Syllabus for
What Is This Thing Called Philosophy?
Bruce Hauptli
Plato’s early dialogues provide an
excellent introduction to the philosophic activity, and in this course we will
read and discuss Plato’s Euthyphro,
Apology, and
Crito.
These three short dialogues
(approximately 55 pages in total) are so accessible that they require no prior
study of philosophy, yet they provide the reader with an outstanding picture of
the Socratic activity and its importance according to Plato.
They also provide an excellent picture
of one view of liberal education at its formative stage.
These dialogues are so rich that even
the most serious scholars have critically discussed them for more than two
millennia, and our discussions will also devote time to some of their
criticisms. In addition to
providing the opportunity for interested individuals to learn about the
philosophical activity, discussion will show students how to actually
engage in it.
Brief Biography:
I earned a BA in mathematics from Lawrence University in Appleton, WI (1970);
and an MA and PhD in philosophy from Washington University in St Louis, MO (1973
& 1974). I am an Emeritus Professor
of philosophy at Florida International University in Miami, FL (The State
University of Florida in Miami) where I taught for thirty-nine years.
Almost every semester I enjoyed teaching a historically-themed
introductory philosophy course to undergraduates as part of the University’s
core curriculum, and I used these dialogues to get the ball rolling.
Having retired to Bath in 2015, I would like to continue to introduce
interested individuals to philosophy.
Text:
Plato: Five Dialogues: Euthyphro,
Apology, Crito, Meno, and Phaedo (Second Edition) trans. G.M.A. Grube,
revised by John M. Cooper (Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing, 2002).
ISBN:
978-0-87220-633-5.
Anticipated Course
Schedule:
Week 1:
Introduction to Philosophy, to Plato, and to his society.
In class reading of a one-page passage in Plato’s
Meno.
Discussion of the ancient Greek’s and Plato’s views of the role and
importance of education in contrast to our own.
How to read philosophy.
Assignment for next session: read Plato’s
Euthyphro (pp. 1-20).
Supplementary materials and readings (may be read before or
after the class:
Week 2: Plato’s
Euthyphro—discussion of what
Euthyphro is doing, what Socrates is doing (why
he is doing it), and why Socrates cares about what Euthyphro is doing?
Discussion of the Greeks’ views regarding religion and of Plato’s
differing view. Assignment for
next session: re-read Plato’s
Euthyphro, read his Apology pp.
21-44.
Supplementary materials and readings (may be read before or
after the class:
My
“Supplement on Plato’s Euthyphro.”
Week 3: Finish
discussing Plato’s Euthyphro and
begin discussing his Apology—discussion
of Socrates’ trial and his defense.
Again, what he is doing,
why is he doing it, and why does
Plato care about what his fellow citizens are doing?
Assignment for next session:
re-read Plato’s Apology.
Supplementary materials and readings (may be read before or
after the class:
My
“Supplement on Plato’s Apology.”
Week 4: Plato’s
Apology.
Why does he think philosophizing is important for him, for his fellow
citizens and for Athens? Is Socrates on
a “divine mission,” is he “completely ignorant,” and why are these important
questions? Assignment for next
session: Read Plato’s Crito.
Supplementary materials and readings (may be read before or
after the class:
My
“Supplement on Plato’s Crito.”
Week 5: Plato’s
Crito.
How are Crito and Euthyphro different?
Why not escape—what is his argument, and is it, really, good?
Assignment for next session: re-read Plato’s
Crito.
Supplementary materials and readings (may be read before or
after the class:
Week 6: Plato’s
Crito.
Does Socrates have a “death wish,” is he on a religious quest…?
Assignment for next session:
Supplementary materials and readings (may be read before or
after the class:
My
“Supplement on Plato and Religion.”
Week 7:
Contradictions—do these dialogues fit together, or does Socrates deserve his
sentence? Assignment for next
session:
Supplementary materials and readings (may be read before or
after the class:
Week 8:
Conclusion: what is philosophizing, why is it important, and how is it important
for today’s society?
Supplementary materials and readings (may be read before or
after the class:
For those
interested in further reading:
Rebecca Goldstein,
Plato At the Gooleplex: Why
Philosophy Won’t Go Away (N.Y.: Pantheon, 2015).
Last revised: Tuesday, May 10, 2016.
Send me comments on this: hauptli@fiu.edu