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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "PH 230"
COURSE NAME: "Evil Philosophers: Controversial Books in Modern Philosophy"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2016
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: David Levy
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: TTH 10:00 AM 11:15 AM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS: after class or by appointment

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
A number of books in the history of modern philosophy ignited fierce controversy and gained for their authors an infamous reputation. Among them are Machiavelli’s The Prince (1532), Hobbes’ Leviathan (1651), Spinoza’s Theological-Political Treatise (1670), and Mandeville’s Fable of the Bees (1714). While these books differ among themselves in many ways, their authors share in common a desire to set philosophy and politics on what they regard as a more solid foundation, by starting not (as the ancients did) from how men ought to be, but from how they are. These books were labeled immoral, irreligious, and offensive to the dignity of mankind, but this did not prevent them from having a profound influence on subsequent philosophers and modern politics. (For example, Hobbes made a major contribution to the modern doctrine of individual rights, Spinoza to that of free speech.) In this course we will undertake a close reading of selections from these books, or from others like them, with a view to understanding why they were so shocking to contemporary readers and how the issues they raise may still be relevant to our lives today.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

This semester we will study the classic text of evil philosophy, Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince.

If you are in a position of leadership, is it better to be loved or feared?  Should you be generous or stingy?  Faithful or treacherous?  Should you be guided by what is noble or by what is expedient?  Machiavelli was not the first great thinker to raise such questions, but he was the first to contradict, openly and shockingly, the generally accepted answers to them.  Although he emphasized man’s natural wickedness or selfishness, his goal was not to make his readers cynical.  Rather, he wished to argue that it is precisely by exploiting man's natural selfishness and acquisitiveness, rather than by preaching moral virtue, that one can build a great and glorious society.  In one form or another (consider capitalist economics, for example), this view is still very much with us today.  But was Machiavelli right?

In order to appreciate fully what is new and shocking in Machiavelli, we need to understand the traditional philosophy and religion which he attempted to overthrow.  We will therefore begin the course with selections from Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics and from the Bible, after which we will turn to the Prince.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
By the end of the course, students should have acquired a basic understanding of Machiavelli's arguments in relation to some of the traditional philosophic and religious views against which he was reacting.  They should be able to articulate how those arguments may be pertinent to our lives today.  And they should have some basis for considering whether or to what extent those arguments are true.
TEXTBOOK:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberCommentsFormatLocal BookstoreOnline Purchase
Aristotle's Nicomachean EthicsAristotleUniversity of Chicago Press9780226026756     
The PrinceMachiavelliUniversity of Chicago Press9780226500447     
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
class participationAll absences from class should be justified (for example: illness, travelling), preferably in advance. Punctuality is important. Short written comments (handwritten is fine) on the assigned readings are due every class, except for five times during the semester at the student's discretion. In addition, no written comment is required on days when a paper is due. If you miss a class, you may turn in two comments the following class. Although comments are not graded individually, they should be thoughtful and well-written. Pop quizzes will be graded Pass / Fail. Students are strongly encouraged to participate actively in class discussions; those who do not, however, can still receive a good class participation grade by performing well in other respects. The individual elements of class participation do not have fixed percentage weights; rather, in determining your final class participation grade I take into account each element and make an overall evaluation.20
3 short papers (1000-1400 words)Papers must be turned in by the due date, unless an extension is granted in advance. Late papers (without an extension) will be assessed a penalty.60
final exam (essay questions) 20

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
A Work of this quality provides a coherent, orderly argument based on an a very careful reading of the relevant texts and a solid understanding of the relevant issues. The student displays superior reasoning skills, and has done a good deal of original thinking about the material. He or she knows how to raise important questions about the text and to evaluate possible answers to them. The student writes very clearly and has a near-perfect command of English usage and grammar. (Appropriate allowances are made for those for whom English is not a first langu
B This is a good level of performance. The student displays a capacity for careful reading and good reasoning. The work reflects some original thinking and is not simply a repetition of lecture material and readings. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions. The student writes clearly and has a good command of English usage and grammar.
C This is an acceptable, or fair, level of performance. The student provides answers that are clear but limited, consisting mainly in a repetition of the text or lectures. The student has some ability to write clearly and correctly.
D This level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material. Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included. The paper is poorly organized, and the student shows limited ability to write clearly and correctly.
FThis work fails to show any significant knowledge of the texts and the issues. Most of the material is irrelevant or inaccurate. There is no coherent argument and the student shows little ability to write clearly and correctly. This grade is also given for any act of plagiarism or other form of academic dishonesty.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY

Unexcused absences and lack of punctuality will negatively affect your grade.  Absences due to illness, traveling, and the like will be excused, but you should let me know in advance. 

You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until ____________
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

For Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics (NE) and Machiavelli’s Prince, you must use the editions specified in the syllabus.  (If you know Greek or Italian, you should also consult the original texts.)

Readings not from the NE or the Prince may be found on My JCU.

You must bring to class a hard copy of that day’s required readings, so that you will be able to follow and contribute to the class discussions.  (No electronic devices may be used in the classroom.)

