Aristotle's Ethics
Philosophy 207z
Spring, 1998
Chris Korsgaard
319 Emerson Hall
496-5124
korsgaar@fas.harvard.edu
Office Hours: Thursdays, 2:00-4:00, and by appointment
I. Required Texts
Aristotle. The Complete Works of Aristotle: The Revised Oxford Translation. ed. Jonathan Barnes. Princeton, 1984.
Korsgaard, Christine M. Coursepack, containing:
"Aristotle on Function and Virtue" (1986)
"From Duty and for the Sake of the Noble:
Kant and Aristotle on Morally Good Action" (1996)
"Aristotle and Kant on the Source of Value" (1986)
II. Recommended Books
Broadie, Sarah. Ethics with Aristotle. Oxford, 1995.
Peters, F. E. Greek Philosophical Terms: A Historical Lexicon. New York University, 1967.
Plato. Complete Works. ed. John M. Cooper and D. S. Hutchinson. Hackett, 1997.
Rorty, Amelie. Essays on Aristotle's Ethics. University of California, 1981.
III. Assignments
i) Seminar Presentation. Every enrolled student is required to present at least one paper to the seminar. Depending on class size, enrolled students may be invited to present more than one paper, or auditors may be invited to do presentations. The paper should be 20-30 minutes in presentation time. The text of the paper must be turned in to me by 5:00 on the Tuesday before the seminar at which it is to be presented, and an outline or handout must be prepared for distribution to all participants at the seminar at which at which it will be presented. Your paper may focus entirely on the material from Aristotle, or where appropriate may discuss some of the commentary recommended for that week, and it may be critical or exegetical as you choose. Discussion will follow.
ii) Weekly two-page papers. Every enrolled student is required to hand in two pages of writing each week, except the weeks in which they present papers. These short papers will be due by 5:00 each Tuesday, and must deal with the readings for the seminar on Wednesday. Apart from that requirement, the topic is entirely up to you - you may summarize the material, give a reading of a difficult passage, criticize one of Aristotle's arguments, defend it against a possible criticism, or discuss one of the recommended readings - as long as it concerns the reading for the week in question. These papers will not be graded, but you must turn them in order to pass the course.
iii) Seminar Paper. A seminar paper of 15-20 pages is due on Friday, May 15. It may be, but does not have to be, an expanded version of your seminar presentation.
IV. Schedule of Topics and Readings
For nearly every meeting of the seminar listed below you will find three sets of readings. The first set is the assigned reading for the week in question. The second set, "Further Reading," directs you to parallel discussions in Aristotle's other ethical and related writings, and occasionally to parallel discussions in the works of Plato. These further readings are optional, but I recommend them highly. The third set, "Commentary," directs you to secondary writings that can be found in the recommended books I have ordered for the course. These readings are not assigned.
1/28: Introductory Meeting
2/4: The Metaphysical and Psychological Background to Aristotle's Ethics
Assigned Reading:
Physics II.1-3, 7-9
Metaphysics VII, VIII, IX, XII
On the Soul I.1; II.1-5
Commentary:
Irwin, "The Metaphysical and Psychological Basis of Aristotle's Ethics"
2/11: Aristotle's Project and the Function Argument
Assigned Reading:
Nicomachean Ethics I
Further Reading:
