Plato’s Dialogues on Friendship and Erotic Lovenails/810.pdf5 Introduction and a Contemporary...

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Plato’s Dialogues on Friendship and Erotic Love PHL 810, fall semester 2013 Debra Nails Mondays, 5:00–7:10 et al. South Kedzie Hall 501 South Kedzie Hall 530 [email protected] dropin office hours: 1:30–3:00 Fridays https://loncapa.msu.edu Required texts: Cooper, John, ed. 1997. Plato Complete Works. (PCW) Hackett Publishing Co., ISBN 0872203492. Lesher, James, Debra Nails, and Frisbee Sheffield (LNS). 2006. Plato’s Symposium: Issues in Interpretation and Reception. Harvard University Press, ISBN 0674023757 and LONCAPA. Penner, Terry, and Christopher Rowe. (PR) 2005. Plato’s Lysis. Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0521791308. Note that a translation of Lysis is included. LONCAPA resources <https://loncapa.msu.edu> Plato. 1998. Symposium, edited and translated with introduction and notes by Christopher Rowe, Aris and Phillips, ISBN 0856686158. Greek and English. Plato. 1986. Phaedrus, edited and translated with introduction and notes by Christopher Rowe, Aris and Phillips, ISBN 0856683140. Greek and English. Weston, Anthony. 2009. A Rulebook for Arguments.4 th edition. Hackett Publishing Co., ISBN 9780872209541. Course description and goals: Plato’s dialogues on friendship (philia) and erotic desire (erôs)—Lysis, Phaedrus, and Symposium—are crucial to any account of his intellectualist ethics and the aesthetics he derives from his theory of forms. Thus these three dialogues are also key to any coherent account of Plato’s epistemology and ontology, thus to all ethics, aesthetics, epistemology, and ontology in the West. They are also powerful and stunningly beautiful dialogues that have sparked recent controversies challenging previous interpretations in fundamental ways. Prerequisite: previous Plato course or equivalent reading. Ours is a return to these dialogues, not an initial reading. Schedule of readings to be completed before class: Constantin Brancusi, “The Kiss” (1908) Wednesday 28 August: General introduction: Who was Socrates? Who was Plato? Who are you? What’s a seminar? Why Plato now? Presocratic background. Monday 2 September: LABOR DAY—MSU closed. Monday 9 September: Cooper 1997: vii–xxvi; and Lysis (PR 2005, 326–51); “Characters, Setting, Form, and Dramatic Date.” Sunday15 September, Ancient Circle: Erik Jensen, MSU, “Moving Beyond Opinion: Barnes, Burnyeat, and the Jury Passage in Theaetetus,” 1:30–3:30, 2426 Maumee Drive, Okemos Monday 16 September: Symposium; “Characters, Setting, Form, and Dramatic Date.” Monday 23 September: Phaedrus; “Characters, Setting, Form, and Dramatic Date.” Sunday 29 September: Ancient Circle: Nathan Sawatzky, University of Notre Dame, “Anangke and chreia in Plato’s

Transcript of Plato’s Dialogues on Friendship and Erotic Lovenails/810.pdf5 Introduction and a Contemporary...

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Plato’s Dialogues on Friendship and Erotic Love

 

PHL  810,  fall  semester  2013   Debra  Nails  Mondays,  5:00–7:10  et  al.       South  Kedzie  Hall  501  South  Kedzie  Hall  530   [email protected]      drop-­‐in  office  hours:    1:30–3:00  Fridays   https://loncapa.msu.edu        Required  texts:        Cooper,  John,  ed.    1997.    Plato  Complete  Works.    (PCW)  Hackett  Publishing  Co.,  ISBN  0-­‐87220-­‐349-­‐2.      Lesher,  James,  Debra  Nails,  and  Frisbee  Sheffield  (LNS).    2006.    Plato’s  Symposium:    Issues  in  Interpretation  and  

Reception.    Harvard  University  Press,  ISBN  0-­‐674-­‐02375-­‐7  and  LON-­‐CAPA.  Penner,  Terry,  and  Christopher  Rowe.    (P-­‐R)  2005.    Plato’s  Lysis.    Cambridge  University  Press,  ISBN  0-­‐521-­‐79130-­‐8.    