Readings in parentheses ( ) are recommended.  All other readings are required.

Jan. 19. Introduction to the course.  Small group exercise: what is evil?

Part I: Introduction to the philosophical and religious traditions that Machiavelli attempted to overthrow

A.  Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics

1.  Introduction

Jan. 21  Intro to the question of the good: NE (translators’ introduction vii-x, for background on Aristotle and the Nicomachean Ethics), 1. 1-3

Jan. 26. Happiness: NE 1. 4, 5, 7, (8)

2.  Moral virtue

Jan. 28.

  • The relation between moral virtue and habit: NE 2. 1; excerpt from Theodore Roosevelt, An Autobiography, ch. 2 [available on My JCU]
  • Moral virtue as a mean: NE 2. (2, 3,) 5, 6

Feb. 2. 

  • Moral virtue as a mean, continued: NE 2. 7, 9
  • Courage: NE 3. 6-7, (8), 9

Feb. 4.

  • Moderation: NE 3. 10-11, (12)
  • Liberality [a.k.a. generosity]: NE 4. 1
  • (Magnificence: NE 4.2)

Feb. 9.

  • Greatness of soul: NE 4. 3; excerpts from Winston Churchill, The Gathering Storm, ch. 17 [available on My JCU]
  • (Gentleness, friendliness, truthfulness: NE 5-7)
  • Wittiness: NE 4. 8
  • Shame: NE 4. 9

Receive paper topics for first paper.

Feb. 11.  Justice:

  • Justice as complete virtue: NE 5. 1
  • Justice as a specific virtue: NE 5. 2
  • Distributive justice: NE 5. 3
  • Corrective justice: NE 5. 4

Feb. 16.  Justice, continued:

  • Political justice; justice of the ruler: NE 5. 6
  • Natural vs. conventional justice: NE 5. 7
  • Equity: NE 5. 10

3.  Intellectual virtue: Prudence

Feb.  18. 

  • Moral virtue requires choosing the mean through “correct reason”: NE 6. 1, first paragraph
  • This “correct reason” is prudence (as distinguished from science and art): NE 6. (3, 4), 5
  • The difference between prudence and cleverness: NE 6. 12, last paragraph

Small group exercise: what is friendship?

*First paper due.*

4.  Friendship

Feb. 23.  The kinds of friendship: NE 8. 1-3, 7; excerpt from Jane Austen, letter to Fanny Knight, Feb. 20, 1817 [available on My JCU]

Feb. 25. Friendship in the political community and in the family: NE 8. 9-12

March 1.  

  • Friendship and self-love: NE 9. 4, 8
  • Friendship and happiness: NE 9. 9
  • Living with friends: NE 9. 12; excerpt from Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, vol. 3 ch. 8 [available on My JCU]

5.  Happiness

March 3. 

  • Comparison of the contemplative and active lives: NE 10. 6-8
  • How can we acquire and inculcate the virtues? NE 10. 9

B.  The Bible and The Church (a very brief look)

March 8. Basic teachings of Jesus: The Sermon on the Mount [Bible selections, part 1, available on My JCU].  Receive paper topics for second paper.

March 10.  Sin and divine grace; wisdom [Bible selections, parts 2-3, available on My JCU]

March 15.  The Church’s claim to supremacy in both spiritual and temporal [political] matters: Boniface VIII, Unam Sanctam  [available on My JCU]. 

Part II: Machiavelli’s attack on the tradition: the Prince

March 17. 

  • On Machiavelli’s life and Writings: “Machiavelli”, Encyclopedia Britannica, pp. 1-3 [available on My JCU; the rest of the article is recommended]
  • A day in the life of Machiavelli: letter to Vettori, Dec. 10, 1513 [see the Appendix to our edition of the Prince: read the paragraph beginning at the bottom of p. 109; the rest of the letter is recommended]
  • Prince, Dedicatory Letter [pp. 3-4]; chs. 1-2.

Small group exercise: is imperialism ever justified?

*Second paper due.*

March 22. Prince, ch. 3 [this is a very complex chapter; I recommend you make an outline of its content]

March 24.  Prince, chs. 4-6. (Regarding NM’s statement in ch. 6 that "things must be ordered in such a mode that when [the people] no longer believe, one can make them believe by force,” consider the story of the Golden Calf in Exodus 32, especially verses 19-28, https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+32&version=NRSV.)

April 5.  Prince, ch. 7 [another very complex chapter, see recommendation for March 22]; excerpt from Encyclopedia Britannica on life of Cesare Borgia.

April 7.  Prince, chs. 8-9

April 12. Prince, chs. 10-11.  Receive paper topics for third paper.

April 14. Prince, chs. 12-14; together with ch. 13, read the biblical story of David and Goliath [available on My JCU: Bible selections, part 4], and consider the differences between Machiavelli’s account and the biblical one.

April 19.  Prince, chs. 15-16.  Small group exercise: Is it better for a ruler to be feared or loved?

April 21.  Prince, chs. 17-18.  *Third paper due.*

April 26.  Prince, chs. 19, 24

April 28.  Prince, chs. 25-26. Prep for final exam.