Magna Moralia I.1-4; II.8
Eudemian Ethics I; II.1; VII.14
Politics VII.1
Rhetoric I.5-7
Plato, Republic I, especially 352d - end of Book I
Commentary:
Broadie, Ethics with Aristotle, Chapter 1
Nagel, "Aristotle on Eudaimonia"
Ackrill, "Aristotle on Eudaimonia"
McDowell, "The Role of Eudaimonia in Aristotle's Ethics"
2/18: Moral Virtue
Assigned Reading:
Nicomachean Ethics II; VI.13; X.9
Korsgaard, "Aristotle on Function and Virtue"
Further Reading:
Magna Moralia I.5-9; II.9
Eudemian Ethics II.1-5
Rhetoric I.9
Plato, Republic IV, 427d-445b
Commentary:
Broadie, Ethics with Aristotle, Chapter 2
Burnyeat, "Aristotle on Learning to be Good"
Kosman, "Being Properly Affected: Virtues and Feelings in Aristotle's Ethics"
Urmson, "Aristotle's Doctrine of the Mean"
2/25: The Particular Moral Virtues
Assigned Reading:
Nicomachean Ethics III.6-12; IV
Further Reading:
Magna Moralia I. 20-32
Eudemian Ethics III
On Virtues and Vices
Rhetoric II.1-17
Commentary:
Pears, "Courage as a Mean"
3/4: Aristotle's Theory of the Mind and Action
Assigned Reading:
Nicomachean Ethics III.1-5; VI; VII.1-3
On the Soul II.12, III
On the Movement of Animals, §6-on
Posterior Analytics II.19
Further Reading:
Magna Moralia I.9-19; II.3-6
Eudemian Ethics II.6-11
Commentary:
Broadie, Ethics with Aristotle, Chapters 3 and 4
Furley, "Self-Movers"
Ackrill, "Aristotle on Action"
3/11: Intellectual Virtue
Assigned Reading:
Nicomachean Ethics III.1-5; VI; VII.1-3 (same as above)
Korsgaard, "From Duty and for the Sake of the Noble: Kant and Aristotle on Morally Good Action"
Further Reading:
Magna Moralia II.9; I.34
Commentary:
Broadie, Ethics with Aristotle, Chapter 4
Sorabji, "Aristotle on the Role of Intellect in Virtue"
Wiggins, "Deliberation and Practical Reason"
3/18: Akrasia and Responsibility
Assigned Reading:
Nicomachean Ethics III.1-5, 10-12; V.8-11; VII.1-10
Further Reading:
Magna Moralia I.9-17, 33; II.4-6
Eudemian Ethics II.6-9; VII.13
Rhetoric I. 10-14
Plato, Protagoras, especially 349a-end
Commentary:
Broadie, Ethics with Aristotle, Chapters 3 and 5
Irwin, "Reason and Responsibility in Aristotle"
Wiggins, "Weakness of Will, Commensurability, and the Objects of Deliberation and Desire"
Rorty, "Akrasia and Pleasure: Nicomachean Ethics Book 7"
3/25: Week of Spring Break
4/1: Pleasure
Assigned Reading:
Nicomachean Ethics VII.11-14; X.1-5; III.4
On the Soul III.7
Further Reading:
Magna Moralia II.7
Rhetoric I.11
Plato, Republic IX, 580d-588a
Plato, Philebus, 11a-55b
Commentary:
Broadie, Ethics with Aristotle, Chapter 6
Annas, "Aristotle on Pleasure and Goodness"
4/8: Friendship and Self-Love
Assigned Reading:
Nicomachean Ethics VIII-IX
Further Reading:
Magna Moralia II.11-17
Eudemian Ethics VII.1-12
Rhetoric II.4
Plato, Symposium, especially 198b-212c
Plato, Lysis
Commentary:
Cooper, "Aristotle on Friendship"
4/15: Justice and Politics
Assigned Reading:
Nicomachean Ethics V; VIII 9-11
Politics I
Further Reading:
Politics III and IV
Commentary:
Williams, "Justice as a Virtue"
4/22: Eudaimonia and the Contemplative Life
Assigned Reading:
Nicomachean Ethics I.4-5, 7-12; X. 6-9
Metaphysics XII.7,9
Korsgaard, "Aristotle and Kant on the Source of Value"
Further Reading:
Eudemian Ethics I. 1-5; VII.15
Politics VII.2-3; 13-15
Rhetoric I.5-7
Plato, Philebus, 55b-end
Commentary:
Broadie, Ethics with Aristotle, Chapter 7
Wilkes, "The Good Man and the Good for Man in Aristotlešs Ethics"
Rorty, "The Place of Contemplation in Aristotlešs Ethics"
Final Paper Due Friday, May 15