PHI 421 Ancient & Medieval Philosophy

Credit Hours 4

Term Year Fall 2017

Office Hours By email or telephone as required

Contact Instructor tweld2@uis.edu

217-416-1438

Course Description
This course familiarizes students with the ancient and medieval traditions which gave rise to present-day
philosophy.
Course Objectives/Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Identify key features of ancient Greek and Medieval philosophy including;

 Major philosophers within each tradition
 Key tenets of their philosophical ideas, and the
 Contextual and evolutionary significance in the history of ideas, and
2. Demonstrate competency in critical thinking and writing through a weekly Precis/Critical
Reflection (PR/CR)
3. Demonstrate an ability to develop an argument; identify possible counter-arguments and
present one’s own unique ideas.
4. Conduct a reflective assessment related to one’s experience in the course, Ancient &
Medieval Philosophy.
Summary of Course Requirements and Scoring

Requirements Maximum Points % of Final Grade

Weekly preparation/participation* total: 310

Weekly Blackboard assignments 210 46%
and Student Comment
Reflective Assignment (Wk.16)
100 22%

Final Comprehensive Exam 150 33%

Total Points Available (non-MA students 460 1011

only)

Final research paper (MA students only) 100

Total Points Available (MA students only) 560

1
Due to rounding up

10/2/2018 2:12 PM
 Weekly Assignment Scoring

Please note that there are 14 weeks of weekly written assignments due on the Discussion Board. Each
week the student will be eligible to receive a maximum of 15 points based on the Instructor’s assessment
of the overall quality contribution for each of these assignments. This is equivalent to 210 points. Here
is the Weekly Scoring Rubric that is used by the instructor to evaluate your weekly Blackboard work:

PHI 421
Weekly Assignment Scoring Rubric

Instructor Observations Points Available

1. Was the first posting (précis or analysis) 0 or 3
made by Friday at 11:59 PM of each week?
Yes or No? If Yes, +3. If No, -3.
2. Is it clear to the instructor that the student ≤3
attempted to make a substantive response to
one other students DB posting?
3. Quality of Analysis?2 ≤6
3
4. Principle of Charity? 0 or 3
Total Pts. Avail ≤ 15

Course Grading Scale

Grade A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D F
GPA 4.0 3.7 3.3 3.0 2.7 2.3 2.0 1.7 1.3 1.0 0
Percent of total points 96- 90-95 86-89 83-85 80-82 76-79 73-75 70-72 65-69 60-64 < 60
available 100
Point Range (Total 442- 414- 396- 382- 368- 350- 336- 332- 299- 276- 0-275
points accumulated) 460 441 413 395 381 367 349 335 331 298
Point Range (Total 533- 499- 477- 460- 443- 421- 404- 387- 359- 331- 0-330
points for MA 560 532 498 476 459 442 420 403 386 358
students)

2
Quality of analysis is a function of the instructor’s assessment of a student’s understanding of the
material as well as a comparison with the quality of analysis of other students in the class.
3
Is it clear to the instructor that the Principle of Charity, as described below is being practiced by this
student?

2
Course Requirements & Assignments
1. Weekly Readings: A student is expected to complete the reading assignment prior to composing
written assignments. The final comprehensive exam will cover the full scope of reading
assignments (textbooks, lectures, internet articles, etc.).
Required Textbooks (there are 2 required textbooks for this course)
1. Russell, Bertrand. (1967). A History of Western Philosophy. Simon &
Schuster/Touchstone.
ISBN- 10: 0671201581
ISBN- 13: 978-0671201586
Important Note: I have made the Russell text available electronically to reduce your book expenses.
You will find this book at the link below and you will find an instruction sheet on Blackboard (under
the Russell E-text Tab) to help you find each weeks reading:

