Note: The rest of Book 7 (chs 11-14) will be considered with Book 10 C.D.C. Reeve, “Aristotle on the Virtues of
Thought” (course pack) David Bostock,
“Appendix: Note on the Practical Syllogism” (course pack) Feb 20 Reading
Week
Feb 27B Friendship Aristotle,
Nicomachean Ethics, Books 8‑9
(Digest both) Mar 6 B Happiness,
Pleasure & The Best Life Aristotle,
Nicomachean Ethics, Book 7 (chs 11-14) and Book 10. (Digest both) Aristotle,
Metaphysics 12 (6-10) (webpage) Annas, “Happiness
as Achievement”, Daedalus (Spring 2004). (e-journal) Note: Topics and readings
for the remainder of the course are provisional and may be changed to take up
issues of particular interest.
Please bring any interests to my attention. Mar 13 B Overview of Aristotelean Ethics:
Character & Virtue Burnyeat, AAristotle
on Learning to be Good@ (course
pack) Vasilou, “The Role of Good Upbringing in Aristotle’s Ethics”, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 56:4 1996 (ejournal) Review: Nicomachean Ethics, Books 2-5 (Bk 1
will be reviewed later, with Bk 10.) Recommended for
adventurers: Aristotle, On the Soul Book 3, Parts 4-7, available on
line athttp://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/soul.3.iii.html Mar 20 B Practical Wisdom & The Virtues Nussbaum, AThe
Discernment of Perception@ (course
pack) Fiasse,
“Aristotle’s Phronesis”, The Review of Metaphysics 55 2001 (ejournal) Purshouse,
“Neoptolemus’s Soul”, British Journal for the History of Philosophy 14:2 2006
(ejournal) Review: Nicomachean
Ethics, Books 6-7. (esp Book
6, chs 12-13) Cooper, AFriendship
and the Good in Aristotle@, The
Philosophical Review 86:3 (1977), 290-315 (e-journal) Mar 27 B
Friendship Sherman, “Aristotle on Friendship and the Shared Life” Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 47:4 1987 (ejournal) Cooper, AAristotle
on Friendship@ (course pack) Nussbaum, AThe
Vulnerability of The Good Human Life@:
the first part (pp 343-54)
(course pack) Review: Nicomachean Ethics, Books 8-9. Apr 3 B
Pleasure, Happiness and Contemplation Rorty, AThe Place of Contemplation in Aristotle=s Nicomachean Ethics@, Mind 87 (1978), 343-358 (e-journal) Wilkes, AThe Good Man and the Good for Man in Aristotle=s Ethics@, Mind 87 (1978), 553-571 (e-journal) Nagel, AAristotle on Eudaimionia@,
Phronesis 17 (1972), 252-59 (e-journal) Maybe also Metaphysics
12 (6-10) Review: Nicomachean
Ethics, Book 10, ch
7-8 Apr 10 B
Final Seminar (readings may be revised) Lawrence, “Aristotle and The
Ideal Life”, Philosophical Review 102:1 1993 (e-journal) Collins, “Moral
Virtue and the Limits of the Political Community in Aristotle's Nicomachean
Ethics”, American Journal of Political Science 48:1 2004, Vol. 48 (e-journal) FURTHER READING (ADVANCED) These
supplementary readings are listed for those who might want to do further work
on particular topics. They are
not required for the seminars or essays. All references are to e-journals. Happiness, Pleasure & The Best Life Julia Annas, “Happiness as Achievement”, Daedalus 133:2 (Spring 2004) Martha C. Nussbaum, “Mill between Aristotle &
Bentham”, Daedalus 133:2 (Spring 2004) Overview of Aristotelean Ethics: Character &
Virtue Aristotle,
On the Soul Book 3, Parts 4-7, available on line at
http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/soul.3.iii.html Michael S. Kochin, “Individual Narrative And
Political Character”, Review of Metaphysics 55:4 (2002) Christopher Mirus, “Aristotle’s Agathon”, Review of
Metaphysics 57 (March, 2004) David Wiggins, “Neo-Aristotelian Reflections on
Justice”, Mind 113 (July 2004) Practical Wisdom & The Virtues Arash Abizadeh, “The Passions of the Wise:
Phronęsis, Rhetoric, and Aristotle's Passionate Practical Deliberation”,
Review of Metaphysics 56:2 (December 2002) Alex
John London, “Moral knowledge and the Acquisition of Virtue in Aristotle’s
Nicomachean and Eudemian Ethics”,
Review of Metaphysics 54 (March 2001) Nussbaum, “The
Discernment of Perception” (course pack) Friendship
& the Social
Character of Ethics Robert
Sokolowski, Phenomenology of Friendship”, Review of Metaphysics 55 (March
2002) Happiness and Contemplation Julia
Annas, “Happiness as Achievement”,
Daedalus 133:2 (Spring 2004) Jonathan
Jacobs, “Why Is Virtue Naturally Pleasing?”, Review of Metaphysics
49:1 (1995) Martha C. Nussbaum, “Mill between Aristotle &
Bentham”, Daedalus 133:2 (Spring 2004) Concluding topic: the best “best life” Stephen Buckle, “Aristotle’s Republic: or, Why
Aristotle’s Ethics is Not Virtue Ethics”, Philosophy 77 (2002) Gary Gurtler, “The Activity of Happiness in
Aristotle's Ethics”, Review of Metaphysics 56:4 (June 2003) Topics if You’re
Stuck
These topics aren’t particularly recommended. In
fact, they aren’t very good – any topic you make up will be better than any
of these. But if you’re stuck
for a topic, these might help you get going .... The Nature of Ethics: Happiness, Excellence &
the Good Life 1.
Aristotle claims: “you cannot quite regard a man as happy if he is
very ugly to look at or of humble origin ...”? 2. Is
Aristotle right that good persons will be happy -- no matter what tragedy
befalls them or those for whom
they care? (Imagine a parent
whose child is killed ... if the parent was unhappy would this indicate that
something was wrong with him/her (or that s/he was not a good person)? Virtue, Character, & the Mean 1. Test
what Aristotle says about responsibility by considering a case of death
resulting from drunk driving: what degree of punishment (blame) would he
consider appropriate, and would he be right? 2. In the case of domestic violence (or
a death resulting from drunk driving), what should be the main concern of the
judicial system in determining guilt and punishment: the act, or the effects
of the act, or the intent and mental state of the individual doing it? The Virtues
1. Do
you agree with Aristotle’s list of the virtues? For example, why isn’t compassion (or empathy or
sensitivity) on the list?
Does he understand courage the right way? 2. If
magnificence is a virtue, doesn't this mean that an individual can be a
better person and have a better life if they are wealthy than if they are
poor? Practical Wisdom / Weakness of the Will 1.
Which is worse: cowardice, or a violent temper? 2.
Neoptolemus told a lie in order to bring the Trojan war to an
end. Surely it was justified by
the good consequences it brought about.
But Aristotle suggests (twice) that it was wrong. Why? Friendship In Plato's Republic Polemarchos defines
"justice" as "giving benefits to friends and harms to
enemies". Many philosophers
today reject this view on the grounds that one should never consider whether
another person is a friend or enemy in deciding how to treat them. But wouldn't Aristotle say that the
best person does exactly this, and isn't he right? Happiness, Pleasure & the Best Life Who has the best (or happiest) life: the person who
is (a) morally good, (b) actively involved in the community, or (c) a
scholar. |
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