Syllabus: 

Honors 227: Plato
Spring 2009                             Mondays – Wednesdays – Fridays                             2:30 – 3:20

Dr. Lori Keleher
Office: 320 Breland Hall – Office Hours: Wednesdays 11:00 – 12:00 and by appointment.
Email: lkeleher@nmsu.edu
Website: web.nmsu.edu/~lkeleher

Course Overview: This course introduces students to Plato.  No philosopher has had a greater influence on Western philosophy or on Western civilization. We will read a number of Plato's dialogues in order to explore his conception of philosophy.  In particular we will raise the following questions:  What are the goals and methods proper to philosophy?  How (if at all) does Plato’s conception of philosophy evolve in early, middle, and late dialogues?  What influence has Plato had on Western civilization? The general focus will be on the benefits that we may expect from the philosophical life as embodied by Plato's main character, Socrates.

Required readings will be taken from Plato Complete Works ed. John Cooper and from articles and other materials made available in class, or on the course website.

Graded assignments will include two exams and three short essays.  The first exam is worth 20% of your course grade and a final exam is worth 30%.  Each short essay is worth 15% of your course grade. The remaining 5% of your course grade will reflect your “course presence.” Please note: Attendance is required.  Students with more than three unexcused absences will be penalized one letter grade. 

Exams:  Exams will consist of short answer and essay questions designed to test your knowledge of the readings and concepts covered in the course.  Questions will be taken from the readings as well as from class discussions. 

Short Essays: Shorts essays are essays of about 300 – 600 words (1 – 2 pages).  There will be a total of FOUR short essay assignments.  The three highest short essays grades will factor into your course grade.  Suggested essay topics will be distributed in class and posted on the course website one week before essays are due in class. 

Course Presence will be evaluated not simply in terms of attendance, but also by observing who is actively listening, participating, and otherwise engaged in the class.  In addition, any class work or “pop” quizzes will be factored into the course presence part of your course grade. As stated above: Students with more than three unexcused absences will be penalized one letter grade. 

A Note on Classroom Decorum:  Please show your respect for yourself, your classmates, me, and the course by arriving and leaving on time, turning off cell phones, being attentive during class, and displaying respect for the contributions of your classmates.  Failure to do so will be embarrassing for you, and may result in my asking you to leave the class.

A Note on Email:  Email is the best way to contact me.  I generally check and reply to my email several times a day.  I will *try* to check and reply to my email at least once every 24 hours.  I do not, however, promise to do so.  If you have not received a response, do not assume that I have received your email. 

Always sign your email. Too often I can’t help students with their inquiries because they leave out this important information. (“What’s my grade?” from aggielover@aol.com is not helpful. If I don’t know who you are, I cannot find out what your grade is.)

Please – for your sake and mine – practice good email etiquette.  Practicing email etiquette not only makes for a more effective and – at least for my part – pleasant exchange, but also helps prepare you for the “real world.” (Desirable jobs are not secured by email inquiries that read: “R U hiring?”)  To this end, always address the email (e.g., “Dear Lori” or “Dear Dr. Keleher”) and practice good grammar and spelling.  Using complete words and sentences is a good start.

Plagiarism and Cheating:  Don’t do it.  Plagiarism (both “intentional” and “unintentional”) and cheating will not be tolerated and could possibly result in an F for the course.  See: http://lib.nmsu.edu/plagiarism/students.shtml

Non-Discrimination & Sexual Harassment Policies:  Students with Disabilities Feel free to call Jerry Nevarez, Director of Institutional Equity, at 505-646-3635 with any questions you may have about NMSU's Non-Discrimination Policy and complaints of discrimination, including sexual harassment.

Feel free to call Michael Armendariz, Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities, at 575-646-6840 with any questions you may have on student issues related to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and/or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. All medical information will be treated confidentially.

One Possible Course Schedule*
*It is unlikely that we will stay on this schedule.  We may work through the material faster or slower depending upon our interests and how difficult we find various aspects of Plato.  Also, I am very interested in hearing about aspects of Plato that interest YOU.  So, if some topic or dialogue that does not appear below interests you, speak up!  We just might read it.  However, I provide the following as a very rough and ready guide of what we will cover when.

January 14 - 16: Introductions, Plato’s Dialogues, and The Socratic Question - Debra Nail’s Printout (via. course website) and Cooper Introduction xii – xviii. 
Optional Reading: Cooper’s complete Introduction and “Socrates” in the Stanford encyclopedia of Philosophy http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/socrates/

January 19: Martin Luther King Day – No Class
January 21 - 23: Euthyphro 
January 26 - 30: Apology 
February 2 - 6:  Crito
February 9 - 13:  Phaedo
February 16 - 20: Laches
February 23 - 27: Lysis
March 2 - 4: Review/Catch up
March 6: Exam One
March 9 – 13: Meno (March 9 is the LAST DAY TO DROP)
March 16 - 20: Meno
March 23 – 27 Spring Break
March 30 - April 3: Symposium
April 6 – 8: Symposium
April 10: Spring Holiday – No Class
April 13 - 17: Republic (April 17 is the Last Day to Withdraw from the University)
April 20 – 24: Republic
April 27 – 29: Republic
May 1: Catch Up/Review
May 6: Final Exam 1:00 – 3:00