Note  that  a  translation  of  Lysis  is  included.      LON-­‐CAPA  resources  <https://loncapa.msu.edu>    Plato.    1998.    Symposium,  edited  and  translated  with  introduction  and  notes  by  Christopher  Rowe,  Aris  and  Phillips,  

ISBN  0-­‐85668-­‐615-­‐8.    Greek  and  English.  Plato.    1986.    Phaedrus,  edited  and  translated  with  introduction  and  notes  by  Christopher  Rowe,  Aris  and  Phillips,  

ISBN  0-­‐85668-­‐314-­‐0.    Greek  and  English.  Weston,  Anthony.    2009.    A  Rulebook  for  Arguments.    4th  edition.    Hackett  Publishing  Co.,  ISBN  978-­‐0-­‐87220-­‐954-­‐1.            Course  description  and  goals:        Plato’s  dialogues  on  friendship  (philia)  and  erotic  desire  (erôs)—Lysis,  Phaedrus,  and  Symposium—are  crucial  to  any  account  of  his  intellectualist  ethics  and  the  aesthetics  he  derives  from  his  theory  of  forms.    Thus  these  three  dialogues  are  also  key  to  any  coherent  account  of  Plato’s  epistemology  and  ontology,  thus  to  all  ethics,  aesthetics,  epistemology,  and  ontology  in  the  West.    They  are  also  powerful  and  stunningly  beautiful  dialogues  that  have  sparked  recent  controversies  challenging  previous  interpretations  in  fundamental  ways.    Prerequisite:    previous  Plato  course  or  equivalent  reading.    Ours  is  a  return  to  these  dialogues,  not  an  initial  reading.    Schedule  of  readings  to  be  completed  before  class:  

Constantin Brancusi, “The Kiss” (1908)  Wednesday  28  August:    General  introduction:    Who  was  Socrates?    Who  was       Plato?    Who  are  you?    What’s  a  seminar?    Why  Plato  now?    Presocratic  background.  Monday  2  September:    LABOR  DAY—MSU  closed.      Monday  9  September:    Cooper  1997:  vii–xxvi;  and  Lysis  (P-­‐R  2005,  326–51);  “Characters,  Setting,  Form,  and  

Dramatic  Date.”      Sunday15  September,  Ancient  Circle:    Erik  Jensen,  MSU,  “Moving  Beyond  Opinion:  Barnes,  Burnyeat,  and  the  Jury  

Passage  in  Theaetetus,”  1:30–3:30,  2426  Maumee  Drive,  Okemos    Monday  16  September:    Symposium;  “Characters,  Setting,  Form,  and  Dramatic  Date.”        Monday  23  September:    Phaedrus;  “Characters,  Setting,  Form,  and  Dramatic  Date.”        Sunday  29  September:    Ancient  Circle:  Nathan  Sawatzky,  University  of  Notre  Dame,  “Anangke  and  chreia  in  Plato’s  

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Republic,”  1:30–3:30,  2426  Maumee  Drive,  Okemos  Monday  30  September:    Lysis;  Sedley  1989;  Obdrzalek  2006;  Gonzales  2007.      Monday  7  October:    Lysis;  P-­‐R  Part  I.      Monday  14  October:    Lysis;  P-­‐R  Part  II.    Friday  18  October,  3–5  p.m.:    MSU  Philosophy  Colloquium,  Ken  Sayre,  “Plato’s  Anticipation  of  Aristotle’s  Doctrine  of  

the  Mean,”  followed  by  a  dinner/reception  (guests  welcome)  Monday  21  October:    Phaedrus  227a–257b  +  commentary;  Brisson  2006  (LNS  ch.  10).    Sheffield  2011.      Monday  28  October:    Phaedrus  257c–279c  +  commentary.    Rowe  2000.      Friday  1  November,  3–5  p.m.:    Philosophy  Colloquium  at  University  of  Michigan,  Professor  Rusty  Jones,  Harvard  

