“Basic Philosophy for Students of Theology/Religion: Plato to Kant" introduces students to the primary philosophic contributions of the Presocratics, Plato/Socrates, Aristotle, the Stoics, Augustine, Ibn Sina, Poinsot, Descartes, Spinoza, Locke and Hume. Discussion will focus on these thinkers' potential significance for contemporary studies in religion and theology. For grads and undergrads.

RELG 3559/8500 Basic Philosophy for Students of Theology/Religion

Peter Ochs (pwo3v; -46718): OH

“Basic Philosophy for Students of Theology/Religion: Plato to Kant" introduces students to the primary philosophic contributions of the Presocratics, Plato/Socrates, Aristotle, the Stoics, Augustine, Ibn Sina, Poinsot, Descartes, Spinoza, Locke and Hume. Discussion will focus on these thinkers' potential significance for contemporary studies in religion and theology. For grads and undergrads.

The course will follow a single and relatively simple pattern throughout the term:

• Students carefully prepare assigned readings before class (Each week I will specify which readings are essential for minimal participation in the next class session. Attendance is necessary each class as is at least minimal preparation.)

• After initial presentation and discussion of the “philosopher of the day,” we will sketch out what I call a “cartoon” summary of a few elemental patterns of reasoning displayed in this philosopher’s work. In this particular course, the goal is not to open on-going, critical and creative reflections on each philosopher (as I would usually recommend in my courses), but to initiate a different kind of creative work. This is to conceive and visualize a simple (in the sense of elemental not of unsophisticated) model of how a given philosopher could be understood. (The emphasis here is on “could be”: a textually and philosophically defensible depiction of a modest aspect of this philosopher’s thinking, but not necessarily the only depiction or even the depiction you-- and also I-- may prefer in the future.) We should work hard during class time so that every student in the class has a workable grasp of this model. Then the creative and work begins: to explore various ways of applying, thinking about and playing with this model in relationship to various topics specific to the study of religion and theology. In your written work for the course, you’ll be free to apply the model to issues or topics in religion/theology of greatest interest to you. The one application that I will consistently examine each week is to the study of scripture. Each week, I will ask what aspects of Abrahamic scriptural interpretation would be (or not be!) illumined and disciplined by that week’s philosophic model(s). Within the limits of class time, you might then bring your primary theological and religious-studies interests into relation to ongoing class discussions.

• Then we move to the next philosopher: each week, from philosopher to cartoon to philosophic model to applications (to scripture, theology, religion).

• You (each student) maintain an efficient file/notebook of philosophic models, including: your preferred ways of depicting each model + any addenda you choose to add (such as your own refinements/innovations on our shared model) + any brief notes you choose to add on how you think the model best applies to scripture/theology/religion. [Note that we as a class have a shared statement of each model, but you are each free to explore whatever applications you judge to be most helpful.]

• Every two weeks you hand in an efficiently composed essay (5 essays for the term: undergrads 2.5-3pp. each; grads 4pp. each) comparing how the models of two philosophers apply to some aspects of scripture + theology or religion.  By “efficient” I mean a minimum of general discussion (chatting) and a maximum of disciplined analysis of how elemental features of X (a scriptural text or set of texts + a theological claim or bit of writing or a religious phenomenon as reported in some source) are identified, classified, and analyzed (or formalized) through a given model.

• There is no midterm or final exam.

• Instead, you prepare a term paper to be submitted on the day scheduled for final exam (for undergrads the paper is 8pp.; for grads 12pp.). In the middle of the semester, we will together plan the topic for the term paper.

• Purpose: The overall purposes of these course exercises are:

  • To enable you to make intelligent use of illustrative aspects of major philosophic works in your writings and thinking in theology and religious studies. Over the last 10 years, I have seen a steady decline in the philosophic discipline displayed in student writings in theology and religious studies. The way to remedy that is, initially, not to begin searching out the “philosophic opinions” of the major philosophers. Seeking opinions and positions is precisely part of the problem. Students should, instead, seek out habits of disciplined reasoning. The class exercises in “cartoons” and models are intended to offer training in such reasoning.

  • Therefore, to enable you to reason in more disciplined ways. Acquiring such discipline will help you write and think about any topic more efficiently and clearly and help eliminate confused, redundant, or even somewhat self-contradictory communication. You’ll see during the class that I am not concerned about what you claim or argue about, but only about the strength and clarity of your claims and reasonings.

  • To strengthen your abilities to make claims whose form and complexity corresponds to the form and complexity of the subjects of your claims. I won’t try to explain right now what I mean by this: during the course, you’ll gradually see that “cartoons” introduce a way of perceiving patterns and relations, which you will learn to depict and describe formally.

  • To enable each of you to strengthen your individual areas of work in theology and religious studies and, by way of disciplined reasoning to make new discoveries about and within your own areas of work.

