Course: Reviving Philosophy as a Way of Life https://moodle1819.wesleyan.edu/course/view.php?

id=5377
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Wesleyan Moodle Jane Drexler

Reviving Philosophy as a Way of Life

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Arrival Weekend (July 7-8)

Saturday, July 7: Participants arrive. Check in by 5:00pm at 19 Fountain Ave.,

Middletown, CT; or arrange for late arrival.

Sunday, July 8: Welcome Dinner, 6:00pm. Location: Steve Angle's house (98 Red
Glen Rd., Middletown, CT 06457).

July 9: Introduction to Philosophy as a Way of Life

Morning (10:00-12:00): Participant Backgrounds and Introductions; Introduction to

“Philosophy as a Way Life” Idea 

REQUIRED: 

Pierre Hadot, “Philosophy as a Way of Life”

RECOMMENDED:

John Cooper, “Ancient Philosophies as Ways of Life”

Hadot - Philosophy as a Way of Life

Cooper-Ancient Philosophies as Ways of Life

Afternoon (2:00-4:00): Directors Angle, Grimm, and Sullivan review experiences with

“way of life” classes at Wesleyan, Fordham, and Notre Dame

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Course: Reviving Philosophy as a Way of Life https://moodle1819.wesleyan.edu/course/view.php?id=5377
July 10: Confucianism, Steve Angle

Morning (10:00-12:00): Confucianism as a Way of Life: Scholarly Introduction 

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REQUIRED:

Kongzi, Essential Analects (Slingerland, trans.), Book 4—PDF on Moodle

Mengzi, Mengzi (Van Norden, trans.), Selections—PDF on Moodle
Zhu Xi (Chu Hsi), Learning to Be a Sage (Gardner, trans.): assignment is Chs. 1, 2,
and 4 of the translation (pp. 88-115; 128-142; 41 pp. total); BUY WHOLE BOOK

RECOMMENDED:

Peimin Ni, Understanding the Analects of Confucius, Introduction—PDF on Moodle

Kongzi, Understanding the Analects of Confucius (Ni, trans.), Book 4—PDF on
Moodle
P. J. Ivanhoe, Confucian Moral Self-Cultivation, 2nd ed. (Hackett)—PDF on Moodle
Stephen Angle & Justin Tiwald, Neo-Confucianism: A Philosophical Introduction
(Polity), ch. 7 (“Self-Cultivation,” 26 pp.)—PDF on Moodle

Early Afternoon (2:00-3:30): Philosophical Discussion of Confucianism as a Way of

Life

Late Afternoon (3:45-5:00): Confucianism, Teaching Implementation

Kongzi Slingerland-trans Essential Analects Bk 4

Mengzi Van Norden-trans. Selections

Ni Analects Introduction

Angle Tiwald Neo-Confucianism Ch 7

Kongzi Ni-trans Analects Bk 4

July 11: Buddhism, Nic Bommarito

Morning (10:00-12:00): Buddhism as a Way of Life: Scholarly Introduction 

REQUIRED:

Dalai Lama, "An Introduction to Buddhism" (excerpt) —PDF on Moodle

Mark Siderits, "Early Buddhism: Basic Teachings” —PDF on Moodle
David McMahan "The Spectrum of Tradition and Modernism"—PDF on Moodle

RECOMMENDED:

Chekawa Yeshe Dorje, "Seven-Point Mind Training"—PDF on Moodle

Thubten Jinpa, "Mind Training Introduction"—PDF on Moodle
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Course: Reviving Philosophy as a Way of Life
Early Afternoon https://moodle1819.wesleyan.edu/course/view.php?id=5377
(2:00-3:30): Philosophical Discussion of Buddhism as a Way of Life

Late Afternoon (3:45-5:00): Buddhism, Teaching Implementation

Siderits BasicBuddhism
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McMahan-BuddhistModernismchp2

ThubtenJinpa Mind-Training

The-Root-Text-of-the-Seven-Points-of-Training-the-Mind

IntroBuddhism excerpt

July 12: Distinctive Assignment Day

Morning (10:00-12:00): Student Apologies and Sustained Dialogue, presentation and

discussion (Sullivan)

Read: Roth, "Young Minds in Critical Condition" 

Afternoon (2:00-5:00): Immersive Assignments (Grimm and Angle) and other distinctive

assignments (Cohoe, Irani, and more), presentation and discussion (Sullivan)

Roth, "Young Minds in Critical Condition"

Recommended:

College Students Clamor To Get Into A Weekly 7-Hour Class On Despair HuffPost

This college professor gives her students extra credit for going on dates - The
Washington

Living silently, celibate, and technology-free Penn Today

Monks For A Month

Fordham WOL Course

Cohoe, Roleplaying Philosophies handout PWoL

RttP: Threshold of Democracy

July 13

Morning (10:00-12:00): Large-Group Discussion of Alternative “Way of Life” Thinkers,

Curriculum Ideas, and Methods of Assessment

Afternoon (2:00-5:00): Meetings/Outings for Smaller Discussion/Curriculum Design

Groups
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Course: Reviving Philosophy as a Way of Life https://moodle1819.wesleyan.edu/course/view.php?id=5377
Navigation

Weekend of July 14-15

July 16: Stoicism, Tushar Irani

Morning (10:00-12:00): Stoicism as a Way of Life: Scholarly Introduction

REQUIRED:

Epictetus, Discourses, Fragments, Handbook, translated by Robin Hard (Oxford

World's Classics, 2014) — BUY WHOLE BOOK
Selections from Marcus Aurelius, Meditations: with selected correspondence,
translated by Robin Hard (Oxford World’s Classics, 2011) —PDF on Moodle
Selections from Seneca, Letters from a Stoic, translated by Robin Campbell
(Penguin Classics, 1969) —PDF on Moodle
Tad Brennan, “An Overview of Stoic Ethics,” The Stoic Life: Emotions, Duties, and
Fate (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005) —PDF on Moodle
 

RECOMMENDED:

Gisela Striker, “Following Nature: A Study in Stoic Ethics,” Essays in Hellenistic

Epistemology and Ethics (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996) —PDF on
Moodle
David Sedley, “The School, from Zeno to Arius Didymus,” The Cambridge
Companion to the Stoics, edited by Brad Inwood (Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 2003) —PDF on Moodle
Christopher Gill, “The School in the Roman Imperial Period,” The Cambridge
Companion to the Stoics, edited by Brad Inwood (Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 2003) —PDF on Moodle
Jacques Brunschwig and David Sedley, “Hellenistic Philosophy,” The Cambridge
Companion to Greek and Roman Philosophy, edited by David Sedley (Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 2003) —PDF on Moodle
Malcolm Schofield, “Stoic Ethics,” The Cambridge Companion to the Stoics, edited
by Brad Inwood (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003) —PDF on Moodle

Early Afternoon (2:00-3:30): Philosophical Discussion of Stoicism as a Way of Life

Late Afternoon (3:45-5:00): Stoicism, Teaching Implementation

Marcus Aurelius - Meditations

Seneca - Letters

Brennan on Stoic Ethics

Striker on Stoic Ethics

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Course: Reviving Philosophy as a Way of Life https://moodle1819.wesleyan.edu/course/view.php?id=5377
Sedley on Early and Middle Stoicism

Gill on Roman Stoics

Brunschwig and Sedley on Hellenistic Philosophy

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Schofield on Stoic Ethics

July 17: Ancient Skepticism, Christiana Olfert

Morning (10:00-12:00): Ancient Skepticism: Scholarly Introduction 

REQUIRED:

Sextus Empiricus, Outlines of Skepticism, Book I (as much as possible, but at least

up to Section xii, “What is the aim of Skepticism?”), Book II, Sections
i-iv.  Translation by Annas and Barnes is preferred (Cambridge University Press,
2000). BUY WHOLE BOOK
RECOMMENDED:

Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers, Book IX on Pyrrho.  

Olfert (2015). “Skeptical Investigation and its Perks,” in Pyrrhonian Skepticism in
Diogenes Laertius, Mohr Siebeck. —PDF on Moodle
Burnyeat, Myles. “Can the Skeptic Live his Skepticism?” —PDF on Moodle
Frede, Michael. “The Sceptics’ Beliefs” —PDF on Moodle

Early Afternoon (2:00-3:30): Philosophical Discussion of Ancient Skepticism as a Way

of Life

Late Afternoon (3:45-5:00): Ancient Skepticism, Teaching Implementation

Frede+The+Sceptics+Beliefs

Olfert+Sceptical+Investigation+and+Its+Perks

Burnyeat+Can+the+Skeptic+Live+His+Skepticismy

July 18: Existentialism, Jennifer Gosetti-Ferencei

Morning (10:00-12:00): Existentialism: Scholarly Introduction 

REQUIRED:

Jean-Paul Sartre, “Existentialism” (lecture in Existentialism is a Humanism) —PDF

on Moodle
Soren Kierkegaard, “The Present Age”—PDF on Moodle
 

RECOMMENDED:
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Course: Reviving Philosophy as a Way
Martin of Life “The Concept of Time” —PDFhttps://moodle1819.wesleyan.edu/course/view.php?id=5377
Heidegger, on Moodle
Gabriel Marcel, The Philosophy of Existentialism, particularly “On the Ontological
Mystery” —PDF on Moodle
Simone de Beauvoir, Ethics and Ambiguity, particularly chapter 1, “Ambiguity and
Freedom” —PDF on Moodle
Navigation

Early Afternoon (2:00-3:30): Philosophical Discussion of Existentialism as a Way of

Life

Late Afternoon (3:45-5:00): Existentialism, Teaching Implementation

Sartre Existentialism is a Humanism

Kierkegaard The Present Age

Heidegger The Concept of Time

Marcel, The Philosophy of Existentialism, On the Ontological Mystery

De Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity, Ch 1

July 19: Kantianism, Karen Stohr

Morning (10:00-12:00): Kantianism as a Way of Life: Scholarly Introduction 

REQUIRED:

Immanuel Kant, Ethical Philosophy BUY WHOLE BOOK

Metaphysical Principles of Virtue – as much as you can manage of the section
labeled “The Elements of Ethics” – Prussian Academy pp. 421-474
Most important: 429-431, 434-437, 448-454, 458-467, 471-473
“On a Supposed Right to Lie Because of Philanthropic Concerns” (skim) 
Immanuel Kant, Lectures on Ethics BUY WHOLE BOOK
“Duties to Oneself” – pp. 116-126
“Proper Self-Respect” – pp. 126-129
“Jealousy and Its Offspring – Envy and Grudge” – pp. 215-224
“Ethical Duties Toward Others: Truthfulness” – pp. 224-235
“Haughtiness” – pp. 237-238
Immanuel Kant, Anthropology, “On the Highest Moral-Physical Good” —PDF on
Moodle
 

RECOMMENDED:

Immanuel Kant, Ethical Philosophy

Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals - Chapters 1 and 2 (labeled as the
first and second sections – Prussian Academy pp 383 - 444) 
Immanuel Kant, Lectures on Ethics
“Conscience” – pp. 129-135
“Duties Toward the Body Itself” – pp. 157-160
“Duties Toward Others” -- pp. 191-200
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Course: Reviving Philosophy as“Friendship”
a Way of Life – 200-209 https://moodle1819.wesleyan.edu/course/view.php?id=5377

On Speaking the Truth

Korsgaard, Christine “The Right to Lie: Kant on Dealing with Evil” —PDF on Moodle
Langton, Rae, “Duty and Desolation” —PDF on Moodle
Navigation

Mahon, James, “Kant and Maria von Herbert on Reticence and Deception” —PDF
on Moodle

On Avoiding Self-Conceit and Contempt

Hill, Tom. “Must Respect be Earned?”

Sussman, David. “Above and Beneath Contempt”
Thomason, Krista. “Shame and Contempt in Kant’s Moral Theory” —PDF on
Moodle
Preston-Roedder, Ryan. “Faith in Humanity” —PDF on Moodle

On Navigating the Ends of Others

Herman, Barbara. “The Scope of Moral Requirement” —PDF on Moodle

Stohr, Karen. “Kantian Beneficence: The Problem of Obligatory Aid” —PDF on
Moodle
Ebels-Duggan, Kyla. “Against Beneficence: A Normative Account of Love” —PDF
on Moodle

On Being Sociable

Cohen, Alix. “Kantian Dinner Parties: The Ultimate Kantian Experience” —PDF on
Moodle

Early Afternoon (2:00-3:30): Philosophical Discussion of Kantianism as a Way of Life

Late Afternoon (3:45-5:00): Kantianism as a Way of Life, Teaching Implementation

Herman Scope of Moral Requirement

Ebels-Duggan Against Beneficence

Mahon Kant and Maria von Herbert

Preston-Roedder Faith in Humanity

Stohr NEH Way of Life Seminar Readings

Stohr Kantian Beneficence and the Problem of Obligatory Aid

Korsgaard Right to Lie

Thomason Shame and Contempt in Kants Moral Theory

Langton Duty and Desolation

Kant On the Highest Moral Physical Good

Cohen The Ultimate Kantian Experience

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Course: Reviving Philosophy as a Way of Life https://moodle1819.wesleyan.edu/course/view.php?id=5377
July 20: Presentations and Conclusion

5:00-7:00 Closing Reception/Dinner

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