http://www.ntslibrary.com/PDF%20Books/History%20of%20Western%20Philosophy.pdf

2. Pojman, Louis, & Lewis Vaughn. (2011). Classics of Philosophy. New York:
Oxford University Press.
Edition: Third
ISBN-10: 0199737290
ISBN-13: 978-0199737291
2. A Précis and Critical Reflection (PR/CR) and a Substantive Response (SR) to at least one other
student’s major weekly submission is required each week with the exception of Week 1 introductions,
Thanksgiving week, final reflections, and final exam week. Your PR/CR is to be posted on the
Discussion Board for instructor review and student comment no later than 11:59 PM, on Friday of
each week. Your SR to another student must be posted before 11:59 PM each Sunday and
realistically, should be posted sooner thus giving students an opportunity to respond.
For more information on how to proceed with these written assignments please review the additional
information provided on this topic on Blackboard titled “Weekly Writing Guidelines” where
you will find the PR/CR & SR Handbook.
NOTE: When you are assigned to write a PR/CR, the word count is always limited to 300 words. If
your response is longer, points will be deducted (from Quality of Analysis). A primary purpose of the
PR/CR work is to promote clarity in reasoning and concise articulation of an argument. Lengthy
responses tend to muddy the waters of debate rather than making things clearer. Also, it very often
turns out to be the case that the more one says the less they say.
3. Student Comments (SR’s): In addition to the weekly PR/CR, you will make at least one
substantive posting in response to at least one other student’s PR/CR each week. ‘Substantive’
means that one or more good reasons are stated which support your view or comment which adds
value to the discussion (See my example provided in the Handbook for more information on what
I am looking for). It is expected that all postings will reflect the practice of the Principle of
Charity (See below for more information).
Note: The Instructor will not respond to posts by all students each week. Instructor comments
when made are designed to encourage or facilitate discussion at a deeper level or to bring more
clarity to one’s comments.

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 4. Weekly Assignment Video Links: For each weekly reading assignment there is a supplemental
YouTube video link for you to watch. Please go to the Blackboard, click on the tab titled Wkly
Assign. Video Links and watch the video assigned for that specific week. I have checked each
link prior to the beginning of semester and determined they are working. However, if you have
problems accessing the videos, please contact ITS and ask them assist you.

The Principle of Charity

In this class we will undoubtedly discuss controversial and sensitive issues. This requires thoughtful
consideration of other people in all communications. It is one thing to disagree with someone’s
argument or position. In fact, in philosophy (and other disciplines as well) it is a good thing to engage in
healthy debate. However, healthy debate and personal attacks are not equivalent. In this class we will
operate from the Principle of Charity. That is, we will assume when someone is arguing for their
position, whether we agree or not, we believe the other person is rational and that it is a necessary
condition of our successfully interpreting another person’s contributions that we treat any perceived
irrationality as evidence of error on our part. Inappropriate remarks are simply that, inappropriate, and
therefore, unacceptable.
In those cases, where the instructor believes this principle has been or is being violated, he will contact
the student or students making such remarks privately to discuss the problem on a one-on-one basis.
Here is a good example of what the Principle of Charity is not4:

5. Reflective Assignment (DUE: no later than December 15 at 11:59 PM). The student is eligible for
up to 100 points and may write no more than 600 words in their Reflective Assignment. The purpose
of this assignment is to provide an opportunity for the student to explore, reflect, compare and
contrast one’s philosophical ideas held at the beginning of the course with those held at the time of
completion of the course. Students are encouraged to review past postings, remember comments or
thoughts that impressed you in the course of weekly lessons and discuss the importance of such
matters upon their future endeavors.
6. Final Comprehensive Exam – there will be one, final comprehensive exam in this course. You
will have 2 hours to complete the exam. The exam will be available starting at 11:59 PM on Dec.
9 and shuts down at 11:59 PM on Dec. 12. Due to the tight timelines for getting final grades turned
in at end of the semester, once the exam closes there will be no additional opportunities to take it and
therefore recorded as a 0.

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http://search.dilbert.com/search?w=lack+of+faith+in+humanity&x=41&y=10 (Accessed 8.24.12)

