Contemporary Civilization

CC 1101x

Fall 2003

Douglas A Chalmers	Off Hrs: Tues 3-5
Section 19	829 Int Aff
309 Hamilton Hall	Tel: 854-6675
MW 4:10-6	email: chalmers@columbia.edu
	web: http://www.columbia.edu/~chalmers/

The course will center on discussion of four themes fundamental to the Western tradition we are studying. The texts we study have played a major part in shaping how we think about these problems. They can be phrased as questions.

1. What qualities describe the ideal person?

2. What is the nature of the most important community that we belong to, and how should it be governed?

3. Which kinds of differences between people justify treating them differently in society, and which do not? And finally,

4. how do we acquire reliable knowledge in order to answer these and other questions?

Requirements: The most significant part of the course should be the informed discussion in class, and that will taken into account in assigning a grade. Participation in discussions on the Courseworks discussion board will also count. There will also be a midterm and a final examination, two papers (3-5 pages, topics to be assigned) and two short (2 pages) written analyses of the assigned readings and two ‘relevance’ questions posted on the class discussion board.

Notes on written assignments: Topics and instructions for the 3-5 pp papers will be handed out in class about a week before they are due. There will always be some choice.

For each text, up to four students will help shape the discussion with short analytical papers that they will present (not read) to the class. In order that I may integrate the topics into the discussion, these are due in my email box by 10am of the day of class. At the same time, each student presenting an analysis should post a question/statement/manifesto on the Courseworks discussion board. These should concern the contemporary relevance of some aspect of the classic works we are analyzing. Each student makes a presentation/posting twice during the semester (once before, once after midterm). You will be given the opportunity to choose which texts you wish to analyze.

Exams (both midterm and final) will be a combination of essays and short-answer identifications.

Books available for Purchase:

(They make a good core for your permanent library, but most are also on-line. Check the Library’s CLIO for ‘electronic resources’, or their E-Book listings at

especially at http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/eresources/ebooks/vrr.html

al-Qur’an, (Amana)

Aristotle, Nicomachaen Ethics (Oxford World Classics)

Aristotle The Politics, (Hackett),

Augustine, City of God, (Penguin)

The Bible Revised Standard Edition (Meridian)

Cicero On Duties (Cambridge)

Descartes, Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy, (trans. Cress) Hackett

Hillerbrand (Ed.) The Protestant Reformation (Harper & Row)

Hobbes, Leviathan, (Oxford)

Locke, Second Treatise on Government, (Hackett)

Machiavelli, Selected Political Writings, (Hackett)

Plato, The Republic, (Hackett)

Some other assigned readings on line at CC reader on-line available at

https://www.college.columbia.edu/core/ccreader

Others are at other websites, as indicated.

All the books have some copies in the reserves in Butler.

Schedule of Classes:

Sept 1, 3: Introduction

Discussion of the four themes.

Sept 8, 10: Plato

The Republic,

Bks I-VII, (327-541 in traditional divisions, usually noted in margins)

Crito

http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/crito.html

Sept 15, 17: Aristotle

The Nicomachean Ethics

Bks 1–2;

Bk 3, chs 1–3;

Bk 5, chs 1–7;

Bk 6, chs 5–8 and 12–13;

Bk 8, chs 9–12;

Bk 10, chs 6–9

The Politics,

Bk 1;

Bk 2, chs 1–5;

Bk 3, chs 1–13;

Bk 4, chs 1–12;

Bk V, 4-12;

Bk 7, ch. 1;

Bk 8, ch. 1

Sept 22 : Hellenistic Philosophy

Stoicism

Cicero, On Duties I; II. 9–29; III

Epictetus, Hand book (Enchiridion)

Epicureanism

Epicurus: Letter to Herodotus

- Letter to Menoeceus

- Principal Doctrines

- Vatican Sayings

All of these (except Epictetus) or on line through Core page

https://www.college.columbia.edu/core/instructors/civ/optitexts/index.php

For Epictetus,

http://classics.mit.edu/Epictetus/epicench.html

PAPER #1 DUE on Sept 22

Sept 24, 29: The Hebrew Bible

Genesis,

Exodus

1:1–6:13,

7:1–11:10,

13:17–14:31,

15:22–20:18,

31:18–34:35

Deuteronomy

1:1–45,

4:1–13:18,

15:1–19:21,

21:10–26:19,

27:11–28:68,

30:1–34:12

Oct 1, 6: The New Testament

Matthew,

Romans,

Galatians

Acts

1:1–7:60,

9:1–11:18,

13:1–15:35,

17:1–28:30

Revelations

Oct 8: Augustine

The City of God

Bk IV, chs. 1–4; Bk VIII, chs. 1–12; Bk XIV; Bk XIX

Oct 13: al-Qur’an

al-Qur’an,

Suras 1, 114, 112, 12, 2,

Oct 15: Review for Midterm

Oct 20:

Midterm Exam: Oct 20

Oct 22: Medieval Philosophy

Averröes, On the Harmony of Religion and Philosophy (selections)

Thomas Aquinas , Summa Contra Gentiles; Summa Theologiae (selections)

(also see http://www.newadvent.org/summa/209001.htm

to see how the articles on law are presented in the original form)

Moses Maimonides, Guide of the Perplexed (“Introduction to the First Part”; I. 58; II.13, 20–21, 25, 27; III. 17)

All on iin the on line CC Reader

Oct 27, 29: Machiavelli

The Prince

The Discourses:

I.1–5, 10–13, 16–18, 21, 55, 58;

II.1–3, 29;

III.1, 3, 8–9, 31, 41, 43

electronic version can be found in CU library E-Books: look in CLIO under title “Discourses on Livy”

Nov 5: de las Casas, Sepulveda

de las Casas, Selections from Apologetic History of the Indies and Thirty Very Juridical Propositions, and

Sepulveda, Democrates Alter

(all three of these in on-line CC Reader)

Nov 10: The Reformation: Luther & Calvin

Luther: "On the Freedom of a Christian Man", "On Governmental Authority" “Commentary on St Paul's Epistle to the Galatians ", in Hillerbrand

Calvin: "The Institutes of the Christian Religion", In Hillerbrand

Nov 12: The Scientific Revolution: Bacon, Galileo and Newton

Bacon: "Selections from The New Organon" Preface and Aphorisms 1-68

on line at

https://www1.columbia.edu/sec/dlc/pm/Bacon/BacOrga/

Galileo: "Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina" (CC Reader on line)

Newton: “Rules for the Study of Natural Philosophy” (CC Reader on line)

Nov 17, 19: Descartes

Discourse on Method

Meditations on First Philosophy

PAPER #2 DUE on Nov 17