  • And, finally, to learn and remember a few things as well about the specific philosophers you study: to learn, for example, which philosophers tend to influence which others, and which philosophers contribute most to your own style and subject of work and why.

Texts to purchase at the bookstore:

Author - Title - ISBN - New Price/Used Price

MCKEON / BASIC WORKS OF ARISTOTLE (INTRO: REEVE) - 978-0-375-75799-0 – $21.95/$16.50

PLATO / SIX GREAT DIALOGUES - 978-0-486-45465-8 – $5.50/$4.15

WATERFIELD / FIRST PHILOSOPHERS/PRESOCRATICS & THE SOPHISTS - 978-0-19-953909-3 – $14.95/$11.25

HADOT / WHAT IS ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY? - 978-0-674-01373-5 – $25.50/$19.15

ST AUGUSTINE / CONFESSIONS - 0-14-044114-X – $10.00/$7.50

BURRELL / KNOWING THE UNKNOWABLE GOD - 0-268-01226-1 – $18.00/$13.50

DESCARTES / DISCOURSE ON METHOD & MEDITATIONS ON FIRST PHILOSOPHY - 0-87220-420-0 – $11.50/$8.25

LOCKE / ESSAY CONCERNING HUMAN UNDERSTANDING (ED: WINKLER) - 978-0-87220-216-0 – $13.00/$9.75

HUME / ENQUIRY CONCERNING HUMAN UNDERSTANDING W/LETTER, ETC - 0-87220-229-1 – $8.00/$5.25

SPINOZA / ETHICS - 978-0-14-043571-9 – $15.00/$11.25

Additional readings downloaded from the course toolkit

(I will add to this list during the term):

• Readings from the Stoics Reader, trans. Inwood and Gerson (Hackett Classics).

• Excerpts from Augustine, De Doctrina, De Trinitate.

• Readings in Ibn Sina (Avicenna)

• Readings in John of Poinsot.

• Readings in John Deely.

• P. Ochs, “Scripture and Reason: The Philosophy of Biblical Language and Interpretation,” The Stanton Lectures Cambridge University 2015:

Listen to one hr lectures on line: http://sms.cam.ac.uk/collection/1918523

1. Creatures: Introducing the Philosophy of Scriptural Language (2nd March) 
2. Wounded Creatures: Negation in the Philosophy of Scriptural Language (3rd March )
3. Signs of Salvation: Catastrophic Wounding and the End of Convention (5th March )
4. Language beyond Language: Scriptural Interpretation as Reparative Reasoning (9th March )
5. Hearth to Hearth Scriptural Reasoning (11th March )

For lecture-handouts, see https://virginia.academia.edu/PeterOchs/Stanton-Lectures-Cambridge-2015.

Syllabus: (per week)

1. Intro to the Method/Cartoons/Philosophic Models/Scripture

Rd: Listen to P. Ochs Stanton Lectures #1: Creatures: Introducing the Philosophy of Scriptural Language. http://sms.cam.ac.uk/collection/1918523 [NB: Unless you have studied the stoics or Peirce before, listen to the first half attentively and then sit back and give a first hearing to some technical things that will come up in the next 2-3 weeks.]                 (b) Hadot, What is Ancient Philosophy? pp.1-22.

2. Aristotle: Propositions, Syllogisms, Science, Observation                                                                                                     

   Rd:  (a) Aristo Basic Works:

   (i) Categoriae rd. the outline ("contents") and then skim the full text for each chap 1-15;

   (ii) De Interpretatione (this is our main text!!): rd. the outline, then: Ch 1-6 rd carefully!; 7-8 rd but dont get bogged down; 9 for grads but rd thru not bogged (undergrads just first 2 pargr); 10 do  your best...:

   (iii) Analytica Priora rd. Bk I outline and then read thru 1, 2, 3 (dont get bogged down when it is very detailed);

   (iv) GRADS (or OPT)  Analytica Posteriora: 1-3 (rd thru).

   (b) OPT: Hadot, What is Ancient Philos?: 77-90.                                                                                                                                                           

3.   Plato: Forms (eide) and Predicates                                                                                                                                                    Rd. (a) Plato, Six Great Dialogues: Apology, Crito, Phaedo [Phaedo is main focus of class; rd thru the others for background]; (b) GRADS: Symposium (read thru); (c) All: Hadot, Ancient Philosophy: 22-51.