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 Course Schedule FA 2017

Reading Key

ICA Internet SEP Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

P-V Pojman &
Classics
Vaughn
Archive
IEP Internet OL Sometimes you will find other links in the
R1, R2, Russell,
Encyclopedia Readings/Other Assignments Column that will
R3 Books One,
of Philosophy take you to readings found on the internet
Two, &
Three
Wk # Month/ Topic Weekly Readings/Other Assignments
Wk of
Aug/Sep
1 Aug 28-Sep 3 Introductions  Read Lecture 1
& Overview of  R1:
AMP 421 Chapters (Read entire chapters)
II, ‘The Milesian School”, p. 42
III, “Pythagoras”, p. 47
IV, “Heraclitus”, p. 56
V, “Parmenides”, p. 66
IX, “The Atomists”, 82
P-V: pp. 3-21
2 4-10 Presocratics Sept. 4 Labor Day
 Read Lecture 2
 Finish Wk 1 Readings
 Go to tab on Blackboard titled “Weekly Assignment Video Links”
& view the video assigned for Week 2
3 11-17 Socrates  Read Lecture 3
 R 1:
Chap. XI; “Socrates”, p. 99
 SEP http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/socrates/
 Go to tab on Blackboard titled “Weekly Assignment Video Links”
& view the video assigned for this week
4 18-24 Plato:  Read Lecture 4
Euthyphro &  P-V: 25-35; 36-58
Apology  Go to tab on Blackboard titled “Weekly Assignment Video Links”
& view the videos assigned for this week
Sep/Oct 
5 25-Oct. 1 Plato:  Read Lecture 5
Theory of  R 1:
Forms/Ideas Chap. XIV, “Plato’s Utopia”, p. 125 (Read entire chapter)
Chap. XV, “The Theory of Ideas”, p. 136 (Read entire chapter)
 P-V, Chap. 13 of Republic, “Poetry and Unreality”, pp. 192-201
 Go to tab on Blackboard titled “Weekly Assignment Video Links”
> & view the video assigned for this week

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6 2-8 Plato:  Read Lecture 6
Knowledge &  R1:
Perception Chap. XVIII, “Knowledge and Perception in Plato”, p. 166 (Read entire
chapter)
 P-V: 167-177
 IEP: http://www.iep.utm.edu/theatetu/#SH3b

 Go to tab on Blackboard titled “Weekly Assignment Video Links”

& view the video assigned for this week
7 9-15 Aristotle’s  Read Lecture 7
Metaphysics  R1:
Chap. XIX, “Aristotle’s Metaphysics”, p. 176 (Read entire chapter)
 P-V: 237 – 250 (Book I); 256 – 265 (Book XII)
 Go to tab on Blackboard titled “Weekly Assignment Video Links”
& view the videos assigned for this week
8 16-22 Aristotle’s  Read Lecture 8
Ethics &  R1:
Politics Chap. XX, “Aristotle’s Ethics”, p. 189 (Read entire chapter)
Chap. XXI, “Aristotle’s Politics, p. 201 (Read entire chapter)
 P-V: 277, starting at 1105a1-1106b1-25
 Go to tab on Blackboard titled “Weekly Assignment Video Links”
& view the videos assigned for this week
9 23-29 Epicureanism;  Read Lecture 9
Stoicism;  R1:
Plotinus Chap. XXVII, “Epicureans”, p. 255
Chap. XXVIII, “Stoicism”, p. 267
Chap. XXX, “Plotinus”, p. 299
 P-V: 342-347;
 Go to tab on Blackboard titled “Weekly Assignment Video Links” &
view the videos assigned for this week
Oct-Nov
10 30-Nov. 5 St. Augustine;  Read Lecture 10
St. Anselm  R2:
Chap. IV, “Augustine’s Philosophy & Theology, p. 360
 Book XI of Augustine’s Confessions found here:
http://sparks.eserver.org/books/augustineconfess.pdf
 R2, pp. 423-425 (start with first full paragraph on 423)
 Anselm’s Proslogion, Preface & Chap. I-IV found here:
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/anselm-proslogium.asp
 Go to tab on Blackboard titled “Weekly Assignment Video Links” &
view the videos assigned for this week
11 6-12 St. Thomas  Read Lecture 11
Aquinas R2:
Chap. XIII, St. Thomas Aquinas, p, 456
 P-V: 454-459 (Stop at Question XLVI)
 Go to tab on Blackboard titled “Weekly Assignment Video Links” &
view the video assigned for this week
12 13-19 William of  Read Lecture 12
Ockham R2:
Chap. XIV, “William of Occam”, pp. 472-479
 P-V: 478-483

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  Braithwaite article titled “Occam’s Razor: The Principle of
Parsimony” located on the Blackboard under the Tab titled
“Additional Articles”

Go to tab on Blackboard titled “Weekly Assignment Video Links” &
view the video assigned for this week
13 20-26

