Professor Stefan Rodde
roddesw@yorku.ca
Office Location:  S417 Ross Building
Phone Number:  (416) 736-2100 Ext. 40901

Office hours: In-person office hours will be held immediately following class in Ross S417. I can also meet students online if they are not available after class.

In the Nicomachean Ethics Aristotle claims that knowing the highest good for human beings is important for, like archers with a target to aim at, we are more likely to hit the right mark. This good is human happiness, and the goal of this text is to give us a clear view of its nature and the means of its attainment. In this course we will read the Ethics with the primary aim of understanding Aristotle’s views of both. We will look at such topics as ethical methodology, choice and agency, virtue, weakness of will, friendship, pleasure and wisdom. But many of the discussions in the Ethics are connected to discussions in other texts, such as the Politics, De Anima and Metaphysics. Our secondary aim will be to situate this text within the broader Aristotelian corpus by looking at relevant passages from other works. Such topics could include: moral vs scientific knowledge, the nature of the soul, ethics and first philosophy, and the relationship between moral philosophy and political science.

Technical requirements for taking the course: This course will be delivered in-person. You will need an internet connection to upload homework and assignments

Here are some useful links for student computing information, resources and help:

Student Guide to Moodle

Zoom@YorkU Best Practices 

Zoom@YorkU User Reference Guide

Computing for Students Website

Student Guide to eLearning at York University

To determine Internet connection and speed, there are online tests, such as Speedtest, that can be run.]

Times and locations: This course will be delivered in-person (unless we have to move online because of COVID restrictions). The lectures are on Mondays 11:30-2:30 in FC 202.

Aristotle. Nicomachean Ethics 3^rd edition. Trans by Terence Irwin. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 2019

Aristotle. Introductory Readings. Trans. By Terence Irwin and Gail Fine. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 1996

                                                            OR

Aristotle. Aristotle Selections. Trans. By Terence Irwin and Gail Fine. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 1995

Online Commentaries (10) . . 10% (Due before material covered in lecture)

Discussion Forums (3) . . . . . .25%

Essay Proposal . . . . . . . . . . . .5%

Essay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35%

Final Exam. . . .  . . . . . . . . . . .25%

The lectures in this course will be delivered in person. The final exam will be scheduled by the Registrar.

By the end of this course you will have read the entirety of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, as well as passages from other works. You should have a solid understanding of Aristotle’s ethics and their place on Aristotle’s overall philosophy:

• Read and understand difficult and challenging texts
• Critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of arguments
• Appreciate unfamiliar ideas and points of views
• Express yourself clearly in discussion
• Write clearly, concisely and effectively in support of your claims

Course policies

• At the end of term you will have the opportunity to complete a course evaluation. These evaluations are taken seriously. They enable us to improve the course design, and they figure prominently in the evaluation of instructors.
• The late penalty for the essay or the essay proposal is 2%/day. We will not accept late submissions of online commentaries or discussion forum posts.
• Academic honesty requires that persons do not falsely claim credit for the ideas, writing or other intellectual property of others, either by presenting such works as their own or through impersonation. Similarly, academic honesty requires that persons do not cheat (attempt to gain an improper advantage in an academic evaluation), nor attempt or actually alter, suppress, falsify or fabricate any research data or results, official academic record, application or document. Finally, academic honesty requires that persons do not aid or abet others to commit an offence of academic dishonesty, including intentional acts to disrupt academic activities.
• The university recognizes that persons with disabilities may require reasonable accommodation to enable them to perform at their best. The university encourages students with disabilities to register with Student Accessibility Services to discuss their accommodation needs as early as possible.