| Date |
Module |
Readings |
Due Dates |
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2025-09-03
|
Introduction
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Getting philosophical
- Jennifer Morton, “Philosophy as an Antidote to Injustice” [CourseWorks > Files]
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Please complete this “Getting to Know You” survey by 5pm the day before our first day of class (or as soon as possible if you are joining late)
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2025-09-08
|
Portraits of a philosopher
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The junzi (“gentleman”) I
- Kongzi [Confucius], Analects, 1.1–4; 2.1–4, 11–12, 17; 3.8, 23; 4.1–10, 15–25; 5.12–13; 6.5, 12, 18, 21–23, 27–30; 7.3–8, 12, 30; 8.9, 13; 9.2–3, 6, 13–14, 17–19, 23–24; 10.12; 11.12, 22, 26; 12.17–19; 13.5–6; 14.4, 36; 15.24, 36, 39; 16.4–5, 7–9; 17.2, 21, 25; 19.11 [CourseWorks]
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2025-09-10
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Portraits of a philosopher
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The junzi II
- Mozi, Mozi, pp. 66–67, 73–74, 85–90, 103–8 [CourseWorks]
- Ban Zhao, in Nancy Lee Swann, ed., Pan Chao: Foremost Woman Scholar of China:
-
Lessons for Women, pp. 82–90, 91 nn. 11–12
- “The Needle and Thread,” p. 104
- “Traveling East,” pp. 113–14, 116, 118
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2025-09-15
|
Portraits of a philosopher
|
The lover of wisdom I
- Thales, ¶¶ 1–5; Anaximander, ¶¶ 1, 3, 6–7, 9–11 [Coursework]
- Heraclitus, ¶¶ 1–5, 11–13, 16–17, 33–39, 44, 50, 52, 60, 62 [Coursework]
- Parmenides, ¶¶ 1–2, 7–8, 13, 17–18 [Coursework]
- Protagoras, ¶¶ 5–8, 10–12 [Coursework]
- Sappho, in Diane J. Rayor and André Lardinois, eds., A New Translation of the Complete Works, frs. 1–2, 16–17, 23, 26, 31, 41, 44, 50, 58, 94–96, 102, 105, 126, 129–30, 147–48, 153–54; “Brothers Song”
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2025-09-17
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Portraits of a philosopher
|
The lover of wisdom II
- Plato, Euthyphro, 2a–12a, 15c–16a; Apology, 17a–26b, 35e–42a; Crito, 43a–54e [CourseWorks]
- Plato, Phaedo, 115a–118a [CourseWorks]
- Plato, Republic, 514a-518d, 523a-525b, 531c-535a [CourseWorks]
- Aristotle, Metaphysics I.1–2, 980a22–983a23 [CourseWorks]
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2025-09-22
|
Philosophy & religion
|
Between reason and faith
- Ibn Rushd [Averroes], The Decisive Treatise [CourseWorks]
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2025-09-24
|
Philosophy & religion
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Ontological & cosmological arguments
- In Anselm, Proslogion: With the Replies of Gaunilo and Anselm [CourseWorks]:
- Anselm, Proslogion, chaps. 1–5, 15
- Gaunilo, “Reply on Behalf of the Fool”
- Anselm, “Reply to Gaunilo”
- Ibn Sina [Avicenna], The Book of Salvation II.12–13 [CourseWorks]
- Aquinas, Summa Theologiae I, Question 2, Article 3
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2025-09-29
|
Philosophy & religion
|
The problem of evil
- Augustine, Confessions VII.xi (17)–xiii (19)
- Augustine, Enchiridion, chaps. 3–4 [CourseWorks]
- Maimonides, Guide for the Perplexed, Part I, Introduction (up to 1.3b) and Part III, chaps. 8, 10, 12 (up to 3.20b), 51
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2025-10-01
|
Philosophy & religion
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Pascal’s wager
- Pascal, Pensées, selections [CourseWorks]
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2025-10-06
|
Knowledge & skepticism
|
Skeptical hypotheses
- Zhuangzi, Zhuangzi, the butterfly dream and the debate on fish’s joy
- Descartes, Meditations I [CourseWorks]
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In-class screening: The Matrix, directed by Lana and Lilly Wachowski, 136 min
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2025-10-08
|
Knowledge & skepticism
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Inference to the best explanation
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2025-10-13
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Knowledge & skepticism
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Minds & machines
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2025-10-15
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Determinism & free will
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The consequence argument
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2025-10-20
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Determinism & free will
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Frankfurt cases
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2025-10-22
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Determinism & free will
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Time travel
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2025-10-27
|
Midterm exam
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Midterm review
N.B. I have a scheduling conflict and need to move today’s office hours to this Wednesday (same time).
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2025-10-29
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Midterm exam
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Midterm exam (our usual time & classroom)
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Midterm course lexicon due in person in hard copy
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2025-11-03
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Midterm exam
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Fall break (no class)
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2025-11-05
|
Meaning in life
|
The reasonable & the absurd
- Immanuel Kant, “An Answer to the Question: What Is Enlightenment?” [CourseWorks]
- Friedrich Nietzsche, “‘Reason’ in Philosophy” in Twilight of the Idols, or How to Philosophize with a Hammer [CourseWorks]
- Nietzsche, The Gay Science, sec. 125 [CourseWorks]
- Albert Camus, “Absurdity and Suicide” and “The Myth of Sisyphus” in The Myth of Sisyphus [CourseWorks]
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In-class screening: Asteroid City, directed by Wes Anderson, 105 min
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2025-11-10
|
Meaning in life
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Existentialism
- Jean-Paul Sartre, “Existentialism Is a Humanism,” pp. 17–54 [CourseWorks]
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2025-11-12
|
Meaning in life
|
Woman as a situation
- Simone de Beauvoir, selections from The Second Sex
N.B. The Barnard philosophy department’s program planning meeting is noon to 1pm, so my office hours will be cut short but come chat with us about our spring courses over in Milbank 326!
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2025-11-17
|
Meaning in life
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Authenticity
Prof. Bell visits on Zoom!
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2025-11-19
|
Politics & society
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Social contract
- John Locke, selections from the Second Treatise
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If you are interested in pursuing a creative final project, please meet with Ding (sec. 002) or Nick (sec. 003) by this day
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2025-11-24
|
Politics & society
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Alienation & emancipation
- Karl Marx, selections from the Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844, “On the Jewish Question,” “Critique of the Gotha Programme,” and “Theses on Feuerbach”
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2025-11-26
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Politics & society
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College recess (no class)
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2025-12-01
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Politics & society
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Ideology
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2025-12-03
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Politics & society
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Bodies & the affective
- Audre Lorde, selections from Sister Outsider
- Caleb Ward, selections from The Unflinching Philosophy of Audre Lorde (manuscript)
Dr. Ward visits on Zoom!
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2025-12-08
|
Final Exam
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Final exam review
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2025-12-10
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Final Exam
|
Reading day (no class)
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2025-12-17
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Final Exam
|
Final exam (tentative date & time, location TBD)
- Sec. 002: 10:00am–noon
- Sec. 003: 4:10–6:10pm
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Final course lexicon due in person in hard copy; final project due to CourseWorks by midnight
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