University  Monday  4  November:*    Phaedrus.    Term  paper  topics  due  by  email  attachment,  300-­‐word  limit.  Thursday  7  November:    Plato’s  birthday,  as  celebrated  in  the  Renaissance  Monday  11  November:*    Symposium  172a–197e  +  commentary.    Lear  2006  (LNS  ch.  5);  Jinek  2008;  Obdrazalek  

2010.    Title  and  abstract  due  by  email  attachment.  Monday  18  November:    UNESCO  World  Philosophy  Day.    Symposium  198a–212d  +  commentary;  Sheffield  2001;  

Sheffield  2012;  Blondell  2006  (LNS  ch.  7).      Monday  25  November:*    Symposium  212d–223d  +  commentary.    Nietzsche  1864;  Nails  2012b.    Annotated  working  

bibliography  due  by  email  attachment.      Monday  2  December:    Lysis,  Phaedrus,  Symposium.  Monday  9  December:    Term  papers  due  by  10  p.m.  except  by  prior  arrangement.      Evaluation:        You  should  participate  in  the  seminar  by  presenting  the  results  of  your  reading  and  critical  thinking  both  formally  and  informally,  and  by  initiating  discussion  of  philosophical  topics.    Half  the  grade  will  be  based  on  that  participation.    The  other  half  of  the  grade  will  be  based  on  a  3,000-­‐word  term  paper,  for  which  there  will  be  milestones  during  the  semester  (dates  by  which  to  commit  to  a  general  topic  and  approach,  and  to  send  me  your  preliminary  title,  abstract,  and  working  bibliography—see  the  dates  with  asterisks  above).      Policies  and  advice:        1.  Preparation  for  class:    read  the  assigned  dialogue  or  excerpt  as  many  times  as  it  takes  to  understand  the  material.    Look  at  any  course  notes  posted  on  LON-­‐CAPA  and  note  that  some  of  the  secondary  sources  identified  on  LON-­‐CAPA  are  elementary  enough  to  help  you  understand  the  text;  others  are  provided  primarily  to  aid  research  for  term  papers.    Write  something  in  advance  of  class:    questions,  comments,  a  diagram  of  an  argument,  objections,  elaborations,  assumptions,  implications—something  that  will  make  you  more  likely  to  participate  in  discussion.      

2.  During  class  discussions:    Be  civil.    If  you  find  yourself  hogging  the  conversation,  ask  questions  of  your  classmates  to  take  the  spotlight  off  yourself.    The  best  discussions  are  ones  that  bounce  around  the  room  instead  of  ping-­‐ponging  with  me  all  the  time.    Don’t  hesitate  to  tell  me  to  lower  my  voice  or  that  I’m  talking  too  much.    Please  help  me  notice  when  class  time  is  over.  

3.  No  make-­‐ups:    Oral  presentations  must  be  made  when  scheduled,  not  when  the  class  has  moved  on  to  new  material.    In  the  event  of  sudden  illness  or  other  emergency  circumstances,  let  me  know.    

4.  Office  hours:    I  keep  office  hours  from  long  practice,  warning  you  in  advance  if  I  anticipate  some  unusual  commitment  that  will  keep  me  away;  but  I  enjoy  my  office  hours  when  students  visit,  so  please  don’t  hesitate  to  drop  in.    If  the  posted  hours  are  inconvenient,  please  make  an  appointment  with  me  by  email.      

5.  Do  your  own  work  cooperatively:    Do  not  submit  for  credit  in  this  course  any  work  completed  for  another  course;  

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and  do  not  submit  work  that  is  not  your  own.    You  are  strongly  encouraged  to  study,  discuss,  and  dispute  with  others  everything  we  do  in  this  course.    Over  the  years,  students  who  have  performed  best  are  those  who  met  outside  of  class  and  shared  their  written  work.  

