Phl 303
Human Nature

Prof. R. Koons -- Summer 2004
MTWTF 10-11:30 am; WAG 302

Syllabus

Texts:

AM: C. S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man
TOH: Thomas Aquinas, Treatise on Happiness
CID: Sigmund Freud, Civilization and its Discontents
TG: Virginia Woolf, Three Guineas
TI/AC: Friedrich Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols/The Anti-Christ

(Jan 18. 20)  Introduction. Plato.  Readings: Supp. I-1 (Plato, Gorgias).

(Jan 25, 27)  Aristotle.  Readings:   Suppl.  I-2, I-3, I-4, I-5, I-6 (Aristotle, The Nicomachean Ethics & The Politics; Budziszewski, Written on the Heart; Lear, The Desire to Understand, Strauss, "What is Political Philosophy?", pp. 24-39).

(Feb. 1, 3)  Early Judeo-Christian thought.  Readings: Suppl., I-7, I-8 (Old Testament (Genesis, Psalm 139, Proverbs);  Boethius, The Consolation of Philosophy)

(Feb 8, 10)  Aquinas on Happiness. Readings:  TOH, pp. 3-40, 56-58, 63-66, 108, 123, 126-127.

(Feb. 15, 17) Christian Humanism: Dante and Bulter.  Readings:  Suppl. I-9, I-10 (Dante, The Divine Comedy; Butler, Five Sermons).

First Midterm: Feb. 22

(Feb. 24. Mar. 1, 3)  Transition to the Modern World: Hobbes, Macchiavelli and Bacon.  Readings: Suppl I-6, II-11, II-12, II-13, II-14, II-15 (Strauss, "What is Political Philosophy?", pp. 39-57; Hobbes, Leviathan; Macchiavelli, The Prince; Bacon, The Advancement of Learning; Babbitt, "Bacon and Rousseau"; Weaver, Ideas Have Consequences).

 (March 8. 10) Animal Nature and Human Values.  Readings: Suppl., III-16, III-17 (Darwin, The Descent of Man; J. S. Mill, "Nature").

(March  22, 24) Materialism & Behaviorism.  Readings: Suppl., III-18 (B. F. Skinner, Beyond Freedom and Dignity).

(March 29, 31) C. S. Lewis's critique of materialism.  Readings: The Abolition of Man.

Second Midterm: April 5

(April 7) Evolutionary Psychology.  Readings: Suppl. III-19 (E. O. Wilson, On Human Nature)

(April  12, 14) Marriage and Feminism.  Readings: TG (all) ; Suppl., IV-20, IV-21, IV-22, IV-23  (Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales; de Beauvoir, The Second Sex; Davidson, The Failure of Feminism; Fleming, The Politics of Human Nature).

 (April 19, 21) Classical and theological views of the nature of evil.  Suppl: IV-15, 16, 17, 18 (New Testament (Matthew, Romans, I Corinthians); Kant, Religion within the bounds of Reason Alone; Kierkegaard, Philosophical Fragments; Niehbuhr, The Nature and Destiny of Man).

(April 26, 28)  Rousseau and Freud on nature and evil.  Readings: Civilisation and its Discontents (all), Suppl., IV-19 (Rousseau, "Discourse on the Origin of Inequality").

(May 3, 5) Nietzsche and Sartre and freedom and evil. Readings: TI/AC, pp. 52-56, 65-69, 97, 99-101, 125-130, 135-136, 144-150, 155-158, 165-166, 186-189, Suppl. IV-20 (Sartre, Existentialism and Human Emotions).

COURSE OBJECTIVES

  1. You will receive an orientation to the major worldviews represented in Western civilization, with special attention to the aspects of these views concerned with the nature of human beings.
  2. You will gain a deeper understanding of contemporary cultural controversies about ethics, education, sexuality and the family (the so-called "culture wars") by exploring the philosophical roots of these controversies in different conceptions of human nature.
  3. You will be led to examine some of your own unconscious assumptions and biases through being exposed to the writings of philosophers who challenge the conventional wisdom of our times.
  4. You will be introduced to the works of some of the greatest philosophers of the Western tradition, initiating a lifelong interaction.
  5. You will gain some appreciation for the value of what philosophers do and how they do it, by seeing how greater clarity and self-knowledge can result from interacting with great thinkers of the past.
  6. You will gain a greater appreciation for the value of clarity and of competent reasoning in grappling with the big issues of life.
  7. You will learn to exercise reason and civility in interacting with people with whom you have radical disagreements.
  8. You will become aware of the complexity of philosophical issues, gaining an understanding of how the various components of a worldview cohere and connect, and of what kind of evidence is relevant to evaluating a worldview.
  9. You will be initiated into the lifelong project of developing, testing and refining one's own conception of human nature.
Last updated January 11, 2005
Created by: Robert C. Koons
Send comments to: koons at mail.utexas.edu

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