Overall, the characters in Book 1 apply their polytheistic worldview both communally and ethically. As a community, it seems obvious, even with such a limited scope of the entire Achaean camp, that the community leaders are those connected in some way to the gods, and that the welfare of the community largely depends on the welfare of these leaders. Therefore I understood the communal application of their worldview to be a very conservative bureaucracy largely determining the welfare of everyone based on the desires and mood of a select few, such as in Homer's description of how selfishly the gods regard their decisions over the "pack of mortals" in their meeting at Olympus. Lastly, the ethics of the Greeks' polytheism follows a very similar trend in favoring selfish desires over common welfare; in that women are subjugated to property, affairs and overindulgence are condoned and even enacted by the gods, and war, sacrifice, and pestilence are all just means to the ends that the immortals throughout The Iliad invent.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Response to Reading Question 1
All of the characters described in Book 1 of The Iliad seem to practice a premodern form of polytheism, where gods (immortals) are actually inhabitants of the mortal world who rule from their mystical palace at Olympus. Throughout the reading, Homer presents countless examples of the Greek gods exchanging words and even blows with mortals, from Thetis confronting Achilles about Agamemnon to Apollo's weeklong scourge of the Achaean camp; and more significantly, The Iliad's entire dramatic backdrop consists of family feuds being fought between the gods and their extended mortal families. For instance, Thetis is the mermaid mother of Achilles, and she is carrying on illicit communications with Jove, whose wife is Juno. Jove is also the father of Apollo, who scourged the Achaean camp because Agamemnon dishonored one of Jove's priests by taking his daughter as his wife and denying his attempt at ransom. Finally, Achilles and Agamemnon are at odds throughout Book 1 because Agamemnon (who, by the way is the son of Atreus, or "king of men") refuses to give up the priest's hostage daughter unless Achilles gives up his wife (or, "prize" as they are repeatedly referred to) to Agamemnon to replace the daughter when she is returned.
Question 1 - The Iliad: Book 1
The characters of the Iliad seem to share a common belief in Polytheistic divinity. Not only do they believe in the existence of the Gods and Goddesses described in Book 1. They also believe their fortunes and lack there off can be directly influenced by how much they revere and appease their immortal counterparts. In the poem, this is carried out through ritualized practices of worship, such as prayer and sacrifice. However, unlike most organized world religions who portray their divine head’s of authority as being omnibenevolent. The Gods, as depicted in the Iliad show no moral obligation to transcend the flaws of those whom they govern. If anything, they amplify humanity’s imperfections often to drastic proportions as see in lines 38-60 where Apollo upon hearing his priest’s prayers becomes so enraged that he chooses to punish all of the Greek soldiers instead of just Agamemnon with whom Chryses had the original conflict with.
Therefore it would seem the personal actions of one individual would have a resonating effect on the community they belong to. Apollo’s reprisal also shows his clear preference for those who align themselves to his side just as Athena shows preference to the Greeks because they chose to make her the Patron of their greatest city. As such it seems the fates of the characters as seen in the Iliad really are at the mercy of those whom they remained loyal to because to do anything but almost always guaranteed swift and merciless retribution.
Therefore it would seem the personal actions of one individual would have a resonating effect on the community they belong to. Apollo’s reprisal also shows his clear preference for those who align themselves to his side just as Athena shows preference to the Greeks because they chose to make her the Patron of their greatest city. As such it seems the fates of the characters as seen in the Iliad really are at the mercy of those whom they remained loyal to because to do anything but almost always guaranteed swift and merciless retribution.
Tonja Howard
The characters of the Iliad seem to share the worldview that the gods rule the world and that humans are to do only what pleases the gods or they will endure pain and suffering until they make amends with the gods. Because some humans follow one or more gods more closely than others, there is conflict. To solve these conflicts, they follow the tradition of "eye for an eye." For example, when Agamemnon stole Priam's daughter, Priam prayed that the god Apollo would avenge him. Then Agamemnon refused to return Priam's daughter without taking another girl in her stead, particularly Achilles' girlfriend, Briseis. Achilles wanted to kill Agamemnon, but was told by the goddess Athena not to. If Achilles had killed Agamemnon, it would have sparked an on-going chain of killing and retaliation among the Greeks. Because of his loyalty to Athena, Achilles did not kill Agamemnon. If he had not listened to her, she could have exacted her rage on him and everyone around him.
The religious worldview that the mortals share in the Iliad is one of fear and awe of the gods and goddesses. Any of their thoughts and actions can be called into check by the various gods and goddesses and rarely do the mortals dare to disobey the wisdom of the divinities. But when they do, the divinities show their power. The communal ethics of the mortals seems to hold honor and custom in high regard. Within these communal ethics though their exists room for those who hold power to act by their own individual morals. Some of these morals are not so ethical as seen with Agamemnon and his vow to keep Achilles' desired girl away from him. When Achilles vows to take revenge on Agamemnon for his insult he is breaking his own moral of self-control seeing to it that most Greeks hold reason and logic in high regard as well. When Athena intervenes, Achilles yields to the demands of the goddess.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Question 1 Comments Due 9/1 at 12:30
Good class today guys. Hope you are all starting to feel comfortable with the online tools for this class.
So let's put our feet in the water and talk about the first reading, Homer's Iliad Book I. Remember your answer to these questions will take time as I require some thoughtful, versus rash, responses to the reading. Also feel free to add anything you like just so long as it responds to the material.
Okay, your first reading question is:
Describe the religious worldview that the characters of the Iliad share and determine how it orders their communal ethics and personal morality?
Good Luck! Remember there are no wrong answers, just lazy ones.
Cheers, Danny
So let's put our feet in the water and talk about the first reading, Homer's Iliad Book I. Remember your answer to these questions will take time as I require some thoughtful, versus rash, responses to the reading. Also feel free to add anything you like just so long as it responds to the material.
Okay, your first reading question is:
Describe the religious worldview that the characters of the Iliad share and determine how it orders their communal ethics and personal morality?
Good Luck! Remember there are no wrong answers, just lazy ones.
Cheers, Danny
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Welcome!!!
Hey Class,
For those who figure out how to comment on a post I would love to find out who you are. Give me a small blurb about yourself, share anything you like. Personally, I like the funny stuff like "I am Dr. Layne and I enjoy eating until I almost puke."
After the fun and games are over, I would also like you to tell me a little bit about what you think this class will be about. That is, what do you think a worldview is? what do you think ethics is? how do you think they are related?
Here's hoping you figure it out and get blogging.
Cheers,
Dr. Layne
(to comment see below in the syllabus or just try to post without an account and this will send you straight to the sign up for a google account. Then just sign up for a google account with your loyno.edu account and afterwords make yourself a member of the Worldviews and Ethics group)
For those who figure out how to comment on a post I would love to find out who you are. Give me a small blurb about yourself, share anything you like. Personally, I like the funny stuff like "I am Dr. Layne and I enjoy eating until I almost puke."
After the fun and games are over, I would also like you to tell me a little bit about what you think this class will be about. That is, what do you think a worldview is? what do you think ethics is? how do you think they are related?
Here's hoping you figure it out and get blogging.
Cheers,
Dr. Layne
(to comment see below in the syllabus or just try to post without an account and this will send you straight to the sign up for a google account. Then just sign up for a google account with your loyno.edu account and afterwords make yourself a member of the Worldviews and Ethics group)
Syllabus
PHIL U260 Worldviews and Ethics
Fall 2010
Class Time: MWF 12:30-1:30, 1:30-2:30 Instructor: Dr. Danielle A. Layne
Classroom: CM 303 Office Location: Bobet 448a
E-mail: dalayne1@loyno.edu Office Hours: T/TH 9a.m-3.pm.
Text:
Blackboard Readings
Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound
Euripides, Bacchae
Course Description: What role do our worldviews, i.e. our understanding of nature/science, the individual, society, the divine etc., take in shaping our moral philosophy or ethics? In fact what is the difference between morality and ethics itself? Furthermore, what is the nature of ethics within a religious framework? How does a particular theology condition a morality? On the flip side, what is the nature of ethics if religious foundations are rejected? In this course, these and other questions will be addressed by turning to the philosophers and thinkers of classical Greece
Learning Goals:
- To pinpoint the fundamental assumptions about reality which classical philosophers have used to support their ethical and moral philosophies.
- To develop students’ awareness of complex ethical issues imbedded not only in philosophical texts but also in their daily lives.
- To strengthen critical thinking skills in both the classroom and in writing.
- To clearly discuss ancient ethical systems for the sake of discovering their relevance to contemporary issues.
- To learn to advance one’s own position, and to defend this position through argument.
COURSE GRADES
Course grades will be determined by participation, journal assignment, written assignments and 2 essay exams.
· Participation (25%): Determined by class discussion and the class blog at http://worldviewsandethics.blogspot.com. Each day, throughout the semester, sections of the text will be assigned and I expect that all of you will read each text with great joy and enthusiasm. However, just in case you ever feel deterred from such splendid activity, the incentive becomes the threat of having to actively answer questions related to the text in class each day. If you have not done the reading assignment, then your ignorance of the text will become obvious to both me and your fellow classmates. How humiliating, I say! Thus to ensure that you read, participate and avoid horrible embarrassment, in each class students will be given 1 question to answer, helping navigate and focus the assigned reading. Your answer must be at least three sentences long and written well.
o Example Question: What role do the gods serve in the Iliad and what ethical system may be derived from such a conception of divinity?
o Example Answer: Unlike contemporary conceptions of divinities where one expects to see a caring or just god, the Greek gods of the Iliad are capricious. Due to such an anthropomorphic characterization, these gods can behave erratically and, as such, individuals may not necessarily know what the reverent and ethical response may be in any and all circumstances. In light of this, an ethics based upon the Greek pantheon may indeed be impossible.
o EVERYONE MUST POST THEIR ANSWERS TO THE CLASS BLOG PRIOR TO EACH CLASS. The most interesting answer will be read in class and with a little bit of luck this should stimulate class discussion. