Greek 402/502: Readings in Greek Philosophy: Aristotle's Politics and Greek Political Philosophy


*Note: This is an old document. Most of the links are broken.*

Lego Acropolis

(ABOVE: LEGO Acropolis, Nicholson Museum, Sydney)

Instructor:

John Bauschatz

Time/Location: Tu/Th, 3:30–4:45; Psychology 304
Contact Info:

Office: Learning Services Building 215
Phone: (520) 621-7422 (office)
email: jbausch1@email.arizona.edu


OVERVIEW AND GOALS

The Politics tends not to be one of the works of Aristotle most commonly encountered in a college classroom, and there are a number of good reasons for this: it is filled with passages that defy easy interpretation; it presupposes a knowledge of certain other works on Greek political philosophy (particularly the Republic and Laws of Plato) towards which it often adopts a hostile orientation; the manuscripts of the treatise are problematic and significant parts of the whole have been lost; and it can be very, very tedious at times. We are going to ignore all of these good reasons, however, and plunge into it with as much gusto as we can muster, because there are also a lot of really good things about the Politics: it contains tons of references to people and events not otherwise attested outside of the treatise; it gives us tantalizing glimpses into the political lives of a number of ancient societies (Carthage, Crete and Sparta among these) which are otherwise almost entirely unknown to us; it contains one of the most extensive treatments of slavery from Greek antiquity; and there's got to be a fourth thing, for the sake of parallelism.

As we navigate the Politics, we will also read a number of other Greek texts (in translation) which will (hopefully) help to clarify Aristotle's views—as well as those of other Greeks living in the fifth and fourth centuries B.C.—on the perfect state. In addition to these, we'll also investigate what modern scholars have had to say about the treatise: its influence in antiquity and beyond, its importance in its own day, its authenticity and its problems.

It is my hope that by the end of the semester, each of you will be able to:

  • Outline the main arguments of the Politics
  • Compare and contrast what Aristotle and Plato believed about the best forms of government
  • Identify inconsistencies in Aristotle's thoughts about the ideal state as revealed in his own works
  • Argue persuasively in favor of—or against—certain forms of government based on the arguments presented in the Politics

PREREQUISITES

For undergraduates (Greek 402), the prerequisites are satisfaction of the mid-career writing assessment (MCWA) and successful completion of Greek 202; for graduate students (Greek 502), the prerequisites are three units of 400-level Greek.


READINGS

There are ***no required books*** for this course. You will need access to a Greek text of the Politics from someplace—the bookstore, the library, the internet, etc.—as well as a serviceable (i.e., dating to within the last 30 years and preserving the standard page and section divisions) translation of the text. I will post pdfs of the Greek selections we'll be reading (adapted from perseus) on the course D2L site, and you should feel free to use these as your course text. I will also provide you with access (again, via D2L) to a recent translation of the dialogue as well as (philosophical) commentary on its contents.

Determined to buy something? Here are some suggestions for Greek texts:

  • Aristotle, Politics. Loeb Classical Library #264 (Harvard UP, 1932). ISBN: 0674992911.
  • Aristotelis, Politica. Oxford Classical Text (Oxford UP, 1957). ISBN: 0198145152. (NOTE: The perseus text is a digitized version of this volume.)

And for translations:

  • Aristotle, Politics. Trans. Carnes Lord. 2nd ed. (Chicago UP, 2013). ISBN: 0226921840.
  • Aristotle, Politics. Trans. T.A. Sinclair. Revised ed. (Penguin Classics, 1981). ISBN: 0140444211.
  • Aristotle, Politics. Trans. E. Barker. Reissue ed. (Oxford UP, 2009). ISBN: 0199538735.
  • Aristotle, Politics. Trans. J. Sachs. (Focus, 2012). ISBN: 1585103764. (NOTE: This is the translation which I will provide for the class.)

You will also want to have a dictionary. If you don't have this one, what's wrong with you?

  • H. G. Liddell and Robert Scott, eds. 1945. An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon Founded upon the Seventh Edition of Lidell and Scott's Greek-English Lexicon. 7th ed. Oxford. ISBN: 0199102066.

