Courses and Teaching
2011-2012 courses:
Fall 2011:
Phil 291, A1 Existentialism, T & R, 9:30-10:50 T BW 2
Phil 230, A1 Greek Philosophy: Plato, T & R, 14:00-15:20, ED 106
Winter 2012:
Phil 102, B4 Intro to Phil: Knowledge and Reality, T & R, 9:30-10:50, T B 105
Phil 470/570 B1 Topics in Political Philosophy: Hegel's Philosophy of Right, T & R, 14:00-15:20, ASH 2-02a
2012-2013 courses:
Content coming
Current course syllabi and hand-outs:
• Existential Philosophy
The purpose of this course will be to explore and evaluate the contributions of some leading existential philosophies to the perennial quest for meaning and truth in human existence. Our central focus will be the question of selfhood and self-making as this bears upon such issues as "What can I know?" "What should I do?" "What may I hope?" and such existential themes as freedom, commitment, and responsibility. (Note: Although this course has no official prerequisites, since existential philosophy is properly intelligible as philosophy only as a response to its antecedents in the philosophical tradition, some background in the history of philosophy, and of modern philosophy in particular, will be an advantage. However, I do not assume that you will have such background, and venture to provide it as needed as part of the lectures themselves and through the readings in the course-pack.)
Download the document: Some Notes Toward a Genealogy of Existential Philosophy.pdf
Download the document: Assignment#1
• Greek Philosophy: Plato
Purpose: It could be plausibly argued that Plato invented philosophy as we know it, prompting the
British philosopher, A.N. Whitehead (co-author of Principia Mathematica with Bertrand Russell) to
declare that "the safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it
consists of a series of footnotes to Plato." With this assessment in mind, we shall attempt in this
course to come to an understanding of Plato's 'invention' by asking of him three interrelated
general questions: what is philosophy? who is the philosopher? and how are we to understand the
place of the philosopher's word and deed (logos kai ergon) in the world? The course will be divided
into three sections: The first section will consist of a brief consideration of some pre-Platonic
thinkers to provide background and context; the second will consist of a summary discussion of
four Platonic texts—the Apology, the Meno, the Protagoras, and the Phaedo (some guide questions for
each of these readings with be made available on my website); and the third and principal part of
the course will consist in a critical reading and discussion of Books I-VII of Plato's Republic with a
view to ethical and political, as well as epistemological and metaphysical issues the text raises.
Download the full text: Phil230.11.pdf
Download the document: Pythagoras of Samos
Guide questions:
Guide Questions for Reading Plato's Apology
Guide Questions for Reading Plato's Meno
Guide Questions for Reading Plato's Protagoras
Guide Questions for Reading Plato's Phaedo