6.  Academic  Freedom  and  Integrity.    Article  2.3.3  of  the  Academic  Freedom  Report  states  that  “the  student  shares  with  the  faculty  the  responsibility  for  maintaining  the  integrity  of  scholarship,  grades,  and  professional  standards.”  In  addition,  the  Department  of  Philosophy  adheres  to  the  policies  on  academic  honesty  as  specified  in  General  Student  Regulations  1.0,  Protection  of  Scholarship  and  Grades,  and  in  the  All-­‐University  Policy  on  Integrity  of  Scholarship  and  Grades,  which  are  included  in  Spartan  Life:  Student  Handbook  and  Resource  Guide.  Students  who  commit  an  act  of  academic  dishonesty  may  receive  a  0.0  on  the  assignment  or  in  the  course.    

7.  Accommodation  for  Students  with  Disabilities.    Students  with  disabilities  should  contact  the  Resource  Center  for  Persons  with  Disabilities  to  establish  reasonable  accommodation.  

 

     Recommended  sources:    Anyone  studying  Plato  at  graduate  level  should  be  conversant  with  the  contents  of  the  following  anthologies  because  they  have  largely  established  or  shaped  the  topics  and  vocabulary  of  contemporary  Platonism.    With  the  exception  of  Fine  2008,  most  of  the  anthologized  papers  are  available  on-­‐line  from  their  original  appearance  as  journal  articles,  as  well  as  in  reprints  in  other  anthologies—so  purchasing  them  for  this  seminar  is  not  necessary.          Fine,  Gail,  ed.    2008.    The  Oxford  Handbook  of  Plato.    Oxford:    Oxford  University  Press.  ———.    1999a.    Plato  1:    Metaphysics  and  Epistemology.    Oxford:    Oxford  University  Press.  ———.    1999b.    Plato  2:    Ethics,  Politics,  Religion  and  the  Soul.    Oxford:    Oxford  University  Press.  Vlastos,  Gregory,  ed.    1971a.    Plato:    A  Collection  of  Critical  Essays.    Metaphysics  and  Epistemology.    Notre  Dame:    

University  of  Notre  Dame  Press.  ———.    1971b.    Plato:    A  Collection  of  Critical  Essays.    Ethics,  Politics,  and  Philosophy  of  Art  and  Religion.    Notre  Dame:    

University  of  Notre  Dame  Press.  ———.    1971c.    The  Philosophy  of  Socrates;  A  Collection  of  Critical  Essays.    Notre  Dame:    University  of  Notre  Dame  

Press.          However,  the  following  articles  from  them  are  key:        

Annas,  Julia.    2008.    “Plato’s  Ethics.”    In  Fine  2008.  Bett,  Richard.    1999.    “Immortality  and  the  Nature  of  the  Soul  in  the  Phaedrus.”    In  Fine  1999b.  

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Cornford,  F.  M.    1971.    “The  Doctrine  of  Eros  in  Plato’s  Symposium.”  In  Vlastos  1971b.  Devereux,  Daniel.    2008.    “Socratic  Ethics  and  Moral  Psychology.”    In  Fine  2008.  Kraut,  Richard.    2008.    “Plato  on  Love.”    In  Fine  2008.  Markus,    R.  A.    1971.    “The  Dialectic  of  Eros  in  Plato’s  Symposium.”  In  Vlastos  1971b.  Scott,  Dominic.    1999.    “Platonic  Recollection”  (excerpt  on  Phaedrus).    In  Fine  1999a.  Vlastos,  Gregory.    1999.    “The  Individual  as  an  Object  of  Love  in  Plato.”    In  Fine  1999b.    