Naturally, you'll want to have a basic Greek textbook at hand as a grammar reference. If you've moved beyond textbooks, get the following grammar, a must for thorough study of the Greek language:

  • H.W. Smyth. 1983. Greek Grammar. Cambridge. Revised edition. ISBN: 0674362500.

If you see that the Library copies of any of these materials are checked out, please do NOT recall them before checking with me first (as I may be the person who checked them out!).

As noted above, there are also a number of additional readings for the course, all of which will be available electronically (hyperlinked to this page or via D2L): see the course schedule (below) for details.


GRADING

Grading for the course will be based on the following breakdown:

Attendance (15%): How often you come to class (duh). Your grade for attendance = the number of hours you actually spend in the classroom / the total number of hours you're scheduled to spend in the classroom. There are no exceptions to this policy, but I will allow you to make up up to 2.5 hours (= 2 classes) of missed time. The only way to do this is a 1/1 time trade: i.e., you'll spend however many hours you missed—up to 2.5—doing extra course-related work (which I will provide to you).

Participation (15%): The quality and quantity of your participation in class discussions. I expect you to actively engage in class discussions. To a degree, your participation will be forced, as I will call on you. But I also expect you to volunteer. If you do not, your grade will suffer.

Presentations (10% each, 20% total): Each student enrolled in Greek 402/502 will give two ca 10-minute presentations in class over the course of the semester. Each student enrolled in Greek 502 will do a presentation on a subject connected with our readings from Aristotle and will give a presentation on his/her final paper topic (see below); students enrolled in Greek 402 will lead two grammar and syntax review sessions. All presentations should be professional and rehearsed, and students should consult Appendix N on the Classics Department website for guidelines and suggestions. (There is also a list of more specific guidelines available on the course D2L page.) A schedule of presentations and presenters will be distributed in class by the beginning of the second week of the semester.

Hour Exams (10% each, 30% total): There will be three hour exams in this course. The first will occur on Thursday, February 27; the second on Thursday, April 3; the last on Tuesday, April 29. Each of the exams will focus primarily on translating a specified portion of Aristotle's Politics (outlined in class) but also on providing grammatical, syntactic and general commentary. Students enrolled in Greek 502 will be required to write more difficult exams than those enrolled in 402. Do not miss the exams.

Final Paper (20%): In lieu of a substantial final exam, students will select a topic of their own choosing and write a final paper. Greek 402 students will write translations/ commentaries; Greek 502 students will write traditional term papers. Information on the formatting of the final paper can be found in Appendix M on the Classics Department website. The final paper is due by 5 p.m. on Friday, May 16. No late papers will be accepted.


OTHER INFO

Surprise! Cheating is not allowed. If you cheat, and I find out, you will receive a grade of 0 for the assignment and other bad things will happen. (See the U of A's code of academic integrity.)

Office hours will be held M–Th, noon–1 p.m. in my office (#215) in the Classics Department (on the second floor of the blandly-named Learning Services Building). You are also welcome and encouraged to make an appointment to meet with me. Call, email or holler.

D2L: As mentioned above, students in GRK 402/502 will be expected to be familiar with D2L ("Desire2Learn"), the University's online course content management system. If you are unfamiliar with D2L, see the D2L homepage. As noted above, course readings will be posted on the course D2L page. Your grades will be posted there, as well.

Students with disabilities should contact the UA Disability Resource Center (520 621-3268) for any special needs or accommodations.


COURSE SCHEDULE

What follows is a sketch outline of the spring semester. Nightly reading assignments are due on the dates specified. ***Reading assignments in Greek are in boldface; those for students enrolled in Greek 502 are listed first; those for students enrolled in Greek 402 are listed second [in square brackets].*** All students are responsible for the readings in translation, in full. You WILL periodically be given demeaning reading quizzes to test whether or not you have been doing them.

Check this page often. Readings and assignments are subject to change. I'll try to give a heads-up in class if a major shake-up is imminent. I'll also try to provide you with the readings at least one week in advance.


Week Tuesday Thursday
1

1/14 no class: Winter Break

1/16 (1) Introductions / Book 1: City and Man

READ: Politics 1252a–1252b; Politics 1252a–b [Politics 1252a]; "Introduction," ppXIII–XLVI of Joe Sach's translation of the Politics

GREEK COVERED IN CLASS: Politics 1252a.1–25

2

1/21 (2) Book 1: Slavery

READ: Politics 1253a–1255a; Politics 1253a–1254a [Politics 1253a]; Xenophon, Oikonomikos 1–8

PRESENTER (MUNOZ): "Natural slavery," Chapter 4 (pp92–116) of The Cambridge Companion to Aristotle's Politics

GREEK COVERED IN CLASS: Politics 1252a.26–1252b

1/23 (3) Book 1: Property and Business

READ: Politics 1255b–1257b; Politics 1256a–1257a [Politics 1256a]; Xenophon, Oikonomikos 9–21

GREEK COVERED IN CLASS: Politics 1256a

3

1/28 (4) Book 1: Household Rule

READ: Politics 1258a–1260b; Politics 1258b–1259b [Politics 1259a]; Plato, Republic 327a–354c (i.e., Book 1)

PRESENTER (BUCEY): conditional sentences

GREEK COVERED IN CLASS: Politics 1259a

1/30 (5) Book 2: The Best Regime 1 (The Republic)

READ: Politics 1260b–1264a; Politics 1261a–1262a [Politics 1261a]; Plato, Republic 357a–383c (i.e., Book 2)

PRESENTER (LIVAK): independent subjunctive and optative

GREEK COVERED IN CLASS: Politics 1261a.1–30

4

2/4 (6) Book 2: The Best Regime 2 (The Laws; Phaleas of Chalcedon)

READ: Politics 1264b–1267b; Politics 1265a–b [Politics 1265a]; Plato, Laws 624–650 (i.e., Book 1)

PRESENTER (RAMSEY): purpose clauses

GREEK COVERED IN CLASS: Politics 1265a.1–29

2/6 (7) Book 2: Well-Managed Regimes 1 (Sparta)

READ: Politics 1268a–1271a; Politics 1270a–b [Politics 1270a]; Xenophon, Constitution of the Spartans

PRESENTER (BUSTAMANTE): result clauses

GREEK COVERED IN CLASS: Politics 1270a–1270b.4

5

2/11 (8) Book 2: Well-Managed Regimes 2 (Crete, Carthage)

READ: Politics 1271b–1274b; Politics 1272a–b [Politics 1272a]; Law Code of Gortyn

PRESENTER (WINNICK): "The common good," Chapter 7 (pp176–198) of The Cambridge Companion to Aristotle's Politics

GREEK COVERED IN CLASS: Politics 1271b.40–1272b.1

2/13 (9) Book 3: Citizenship

READ: Politics 1274b–1278a; Politics 1275a–b [Politics 1275a]; Aristotle, Constitution of the Athenians 1–34

PRESENTER (DUFFY): "Civic virtue: citizenship, ostracism, and war," Chapter 6 (pp144–175) of The Cambridge Companion to Aristotle's Politics

GREEK COVERED IN CLASS: Politics 1275a.1–37

6

2/18 (10) Book 3: Regimes and their Basis

READ: Politics 1278b–1281b; Politics 1278b–1279a [Politics 1278b]; Aristotle, Constitution of the Athenians 35–69

GREEK COVERED IN CLASS: Politics 1278a.40–1278b.30

2/20 (11) Book 3: The Nature of Political Justice

READ: Politics 1282a–1285a; Politics 1282b–1283a [Politics 1282b]; Plato, Statesman, 257a–282b

GREEK COVERED IN CLASS: Politics 1282b

7

2/25 (12) Book 3: Kingship and Law

READ: Politics 1285b–1288b; Politics 1286a–b [Politics 1286a]; Plato, Statesman 282c–311c

PRESENTER (HOOPES): "Law, governance, and political obligation," Chapter 9 (pp223–246) of The Cambridge Companion to Aristotle's Politics

GREEK COVERED IN CLASS: Politics 1286a.1–20

2/27 (13) Hour Exam #1

8

3/4 (14) Book 4: Types of Regime (1): Democracy and Oligarchy

READ: Politics 1288b–1292b; Politics 1289a–b [Politics 1289a]; Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics books 1–3

GREEK COVERED IN CLASS: Politics 1288b.39–1289b.10

3/6 (15) Book 4: Types of Regime (2): Aristocracy, Polity, Tyranny

READ: Politics 1293a–1296b; Politics 1294b–1295a [Politics 1295a]; Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics books 4–5

PRESENTER (RAMSEY): indirect statement

GREEK COVERED IN CLASS: Politics 1294b.1–27

9

3/11 (16) Book 4: Political Institutions

READ: Politics 1297a–1301a; Politics 1299a–b [Politics 1299a]; Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics books 6–8

GREEK COVERED IN CLASS: Politics 1299a

3/13 (17) Book 5: Factional Conflict in General

READ: Politics 1301a–1304b; Politics 1302a–b [Politics 1302b]; Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics books 9–10

PRESENTER (LIVAK): circumstantial participles

GREEK COVERED IN CLASS: Politics 1302a.25–40

10

3/18 no class: Spring Break

3/20 no class: Spring Break

11

3/25 (18) Book 5: Revolution!

READ: Politics 1305a–1308b; Politics 1305b–1306a [Politics 1305b]; Aineias the Tactician, How to Survive Under Siege 1–22

PRESENTER (GREEN): "Faction," Chapter 11 (pp275–300) of The Cambridge Companion to Aristotle's Politics

GREEK COVERED IN CLASS: Politics 1305b.1–31

3/27 (19) Book 5: Preservation!

READ: Politics 1309a–1312b; Politics 1309b–1310a [Politics 1309b]; Aineias the Tactician, How to Survive Under Siege 23–40

GREEK COVERED IN CLASS: Politics 1309b–1310a.19

12

4/1 (20) Book 5: Revolution and Plato

READ: Politics 1313a–1316b; Politics 1315a–b [Politics 1315b]; Plato, Republic 543a–576b (book 8 + a bit more)

PRESENTER (BUCEY): fear clauses

GREEK COVERED IN CLASS: Politics 1315a.8–27; 1315b.10–42

4/3 (21) Hour Exam #2

13

4/8 (22) **NO CLASS** Book 6: Varieties of Regimes 1 (Democracies)

READ: Politics 1316b–1319b; Politics 1318a–b [Politics 1318b]; Plato, Laws 676–703 (book 3)

SUBMIT FOR ATTENDANCE POINTS: response paper (2pp, double-spaced, emailed to me) on Laws 3

4/10 (23) **NO CLASS** Book 6: Varieties of Regimes 2 (Oligarchies)

READ: Politics 1320a–1323a; Politics 1320b–1321a [Politics 1320b]; Plato, Laws 704–723 (book 4)

SUBMIT FOR ATTENDANCE POINTS: response paper (2pp, double spaced, emailed to me) on Laws 4

14

4/15 (24) Book 7: Equipment of the Best Regime

READ: Politics 1323a–1328b; Politics 1324a–b [Politics 1324a]; Plato, Laws 723–750 (book 5)

GREEK COVERED IN CLASS: Politics 1324a.1–23

4/17 (25) Homerathon!

15

4/22 (26) Book 7: Institutions of the Best Regime

READ: Politics 1329a–1333b; Politics 1330b–1331a [Politics 1330b]; Plato, Republic 412b–427c (i.e., parts of books 3 and 4)

PRESENTER (BUSTAMANTE): temporal clauses

GREEK COVERED IN CLASS: Politics 1324a.23–42, 1330b.1–14

4/24 (27) Book 7: Education, Marriage and Kids in the Best Regime

READ: Politics 1334a–1337a; Politics 1335a–b [Politics 1335a]; Plato, Republic 449a–471c (i.e., much of book 5)

PRESENTER (SHAW): "Education, leisure, and politics," Chapter 12 (pp301–323) of The Cambridge Companion to Aristotle's Politics

GREEK COVERED IN CLASS: Politics 1330b.14–41, 1335a.7–21

16

4/29 (28) Book 8: More about Education

READ: Politics 1337a–1342b; Politics 1337b–1338a [Politics 1337b]; Plato, Republic 521c–541b (i.e., most of book 7)

GREEK COVERED IN CLASS: Politics 1335a.21–41; 1337b.4–28

5/1 (29) Hour Exam #3

17

5/6 (30) Paper Presentations

PRESENTERS:

5/8 no class: Reading Day

18

5/13 no class: Final Exams

5/15 no class: Final Exams

***Final Paper due at 5 p.m. on Friday, May 16***

U of A | Classics | Bauschatz