Action in Ancient Greek and Contemporary Analytic Philosophy Fall 2016

Action in Ancient Greek and Contemporary Analytic Philosophy Fall 2016 Course Instructor: Evgenia Mylonaki Evgenia_mil@hotmail.com; Thodoris Dimitrakos thdimitrakos@gmail.com T/Th & by appointment 6984112604 (Mylonaki) 6973999271 (Dimitrakos) Class Meetings: DAY Tuesdays/Thursdays 11:00-12:40, Location: AC-4 Course Description (Photo: Milk by Jeff Wall) Does this caption from Jeff Wall s photograph Milk of 1984 show milk exploding from a carton, or a man forcing milk out of a carton? What hits the eye in both cases is the same and yet the two things are radically different: the one is a mere happening and the other is an action. But what is the nature of action? What sets it apart from a mere happening? The aim of this course is twofold: 1. to explore the fomulation of this question in the analytic philosophy of the 20th century; what has come to be called the philosophy of action, and 2. to examine the roots of this question in ancient Greek philosophy. Thus, in the first part of the course we will study the way Plato and Aristotle formulated the question. And we will read Plato s Protagoras and the Republic and parts of Aristotle s De Anima, the Metaphysics and the Nicomachean Ethics. In the 2 nd part of the course we will examine the passage to modernity which leads up to Hume s and Kant s conceptions of action. Page 1 of 10

And in the 3 rd part we will examine the way 20th century analytic philosophy formulated the question. To do so, we will read: Davidson, Anscombe, Hornsby, Bratman, Frankfurt, Korsgaard, McDowell, Thompson, Hyman, etc. Course Resources and Activities Reading: We will read works of both primary and secondary literature. Analyzing and interpreting: Each class will motivate and answer one philosophical problem by reading abstracts from the texts in class, interpreting and discussing with each other. Discussions: In this class philosophy is being taught as an activity and not a mere body of doctrine. As a consequence, we will all try to do what Socrates, Plato and Aristotle did: engage in dialogue with each other, starting from what we know and experience and trying to move on to a philosophical understanding of each of the concepts and problems we will be reading about in class. Writing: The dialogue of this class will also take place in writing. Writing will be divided between free writing and academic writing. In your weekly reflections you will be asked to write freely about anything at all in the readings and the class discussions that may interest you. In your research paper(s) you will be asked and taught to write academically in order to participate in the professional activity of philosophy as it is today. Presentations: In this class you will be able to set the agenda for the course by choosing readings relevant to the course that you would like to present to the class. Peer review: In this class you will have the opportunity if you so wish to read and comment on each other s final papers before they are due. Guest Lectures: In this class you will have the opportunity to engage directly with guest lecturers who are renowned specialists in some of the subject matters we will be dealing with. Names, dates and times will be announced at the first day of classes. Learning Objectives It is the ambition of this class to present the contemporary philosophical problem of action in its historical dimension and to enable all of us to do philosophy together. In this class you will be able to: 1. Familiarize yourselves with a relatively new field of philosophical discourse: the philosophy of action. 2. Trace the connections between this new field and major philosophical movements in the history of philosophy and in particular in the history of ancient, modern and 20 th century philosophy. 3. Learn how to work both with primary and secondary literature in order to conduct Page 2 of 10

philosophical research. 4. Learn how to produce high quality research in the field. Course Requirements Weekly Reflections: You will be asked to turn in one weekly 1-2 page Reflection (a free report or reaction to the readings of the upcoming class) that will be delivered to my email address every week a day before the first or the second class of the week (Τ or Th). The reports will not be graded separately. You will be graded just for turning them all in on time. You will get an A if you ve turned them all in on time and an F if there is more than two reports unjustifiably missing or written in such a manner as to convey that the reading was not actually done. Late assignments will not be read but not commented on. Paper(s): To complete the main writing assignment of this class you have the following option: either write two shorter research papers (7 pages for the midterm and 10 pages for the final) or write one longer research paper (15 to 20 pages) on which you will be working throughout the semester (deliver the first draft during midterms week and then spend the rest of the semester rewriting it). The deadline for the midterm paper or draft will be on the 23 th of October and the deadline for the final paper or draft will be on the 15 th of December. Guidelines for writing a research paper will be discussed in class. Paper topics will be selected freely by you, after prior consultation with me. Presentations You will be responsible for presenting readings in class throughout the semester. Participation Class Participation is mandatory. Participation rule: No-one is allowed to look down on anyone in this class. Lack of respect and tolerance will not be tolerated. Grading and Evaluation Assessment Distribution: Class participation (incl. presentations): 30% of the grade. Weekly reports: 15% of the grade. Midterm paper: 20% of the grade Final papers (incl. peer review): 35% of the grade. Grades are intended to give you a sense of the quality of a particular piece of work: roughly speaking, a B means that you have done a good job with the writing, the ideas, and the organization of the work; a C conveys that the work lacks some important qualities and has some problems, while an A means that the work is exemplary in some Page 3 of 10

key ways: the writing is particularly clear, the ideas thoroughly treated, the organization of the presentation well considered and effective. (for more details, see attached rubric) Use of Laptops: In-class or on-site use of laptops and other devices is permitted only if there is text we are reading online. On no other occasion. Attendance: Students are expected to report for classes promptly. CYA regards attendance in class and on-site as essential. Absences are recorded and have consequences. Illness or other such compelling reasons which result in absences should be reported immediately in the Student Affairs Office. Policy on Original Work: Unless otherwise specified, all submitted work must be your own, original work. Any excerpts from the work of others must be clearly identified as a quotation, and a proper citation provided. (Check Student handbook, pg. 9) Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: If you are a registered (with your home institution) student with a disability and you are entitled to learning accommodation, please inform the Director of Academic Affairs and make sure that your school forwards the necessary documentation. Books, Course Materials, Moodle Indicative Bibliography Plato: Protagoras, Republic Aristotle: De Anima, Metaphysics, Nicomachean Ethics Anscombe, Elizabeth, 2000, Intention (reprint), Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. (any edition will do) Davidson, Donald, 1980, Essays on Actions and Events, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Kraut, Richard (ed.), 2006, The Blackwell Guide to Aristotle s Ethics. Blackwell. Rorty, Amélie, 1981, Essays on Aristotle s Ethics. University of California. Korsgaard, C., 2008, The Constitution of Agency (Oxford University Press). Bratman, M., 2006, Structures of Agency, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Velleman, J. David, 2000, The Possibility of Practical Reason, Oxford: Oxford University Press. M. Thompson, Michael, 2008 Life and Action, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Hornsby, Jennifer, 1997, Simple-Mindedness: In Defense of Naïve Naturalism in the Philosophy of Mind, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Sebastian Rodl, 2007, Self-Consciousness, Harvard University Press. Frankfurt, Harry, 1988, The Importance of What We Care About, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Hyman, J., 2015, Action, Knowledge, and Will (Oxford University Press). McDowell, 1998, Mind, Value, and Reality, Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. Engstrom, Stephen, and Whiting, Jennifer. Aristotle, Kant, and the Stoics: Rethinking Happiness and Virtue. Cambridge, 1998. Pakaluk, Michael, and Pearson, Giles ed. 2011, Moral Psychology and Human Action in Aristotle. Page 4 of 10