4. Presocratics: Science without Critique, Heraclitus                                                                                        

                Rd:  (a) The First Philosophers: on Milesians, Heraclitus (main focus of class), Parmenides, Zeno, Protagoras......                                                Due: essay #1  

 5.   Socrates: Context- and City-Specific Problem Solving---                                                                                                      Rd:  (a) Hadot, What is Ancient Philosophy?  (review 22-51) 52-76.                                                                                                                (b) Plato, Six Great Dialogues: Republic: Reading Stages:

1. Cephalus (183-187); Polemarchus (187-192); Thrasymachus A (192-212)….
2. Thrasymachus/Glaucon (212-221); Glaucon/Adeimantus (221-226).
3. Gla/Ad (Luxurious State: 226-229); G/A (Guardians’ Temperment: 229-231).
4. G/A( Education in theology!: 231-238);  G/A( Education in theology!: 231-238); GRADS SKIM 238-268 ( Educ in the arts, poetry, music, physical training; health).
5. G/A (Selection of Rulers: 268-272); (Happiness/Soul of Rulers: 272-275); (Duties of Rulers: 275-280).
6. G/A (Virtues of the State: 280-288); G/A (Virtues of the Individual Soul: 288-299).
7. GRADS: 299 on from State to Soul to Epistemology……….

6.   Stoic Semiotics: From Cartoons to Semiotic Modeling

Rd:  (a) Toolkit: Readings from the Stoics Reader, tba.

(b) OPT for Grads: P.O, Stantons Lecture #2 and #3 Wounded Creatures: Negation in the Philosophy of Scriptural Language; Signs of Salvation: Catastrophic Wounding and the End of Convention. 

Due: essay #2

7.   Augustine: Signs and Scripture (with Jonathan Teubner Guest)

Rd:  (a) Augustine, Confessions:UNDERGRADS: 
a. PLEASE PREPARE THESE “books” (major group of chaps) CAREFULLY: III, V, VI, VII, VIII 
• For each book please write YOURSELF (ie not to hand in) 2-3 phrases/sentences that capture what you take to be 2-3 primary lessons in the book about Augustine and Reasoning and Religion/Scripture (YOU decide what that means). 
• THEN in class, the UNDERGRADS will confer and then Share with the rest of us their reading of how Augustine searches thru reason to find a route to scriptural religion. 
b. PLEASE SKIM These bks XI, XII 

2) Augustine, Confessions: GRADS: 
a. PLEASE SKIM THESE “books” (major group of chaps) : III, V, VI, VII, VIII 
b. PLEASE PREPARE THESE “books” (major group of chaps) CAREFULLY: X, XI, XII (XII if YOU want) 
• For each book please write YOURSELF (ie not to hand in) 2-3 phrases/sentences that capture what you take to be 2-3 primary lessons in the book about Augustine’s scriptural hermeneutic and its relation to SOME kind of reasoning). 
• THEN in class, the GRADS will confer and then Share with the rest of us their reading of how Augustine on reading and reasoning                                                                                                                                                                    (b) FOR GRADS AND OPT. FOR ANY UNDERGRADS INTERESTED: 
After preparing your notes for class-presentation on the last few chapters of Confessions, 
please examine these texts from de trin. Our guest Dr. Jonathan Teubner has a book in prep (already a disst) on de trin. and we will be responding to his in-class commentary. 
Please read: (Ps I list according to http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/130104.htm -- since you can all get this online..... There are of course better English trans. -- If you use one of the latter, please identify the reading according to what I assign in the former): 
BK IV (and the preface in great detail); BK XI..... 
(c) OPT: excerpts from J. Deely, Augustine & Poinsot: The Semiotic Develop                                                      (c) OPT for grads: P.Ochs, Stanton Lecture #5 (On Augustine)

8.   Ibn Sina  (John Bugbee Guest Instructor)

Rd: (a) Avicenna/Ibn Sina: Metaphysics of Healing in collab (approx 10+ pp)

       Due: essay #3

9.   John of Poinsot: following Augustine and anticipating Charles Peirce                                                      

(a) John Deely, excerpts from New Beginnings: Early Modern Philosophy and Postmodern Thought 
                   Part I: 1-4 (pp 3-110) 
(b) Redbook (collab): Intro, Chap 1.. GRADS: Do as much as you can from Ch 2 on…. 
(c) REC: Pencak, “Charles Peirce: GRADS and others – skim, it will help on CSP”s reading of medieval 
(d) REC for technical students only – Deely on semiosis –insights into medieval semiotics 
(e) OPT for grads: excerpts from J. of Poinsot, Tractatus de signis (the text is open sources)                                                      

10.  Descartes                                                                                                                                                     Rd:  (a) Descartes, Discourse on Method/Meditations                                                                                                                                    (b) Grads: Excerpt from J. Deely, Descartes & Poinsot: The Crossroad of Signs and Ideas

            Due: essay #4

11.  Spinoza

      12.  Locke

Rd:  (a) Locke, Essay Concerning Human Understanding: tba

            (b) Grads: excerpts from John Deely, New Beginnings

            Due: essay #5

      13.  Hume

Rd:  (a) Hume, Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding: tba

Quantitative things (esp. for undergrads):

• The 5 bi-weekly essays count for 7% each of the course grade (35% tot.)
• The final paper counts for 30%
• The notebook (placed as an appendix to the final paper) is 10% (+ it will be a resource for the final paper)
• Class participation is 25%

Naughty things: you may use your pc/macs in class but NOT online (“airplane mode” only).