San José State University Philosophy Department Philosophy 190, Seminar in Philosophical Classics: Plato, Fall, 2014

Instructor: Peter Hadreas Office location: FO 203 Telephone: 924-4470 Email: [email protected] Office hours: Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 1 to 3. Class days/time: Wednesday eves from 7 to 9:45 Classroom: BBC 203

Faculty Web Page

Copies of the course syllabus, paper topics as well as any additional readings will be found on the course web page. URL: http://www.sjsu.edu/people/peter.hadreas/courses/Plato Required Text Plato: Complete Works, edited, with introduction and notes by John M. Cooper. (Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Co., 1997).

Recommended Secondary Sources The Oxford Handbook of Plato, edited by Gail Fine, (Oxford/NY: Oxford University Press, 2011). This collection contains an extensive bibliography to Plato, subdivided under many headings including general areas of interest, such as methods of interpretation, epistemology and metaphysics, as well as lists of studies of single works. The Cambridge Companion to Plato, edited by Kraut, Richard, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992). The Oxford Handbook is generally more comprehensive and its essays tend to have a broader orientation. The Cambridge Companion centers more often on individual arguments within the dialogues and is less concerned with the contexts and characterological factors that enter into the dialogues.

Assignments and Grading

Besides the assigned readings and attending class, the main work of the class will be completing three papers. The first two papers should be approximately four to five pages long (double-spaced) and the last paper should be approximately seven to eight pages. Paper topics will be handed out several weeks before papers are due.

In order to encourage students to keep up with the readings, there will be occasional very short reading quizzes. Typically, they’ll focus on readings that are not central to paper topics, but will be significant as background information.

Weight of Assignments in Determining Grade: First paper: 20%. Second paper: 25%. Third (Final) paper: 30%. Quizzes: 3% each, totaling 6%. Class participation: 19%. University Policies

Academic integrity Students are expected to be familiar with the University’s Academic Integrity Policy. Please review this at http://sa.sjsu.edu/student_conduct. “Your own commitment to learning, as evidenced by your enrollment at San Jose State University and the University’s integrity policy, require you to be honest in all your academic course work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions to the office of Student Conduct and Ethical development.” Instances of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Cheating on exams or plagiarism (presenting the work of another as your own, or the use of another person’s ideas without giving proper credit) will result in a failing grade and sanctions by the University. For this class, all assignments are to be completed by the individual student unless otherwise specified. “If you would like to include in your assignment any material you have submitted, or plan to submit for another class, please note that SJSU’s Academic Policy F06-1 requires approval of instructors.”

Campus Policy in Compliance with the American Disabilities Act

If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need to make special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Students with disabilities need to register with San Jose State University Accessible Education Center (AEC), formerly known as the Disability Resource Center (DRC). The Center is located in ADMIN 110, Telephone 408-924-6000; email [email protected] Special accommodations for exams generally require ample notice -- at least a week -- to the testing office and should be submitted to the instructor well in advance before exam. Phil 190: Plato Course Schedule (Note: subject to change with fair notice.)

8Week Oct.Date 15 Plato’s Later Dialogues:Topics, Plato’s Assignments, turns towards Due Dates a detailed criticism and deepening of his previous thought. 1 Aug. 27 Introduction to the study of Plato Read Parmenides Part I, pp. 359-371 Recommended – with caution – Parmenides Part II, pp. 372-397 9 Oct. 22 Read: Sophist to 259C (p. 283)

10 Oct. 29 Read: Sophist to end of dialogue 268D. th 2 Sept. 3 Plato’s life up to 360 B. C. E. as detailed in the 7 Letter Second Paper due in Class. Read: The Seventh Letter (pp. 1646-1667) Final paper topic(s) handed out. Quiz: There will be a short reading quiz on Plato’s Seventh Letter 11 Nov. 5 Plato’s laterAdditional inquiry discussion: into political “The leadership Riddle of the Academy.” Read: Statesman (pp. 294 -335) 3 Sept. 10 Socrates/Plato on the Unity of Virtues Plato and Machiavelli on political leadership compared. Handout Read: Laches (pp. 664-686). Recommended (Re)read: Euthyphro from Machiavelli’s Prince available at course website. (1-16) 12 Nov. 12 Topic(s)Read: Statesman for first (pp.paper 335 handed -358) out. Read: Philebus to 36C. 413 Sept.Nov. 1917 Plato as a philosophic dramatist. 14 Read: ProtagorasAfter (pp. 11/26 746-790). 5PM: Thanksgiving Holiday Read: Philebus from 36C to end of dialogue. 515 Sept.Dec. 324 The problem of the dubious or spurious dialogues. Read: Hipparchus. 16 Dec. 10 RecommendedPlato’s Final Criticism: Alcibiades of Democracy I 6 Oct. 1 TheRead: emerging Laws Book influence III (pp. of Pythagoreanism1365-1391). End in of Plato semester and Plato’ssymposium? appropriation of it. Plato shifts to an expressly ‘analytic’ method. Read: Meno (pp. 870-897) First paper Due in Class. Second paper topic(s) handed out. 7 Oct.8 Read: The Symposium and selections on Alcibiades from Thucydides’ Peloponnesian War available on course web page. Quiz: There will be a short reading quiz on the selections from the Peloponnesian War. Official Final Exam Day: Wednesday, December 17th from7:45PM to 10:00PM BUT, There will be no final exam. Rather, the final 7-8 page paper will be due on the day of the final exam. Do not go to class. You can bring your final paper to my office (203 F. O. B.) or put it under my office door any time on December 17th.