 

WHAT’S ON LON-CAPA: PLATO SEMINAR 2013

FOLDERS SUB-FOLDERS CONTENTS

ALL THE MECHANICS OF THE COURSE

Syllabus 410 Syllabus 810 Philosophy Resources (Joshua Barton’s PowerPoint) Everything about Grades (undergraduate) RUBBER STAMPS Guidelines for Written Abstracts (undergraduate) Guidelines for Oral Presentations, Comments, Replies, etc. Guidelines for Handouts Sample Speaker’s Script Term Paper Research Guidelines (undergraduate) Peer Review Form

HELP WITH THE READINGS

Parmenides Division of the Arguments Scolnicov 2003 Chart Self-predication—The Third Man Argument A Problem with the Greek Text Some Candidate Platonic Forms

Protagoras Characters and Settings Relations of the Characters (diagram) Philosophical Controversies Argument against Relativism 356-357 Literary Criticism: a very brief consideration Outline and Useful Bibliography Segvic 2002, “No One Errs Willingly: The Meaning of Socratic

Intellectualism” Penner 1973, “The Unity of Virtue” Scodel 1988, “Literary Interpretation in Plato’s Protagoras” Woolf 2002, “Consistency and Akrasia in Plato’s Protagoras”

Charmides Characters and Setting notes on method in Charmides Vlastos 1982, “The Socratic Elenchus” Philosophical Inquiry in Charmides

Lysis Characters and Setting

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Introduction and a Contemporary Controversy

Phaedrus Characters and Setting Introduction and Structure Madness and Method (diagrams from Griswold 1986, Self-Knowledge in

Plato’s Phaedrus) Phaedrus read in Greek by Julius Tomin Britney Spears and Phaedrus Link to Frisbee Sheffield on erôs in Phaedrus and Symposium

Symposium Characters and Setting video clip from Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Theaetetus Characters and Setting PHL 210-level Theaetetus Notes structure of Theaetetus Notes (illustration) Fogelman & Hutchinson 1990, “Seventeen Subtleties in Plato’s

Theaetetus”

Phaedo Characters and Setting (illustrated) Arguments about the Psyche (210-level) Supplemental Considerations at 410-level Ebert 2001, “Why is Evenus Called a Sophist at Phaedo 61c?” Phaedo and bioethics cartoon

ODDMENTS & LINKS

International Plato Society link Ancient Philosophy Society link Society for Ancient Greek Philosophy link The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy link Plato’s Physical Appearance link Quotations after Plato

BACKGROUND

Nails 2009, “Socrates” Kraut 2009, “Plato” Nails 2006a, “The Trial and Death of Socrates” Nails 2006b, “The Life of Plato of Athens” Dramatic Dates of Plato’s Dialogues The Greek Alphabet Schools of Interpretation of Plato Problems of Interpretation of Ancient Texts Does the Translation Matter? Stemma Codicum of Gorgias and Sigla Tetralogies of Thrasyllus and Ancient Division of Plato’s Works Vlastos 1991, excerpt: Vlastos in Brief Nails 1995, excerpt: failed attempts to map Plato’s views to the order in

which his works were composed

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GRADUATE STUDENT EXTRAS

31 Ways to Succeed in Graduate School Term Paper Research Guidelines (graduate) Gonzales 2007, review of Penner-Rowe 2005 Jinek 2008, “Love and Friendship in the Lysis and in the Symposium:

Human and Divine” LNS (Lesher, Nails, Sheffield): Plato’s Symposium: Issues in

Interpretation and Reception LNS: Jim Lesher’s PowerPoint illustrations LNS: key to Jim Lesher’s PowerPoint presentation LNS: conference participants (photo of the authors) Nails 2012b, “The Naturalized Epistemology of the Symposium” Nietzsche 1864, “On the Relationship between Alcibiades’ Speech and

the Other Speeches in Plato’s Symposium” Obdrzalek 2006, review of Penner-Rowe 2005 Obdrazalek 2010, “Moral Transformation and the Love of Beauty in

Plato’s Symposium” Rowe 2000, “The Lysis and the Symposium: aporia and euporia?” Sedley 1989, “Is the Lysis a Dialogue of Definition?” Sheffield 2001, “Psychic Pregnancy and Platonic Epistemology” Sheffield 2011, “Beyond Eros: Friendship in the Phaedrus” Sheffield 2012, The Symposium and Platonic Ethics: Plato, Vlastos, and

a Misguided Debate