Segvic, Heda - Myles Burnyeat(Ed.) From Protagoras to Aristotle: Essays in Ancient Moral Philosophy. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2009. Williams, B., 1981, Moral Luck, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Smith, M., 1994, The Moral Problem, Oxford: Blackwell. Dancy, Jonathan, 2000, Practical Reality, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Helen Steward and John Hyman (Ed.), 2004, Agency and Action, Cambridge. Nussbaum, M., 1986, The Fragility of Goodness: Luck and Ethics in Greek Tragedy and Philosophy, Cambridge University Press. Kant, Groundwork of the metaphysics of Morals (edition to be decided in due course) Kant, Critique of Practical Reason (edition to be decided in due course) Descartes, Meditations (edition to be decided in due course) Hume, A Treatise of Human Nature (edition to be decided in due course) Locke s An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (edition to be decided in due course) Class Schedule (Subject to alteration as we move on) Part I: Action in Greek Philosophy (with primary & secondary literature) 1 SEP 5 Introduction to the question of action: Action, Reason, Passions, the Good and the Right 2 SEP. 7 Plato s Protagoras Pt 1 Description In this class we will explore the Socratic concept of wanting. Heda Segvic, No-one Errs Willingly: the Meaning of Socratic Intellectualism from her From Protagoras to Aristotle; Essays in Ancient Moral Philosophy Martha Nussbaum, The Protagoras, a Science of Practical Reasoning from the Fragility of Goodness 3 SEP. 12 Plato s Protagoras Pt 2 Description In this class we will explore the first formulation of one of the most persistent philosophical questions: Weakness of Will. How is it possible for someone to know what is good and yet not do it? Or in other words how is weakness of the will possible? Heda Segvic, No-one Errs Willingly: the Meaning of Socratic Intellectualism from her From Protagoras to Aristotle; Essays in Ancient Moral Philosophy Page 5 of 10

Martha Nussbaum, The Protagoras, a Science of Practical Reasoning from the Fragility of Goodness SEP 13-16 FT: Crete 4 SEP. 19 Plato s Republic BK 1 Description In this class we will read the first book of the Republic and explore Plato s conception of virtue as what constitutes the human soul; the principle of human life. 5 SEP 21 Plato s Republic BK IV Description In this class we will read the fourth book of the Republic and examine Plato s argument for the division of the soul into parts. In particular we will explore Plato s conception of reason and passion. A.W. Price, Plato on Practical Reasoning from his Virtue and Reason in Plato and Aristotle Jonathan Lear. Inside and Outside the Republic, Phronesis, 37 (1992): 184 215. Reprinted in Essays on Plato's Psychology, ed., Ellen Wagner (Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2001), 169 202. Terry Penner. Thought and Desire in Plato. in Plato: A Collection of Critical Essays, II: Ethics, Politics, and Philosophy of Art and Religion, ed., Gregory Vlastos (New York: Doubleday and Company, 1971), 96 118. Hendrik Lorenz. The Brute Within: Appetitive Desire in Plato and Aristotle (Oxford: Clarendon, 2006) A. 6 SEP 26 Plato s Rεpublic Bk VI & VII In this class we will explore Plato s conception of knowledge of the good towards the end of BK 6 and the beginning of BK 7 in the Republic Page 6 of 10

7 SEP 28 Aristotle s Physics BK II, Metaphysics BK IX, On the Soul BK II & II In this class we will briefly present Aristotle s conception about nature and soul as the philosophical framework for his theory of action. 8 OCT 3 Aristotle s Nicomachean Ethics, BK I & II In this class we will explore Aristotle s conception of action, the good and eudaimonia as well as his function argument in the first book of the Nicomachean Ethics. H. Segvic, Aristotle on the Varieties of Goodness from her From Protagoras to Aristotle; Essays in Ancient Moral Philosophy Korsgaard, C., Aristotle s Function Argument in Korsgaard 2008. Lawrence, G., Human Good and Human Function in Kraut 2006. 9 OCT 5 Aristotle s Nicomachean Ethics, BK III In this class we will explore Aristotle s conception of ethical virtues in the 2 nd book of his Nicomachean Ethics Kosman, A., Being Properly Affected: Virtues and Feelings in Aristotle s Ethics in his Virtues of Thought Korsgaard, C., Aristotle on Function and Virtue, 1986. Lorenz, H., Virtue of Character in Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. 2009. Urmson, Aristotle s Doctrine of the Mean in Rorty 1980. Hursthouse, R., The Central Doctrine of the Mean in Kraut 2006. Burnyeat, M., Aristotle on Learning to be Good in Rorty 1980. Lawrence, G., «Acquiring Character: Becoming Grown-Up» in Papaluk 2011 10 OCT 10 Aristotle s Nicomachean Ethics, BK VI In this class we will explore Aristotle s conception of the intellectual virtues and his account of practical wisdom/phronesis. Kosman, A., Aristotle on the Virtues of Thought from his Virtues Page 7 of 10