No Assignment for this Week

Nov/Dec 
14 27-3 Arabian &  Read Lecture 13
Jewish  R2:
Thought Chap. X, “Mohammedan Culture & Philosophy, p. 425
 P-V: 448-453
Maimonides;  http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/maimonides/
Avicenna;  http://www.iep.utm.edu/avicenna/
Averroes;  http://www.iep.utm.edu/ibnrushd/
 Go to tab on Blackboard titled “Weekly Assignment Video Links” &
view the video assigned for this week
15 4-10 Francis Bacon  Read Lecture 14
R3:
Chap. VII, “Francis Bacon”, p. 540
 http://www.iep.utm.edu/bacon/

 Novum Organum (1620), Read Book I, Aphorisms XXXVIII-

LXVIII at the following link:
http://files.libertyfund.org/files/1432/Bacon_0415_EBk_v6.0.pdf
 The Advancement of Learning, scroll to THE FIRST BOOK OF
FRANCIS BACON; OF THE PROFICIENCE AND
ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING, DIVINE AND HUMAN, then
scroll to IV and read (1) – (12) at the following link:
http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext04/adlr10h.htm
 Go to tab on Blackboard titled “Weekly Assignment Video Links” &
view the video assigned for this week

16 11-16 Final  Go to Blackboard, “Assignments” & click on the exam. You will
Comprehensive have 2 hours to complete the exam. The exam will be available
Exam5 starting at 11:59 PM on 12/9 and shuts down at 11:59 PM on
12/12.
 Final Reflective Assignment. You may turn this assignment in
Final anytime starting Dec. 11 until Dec.15, no later than 11:59 PM.
Reflections

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There will be one (1) time-limited (2 hours to complete) comprehensive exam during Finals Week.
Exam will be available from 11:59 PM on 12/9 and shut down at 11:59 PM on 12/12.
A student request to take the exam at any other time must be made to the instructor via email and
will be approved only for extenuating circumstances.

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 Contact the Instructor
The Instructor is available to students by:
 E-mail at: tweld2@uis.edu
 Cell phone: 217-416-1438
 In-person at Brookens Library by advance appointment

Technological Requirements
It is your responsibility to make sure your computer meets the necessary technological requirements for
this class and that you have weekly access to the course website. If you are having problems with any
technological aspects of this course, please contact:
The Its Technology Support Center (TSC)
 TSC is the primary point of contact for technology questions, problems and issues.
 Located on first floor of the Health and Science Bldg. (HSB 110)
 Contact by phone: 217-206-6000
 Toll free in US: 877-847-0443
 Hours: 8:30 AM – 12:00 Midnight, Mon. – Fri.; 10:00 am – 6 PM Sat. 1:00 – 9:00 PM Sun.
Closed on campus holidays.
 Walk-in: Room HSB 110

Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty

Submitted work should be one's own work and it should properly acknowledge ideas, facts, the
progression of thought or reasoning and words from others. Plagiarism is intellectual theft: the
plagiarist presents work done by others as his or her own, in writing or orally. Plagiarism is the failure to
properly and appropriately reference and acknowledge the ideas and words of others. This includes
website material used in written, oral, or multi-media presentations.

Examples of plagiarism include:

 Using direct quotation without the quotation marks or citation

 Paraphrasing without proper citation
 Making only minor changes to an author's words or style
 Insufficient acknowledgment of sources (partial citation)
 Using the pattern, structure or organization of an author's argument or ideas without proper
citation
 Failing to cite sources for uncommon facts or knowledge
 Working with another student on a project but failing to put both names on the final product
 Having someone else re-write or heavily edit a paper

University policy states that an Instructor may refuse to grade the assignment and record it as no credit.
Penalties for plagiarism may include failure in the course, disciplinary probation, suspension, or dismissal
from the class, program, or UIS.

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 Academic Assistance

The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) assists students with writing, science, mathematics,
study/testing skills, and reading skills in any course through:

(1) in-class workshops,

(2) out-of-class on-campus and online workshops, and
(3) one-to-one on-campus and online tutoring appointments.

The CTL assists faculty by proctoring tests for his/her students, providing referral forms, and
coordinating services to meet his/her students’ academic needs. Visit the CTL online at www.uis.edu/ctl
to review all the services offered. Contact the CTL for assistance through email (ctl@uis.edu) or by
calling 217-206-6503.

Statement on Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Reasonable accommodations are available for students who have a documented disability. Please notify
the Instructor during the first week of class of any accommodations needed for the course. Late
notification may cause the requested accommodations to be unavailable. All accommodations must be
approved through the Office of Disability Services (ODS) in the Human Resources Building (HRB),
Room 80, 217-206-6666.

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