CONTEMPORARY CIVILIZATION
Fall Semester
Ernesto V. Garcia, Department of Philosophy
Class Meetings:TR 2:10 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., 303 Hamilton
E-mail address: evg4@columbia.edu
Office hours: Wednesday, 2:30-4:30
This class offers a broad survey of many of the most influential works in ethics, politics, religion, science, and philosophy in Western civilization. The first half of the course is divided into three main sections: (1) Classical Period, focusing mainly upon Greco-Roman and near Eastern traditions, including the Bible, early Greek philosophy, Augustine and the Qur’an; (2) Middle Ages and Renaissance, including Aquinas, Machiavelli, and Reformation figures such as Luther and Calvin; and (3) Early Modern Period, including Descartes, Galileo, Hobbes, and Locke.
Course textbooks:
All books can be purchased at Columbia University Bookstore:
Plato, Republic (Hackett)
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (Oxford World Classics)
Aristotle, Politics (Hackett)
Augustine, City of God (Penguin)
Bible, New Revised Standard Version (Oxford)
al-Qur’an (Amana)
Sigmund, ed., Aquinas on Politics and Ethics (Norton)
Machiavelli, Selected Political Writings (Hackett)
Hillerbrand, ed., The Protestant Reformation (Harper and Row)
Descartes, Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy (Hackett)
Hobbes, Leviathan (Oxford World Classics)
Locke, Political Writings of John Locke (NAL/Mentor)
40% 2 Term Papers (4-6 pp. each)
40% Midterm and Final Exam
20% Class Participation which includes:
a. Weekly Reading Assignments [WRA’s] [10%]
b. Class Attendance and Discussion [5%]
c. Class Presentation [5% - involving a 20-30 minute presentation w/ 1 other student]
Attendance policy
Students are expected to attend all classes. University policy maintains that a student may be removed from class for more than three unexcused absences.
CLASS READINGS
[including special lectures, holidays, and religious observances]
Week 1
T, Sept. 3
Introductory Class
Th, Sept. 5
Plato, Republic, Bks. 1-3
Week 2
T, Sept. 10
Plato, Republic, Bks. 4-6
Th, Sept. 12
Plato, Republic, Bks. 7-10
Week 3
T, Sept. 17
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Bks. I-II; Bk. III, Chs. 1-5; Bk. V, Chs. 1-7
Th, Sept 19
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Bk. VI, Chs. 1-8, 12-13; Bk. VII, Chs. 1-4; Bk. VIII, Chs. 1-5; Book IX, Ch. 9; Bk. X, Chs. 6-9
Week 4
T, Sept. 24
Aristotle, Politics, Bk. I; Bk. II, Chs. 1-5; Bk. III, Chs. 1-3; Bk. VII, 1-2, 13
Th, Sept. 26
Hebrew Bible, Genesis, Chs. 1-9, 11:1-9, 12-13, 15-19:29, 21:1-22:19; and Exodus, Chapters 1:1-6:13, 7:1-13:10, 13:17-14:31, 15:22-20:21, 31:12-34:35
Week 5
T, Oct. 1
New Testament, Luke [complete]; Acts 1:1-7:60, 9:1-11:18, 13:1-15:35, 17:1-28:30; Romans, complete
Th, Oct. 3
NO CLASS – Columbia University Presidential Inauguration
Week 6
T, Oct. 8
Augustine, City of God, Preface; Bk. I, Chs. 1, 35-36; Book IV, Chs. 1-4
Th, Oct. 10
Augustine, City of God, Bk. VIII, Chs. 3-12; Book XIV, Chs. 11-15; and XIX, 4-15
Week 7
T, Oct. 15
al-Qur’an, Suras 1-4, 12, 17, 26, 39, 56, 63, 68, 112, 114
Th, Oct. 17
Aquinas, “On Kingship,” Summa I-I, Q. 2, 12, 92, 96 (pp. 30-33, 37-39);
Summa I-II, Q. 90-97, 100-105, 109 (pp. 44-60); Summa II-II, Q. 66 (pp. 71-73)
F, Oct. 18
Mandatory CC-Coursewide Lecture – Daniel Bell, Harvard University, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Roone Arledge Auditorium (Lerner Hall)
Week 8
T, Oct. 22
MIDTERM
Th, Oct 24
Machiavelli, The Prince (complete)
Week 9
T, Oct. 29
Machiavelli, The Discourses, and Sepulveda and de las Casas [CCWeb]
Th, Oct. 31
Luther, "The Freedom of a Christian Man," “Preface to the German translation of the New Testament,” and Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (pp. 178-195)
Week 10
T, Nov. 5
NO CLASS – Election Day
Th, Nov. 7
Luther, "On Governmental Authority," and Mornay, "A Defence of Liberty Against Tyrants"
Week 11
T, Nov. 12
The ‘Old’ vs. the ‘New Science’: Aquinas, "The Principles of Nature" [xerox]; Galileo, The Assayer [Xerox] and The Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina [CC Web]
Th, Nov. 14
Descartes, Meditations 1-3
Week 12
T, Nov. 19
Descartes, Meditations 4-6
Th, Nov. 21
Hobbes, Leviathan, Chs. 1-13
Week 13
T, Nov. 26
Hobbes, Leviathan, Chs. 14-21, 29, 30, 32-33, 46-47, Review
Th, Nov. 28
NO CLASS – Thanksgiving
Week 14
T, Dec. 3
Locke, Second Treatise of Government, Chs. 1-10
Th, Dec. 5
Locke, Second Treatise of Government, Chs. 11-19, and “A Letter Concerning Toleration”