of Thought H. Segvic, Deliberation and Choice in Aristotle from her From Protagoras to Aristotle; Essays in Ancient Moral Philosophy H. Segvic, Aristotle s Metaphysics of Action from her From Protagoras to Aristotle; Essays in Ancient Moral Philosophy Segvic, H., Deliberation and Choice in Aristotle, in Papaluk 2011. McDowell, J., Some Issues in Aristotle s Moral Psychology in McDowell 2001. McDowell, J., Deliberation and Moral Development in Aristotle s Ethics. in Engstrom 1998. Wiggins, Deliberation and Practical Reason in Rorty 1980. Sorabji, Aristotle on the Role of Intellect in Virtue in Rorty 1980 Korsgaard, From Duty and for the Sake of the Noble: Kant and Aristotle on Morally Good Action 1996. Weakness of Will Rorty, Akrasia and Pleasure: Nicomachean Ethics Book 7 in Rorty 1980. Price, Acrasia and Self-Control in Kraut 2006. Wiggins, Weakness of Will, Commensurability, and the Objects of Deliberation and Desire in Rorty 1980. Gottlieb, The Practical Syllogism in Kraut 2006. Price The Practical Syllogism in Aristotle: A New Interpretation 2008. Part II: Action in modern philosophy 11 OCT 12 The Scientific Revolution 12 OCT 17 The Scientific Revolution 13 OCT 19 Soul and Passions in Descartes The Passions of the Soul 14 OCT 23 MON Desire and Reason in Hume s Treatise DEADLINE FOR MIDTERM PAPERS OCT 24-28 No Classes Field Trip Peloponnese Page 8 of 10

15 OCT 31 Pure Reason in Kant s Critique of Practical Reason and Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals Part III: Action in Contemporary Philosophy 16 NOV 2 Belief desire causality of action in Donald Davidson s work Davidson, Actions, Reasons, and Causes (1963) in Davidson, Essays on Actions and Events Davidson, Agency (1971) in Davidson, Essays on Actions and Events 17 NOV 7 Weakness of Will in Davidson s work Davidson, How is Weakness of the Will Possible in Davidson, Essays on Actions and Events 18 NOV 9 Frankfurt s Account of action Frankfurt, H. Identification and Wholeheartedness, in H. Frankfurt 19 NOV 14 The Anscombean conception of action I: Anscombe s Intention G. E. M. Anscombe, Intention 20 NOV 16 The Anscombean conception of action II: Anscombe s Intention G. E. M. Anscombe, Intention Page 9 of 10

NOV 17-26 FALL RECESS 21 NOV 28 The Anscombean conception of action III: Practical Knowledge John McDowell, I do what happens (manuscript) Elizabeth Anscombe, Intention: 8-9, 28-32, 45-46, 48 Moran, Anscombe on Practical Knowledge in Hyman (Ed.) Moran & Stone, Anscombe on Expression of Intention Kevin Falvey, Knowledge in Intention Michael Thompson, Anscombe s Intention and Practical Knowledge David Velleman, Practical Reflection Kieran Setiya Practical Knowledge and Practical Knowledge Revisited 22 NOV 30 The Anscombean conception of action IV: Thompson s Naïve Action M. Thompson, Life and Action 23 DEC 5 The Neo-Kantian account of Action I: Korsgaard s view C. Korsgaard, Self-Constitution : Action, Identity and Integrity -- The John Locke Lectures 2002 24 DEC 7 Concluding Discussion DEC 11 ---DEADLINE FOR FINAL PAPERS Page 10 of 10