the syllabus, as it were
A number of people have asked me for a summary of the philosophy readings I've compiled, either because they may have the books at home, or simply because they are interested.
In all cases but one, we are looking only at a small section of each work, so the page numbers are key - however, some works have been through many printings, so I can't guarantee that your page numbers are the same as mine. Where possible, I've also provided chapter names.
All the readings will be sent out to those of you who are not local by the end of the week - they are all copied and collated, and just need to be stapled/clipped and shipped. Locals, I'll distribute them to you as I see you (and will be making more copies for those of you who mentioned your interest at woobat's party).
Now, this little project has taken on a sort of life of its own, which is nice - it seems to have tapped into some hidden interest. However, that brings up the question of what to do next. Ten or more people have expressed interest in the readings; four don't live locally, so in-person discussion would be imperfectly inclusive. But it seems that there should be some next step, beyond me sending out the readings and suggesting an order in which to approach them.
So, I'm investigating a possibility for administering a sort of online course, taking advantage of tools one of our friends provides as a professional service. Does this seem to you like a good approach? Don't feel like this is something you are obligated to participate in - if people get excited, great, but if they do some reading and then kind of drift away, that's cool too.
In all cases but one, we are looking only at a small section of each work, so the page numbers are key - however, some works have been through many printings, so I can't guarantee that your page numbers are the same as mine. Where possible, I've also provided chapter names.
- Meno, by Plato, in its entirety
- The Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals, by Immanuel Kant, pages 7-17 ("First Section - Transition from the Ordinary Rational Knowledge of Morality to the Philosophical")
- Twilight of the Idols, by Friedrich Nietzsche, pages 486-501 ("Morality as Anti-Nature")
- Tractatus Philosophicus, by Ludwig Wittgenstein, pages 54-74 (5.55-end)
- The Virtue of Selfishness, by Ayn Rand, pages 13-35 ("The Objectivist Ethics")
- An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, by David Hume, pages 15-25 ("Sceptical Doubts Concerning the Operations of the Understanding") and pages 39-53 ("Of the Idea of Necessary Connexion")
- Essays in Existentialism by Jean-Paul Sartre, pages 77-99 ("The Origin of Negation", parts 1-3)
- What can we know? and
- What should we do?
All the readings will be sent out to those of you who are not local by the end of the week - they are all copied and collated, and just need to be stapled/clipped and shipped. Locals, I'll distribute them to you as I see you (and will be making more copies for those of you who mentioned your interest at woobat's party).
Now, this little project has taken on a sort of life of its own, which is nice - it seems to have tapped into some hidden interest. However, that brings up the question of what to do next. Ten or more people have expressed interest in the readings; four don't live locally, so in-person discussion would be imperfectly inclusive. But it seems that there should be some next step, beyond me sending out the readings and suggesting an order in which to approach them.
So, I'm investigating a possibility for administering a sort of online course, taking advantage of tools one of our friends provides as a professional service. Does this seem to you like a good approach? Don't feel like this is something you are obligated to participate in - if people get excited, great, but if they do some reading and then kind of drift away, that's cool too.