PHIL 633 | Philosophy of Self

Course Outline | Spring Semester 2016

Optional Course for the concentration track Course Teacher: Dr. Mohamed Mesbahi Credit Value: 3 Pre-requisites: PHIL 631 Co-requisites: None Course Duration: 14 weeks; Semester 2 Total Student Study Time: 126 hours, including 42 contact hours (lectures and seminars).

AIMS

Throughout the course, students will learn to:

1. Think about the major changes to the concept of “self” over time, from Greek and medieval (Arabic and Latin) philosophy when the idea was synonymous with essence, up until its conceptions in modern philosophy which took the form of the “I think” concept, (the Cartesian cogito), and up until contemporary philosophy where the self is seen as an illusion or a fluid historical process of becoming.

2. Question whether the shift from the idea of the self as a reflection of the object-world (Ibn Rushd) to the self as creator of the object (Kant and German idealism, idealism), and then to the self that many philosophers and intellectuals have declared dead (Bourdieu, Foucault), was a result of philosophical ruptures or due to continual development of philosophical thought on the role of the human being in existence.

3. Reflect on the position that sees subjectivity as the plague of modern philosophy, and which insists we must return to the old, ‘original’ position that gives precedence to existence over the self (Heidegger), or that gives precedence to the inter-subjective over individual subjectivity (Habermas).

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

This course will prepare students to carry out academic research with confidence and competence. It will equip them with knowledge of key philosophical concepts and the ability to raise key questions and issues in philosophy and the history of ideas. This forwards the key objectives of the philosophy program and the philosophy and history of ideas track through three specific skill sets in which students will gain:

1) Subject-specific skills:

• Awareness of the changes to the concept of the self in the history of philosophy, starting with the examination of philosophical texts and reflection on their self-development in relationship with the development of philosophical knowledge • Knowledge of the means by which a change in the meaning of philosophical terms becomes a change to the problems by means of inference, and how semantic change to one concept leads to change in the structure of similar or opposite concepts

• Ability to perceive the course of the history of philosophy on the basis of a single concept such as the concept of the self • Ability to distinguish different philosophical schools and trends on the basis of the kinds of meanings they impart to their terms and the kinds of questions that pose difficulties for them

2) Core academic skills:

• Distinguishing the fine differences in the meaning of a single concept as is expressed through different philosophies, and how the accumulation of partial changes in meaning results in radical change which becomes the basis of a new philosophy • Perceiving the strong relationship between meaning, problem, and the problematic • Instilling of a passion for following the bibliographical history for a single concept (the self)

3) Personal and key skills:

• This course allows students to grasp philosophy by following the conflict between concepts, meanings, and questions, and how the history of philosophy is an expression of the reconstruction of concepts by changing their meanings on the basis of the needs of the age • This course allows students to make fine distinctions in how philosophers (and speculative theologians) use a single concept • Methodological competency, allowing students to discover their own individual style in philosophical writing while observing the rules of academic research • Awareness of the historicity of concepts and the importance of the ideological consequences of semantic change to a single concept • Skills in collective research and enjoyment of team spirit, but without being remiss in intellectual boldness, critical sense, and the ability for logical argumentation and open debate.

LEARNING/TEACHING METHODS

Teaching is delivered through three main forms:

• Lectures presenting the central ideas in the context and theory of the development of the issue of the self, and its successors (subjectivity and contingency). Lectures are based on primary sources as well as secondary literature • Seminars that act as an extension of the lectures to illuminate obscure points and encourage students to raise difficulties and highlight new points to consider. Seminars also provide an opportunity to train students, encouraging them to uncover problems in thinking, to carry out direct criticisms, and present new facts related to the lecture • Textual analysis: some seminars may be devoted to the reading and analysis of selected philosophical texts or extracts. They may also be for an oral presentation on a chapter or chapters from a source or on a notable study or on the student’s own research • Individual tutorials allowing for specialized training for students in writing up their research and articles, and find references and cite them. Tutorials are also an opportunity for students to ask questions and raise general academic and cultural issues of interest to them.

ASSIGNMENTS

• Research paper (2,000-2,500 words) on one of the topics associated with the philosophy of self course. These pieces of work should be of good quality, original, and show due regard for accuracy and academic ethics, as well as research effort • Class participation – all students should demonstrate and develop their communication skills by contributing to the seminars; adding new facts and constructive criticism and questions. They should also demonstrate their skills in running the seminar discussion in a manner that allows everyone to join in the discussion effectively and positively • Notecard preparation and annotated bibliographies–these are to be prepared on a philosopher, concept, or issue related to philosophy of self • A final written exam that will test the knowledge and critical skills acquired during the course • Student’s involvement and cooperation in raising questions and contributing new solutions to disputed issues will be observed.

ASSESSMENT

Students’ knowledge and ability to understand, analyze, synthesize and write will be assessed in a number of ways:

1. The student’s knowledge and skills at analysis and synthesis will be identified by examining the articles and research papers they present in writing a. Essay 1 (1500-2000 words – 20%). This is due week 9 (i.e. immediately after the reading week). b. Essay 2 (3000 words – 40%). This is due week 12. 2. The student’s intellectual and research efforts will be assessed by a final exam of 3 hours, worth 40%.

SYLLABUS

The course centers on four themes:

I. The concept of “the self” as a synonym for essence in Greek philosophy and Arab-Islamic philosophy. This theme relies on three works with a crucial role in formulating the meaning of this concept: Aristotle’s De Anima, Analytica Posteriora, and Metaphysica (especially zeta and eta) and his commentators among the Arab and Muslim philosophers and speculative theologians

II. The idea of the shift in philosophy from an onto-teleological theory to a subjective theory as a result of the Cartesian revolution of the “I think” concept which was deepened by German idealism starting with Kant

III. Research into the currents that opposed the subjective tendency in contemporary philosophy that declared the death of the subject on the view that it was an illusion or a historical process in flux

IV. An examination of two calls to return either to the pre-Socratic idea (Martin Heidegger) or the medieval idea open to divine inspiration (Leo Strauss).

Weekly Schedule

Week 1: The concept of the self Required Reading: اﳌﺼﺒﺎ�� ﻣﺤﻤﺪ: "ﺳﺆال اﻟﺬات".

ﻓﺘﺤﻴﺔ اﻟﺴﻌﻴﺪي، "ﺟﺪال اﻷﻧﺎ واﻵﺧﺮ- �� ﺳﺆال اﻟﺬاﺗﻴﺔ واﻟﻐ��ﻳﺔ"، ﺿﻤﻦ ﻣحجﻮب، ﻣﺤﻤﺪ: إﻋﺪاد، ﻓهﻢ اﻟﺬات، ﺗﻮ�ﺲ، دار �حﺮ، ٢٠٠٧.

Recommended Reading: ﻧﺼﺎر، ﻧﺎﺻﻴﻒ، اﻟﺬات وا�حﻀﻮر، ﺑ��وت، دار اﻟﻄﻠﻴﻌﺔ، ٢٠٠٨.

أو�ﻐﺮ، ﻻوﻟﻼﺗﻮﻣﺎ�ﻐﺎﺑ��ا، ﻳﻘﻈﺔ اﻟﺬات: ﺑﺮﻏﻤﺎﺗﻴﺔ ﺑﻼ ﺣﺪود، ت. إ��ﺎب ﻣﺤﻤﺪ،اﻟ�ﻮ�ﺖ، ﻋﺎﻟﻢ اﳌﻌﺮﻓﺔ، ٢٠١٠.

ﻣحجﻮب، ﻣﺤﻤﺪ: إﻋﺪاد، ﻓهﻢ اﻟﺬات، ﺗﻮ�ﺲ، دار �حﺮ، ٢٠٠٧.

Kim Atkins, ed., (2005). Self and Subjectivity, Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Mansfield, Nick (2000). Subjectivity: Theories of the Self from Freud to Haraway. New York: New York University Press.

Désir d’identité, désir de l’autre, textes présentés par Mustapha Bencheikh, Meknès, Faculté des Lettres, 2002.

Week 2: Descartes’ I think – 1. Required Reading: دﻳ�ﺎرت، ر�نﻴﮫ، ﺗﺄﻣﻼت ﻣﻴﺘﺎﻓ��ﻳﻘﻴﺔ �� اﻟﻔﻠﺴﻔﺔ اﻷو��، ﺗﺮﺟﻤﺔ ﻛﻤﺎ ا�حﺎج، ط٤، ﺑ��وت، دار ﻋﻮ�ﺪات، ١٩٨٨.

دﻳ�ﺎرت، ر�نﻴﮫ، ر�ﻨﮫ دﻳ�ﺎرت، ﻣﻘﺎﻟﺔ اﻟﻄﺮ�ﻘﺔ �حﺴﻦ ﻗﻴﺎدة اﻟﻌﻘﻞ وﻟﻠﺒﺤﺚ ﻋﻦ ا�حﻘﻴﻘﺔ �� اﻟﻌﻠﻮم، ﺗﺮﺟﻤﺔ ﺟﻤﻴﻞ ﺻﻠﻴﺒﺎ، ط٢، ﺑ��وت ١٩٧٠. Descartes, R., Meditations on First Philosophy. (J. Cottingham, Trans.). Cambridge: Cambridge UP. Dreyfus, H. L. (1991).

Descartes, René : Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting one’s Reason and Seeking Truth in the Sciences, tr. Richard Kennington, Focus Publishing, Newburyport, 2007.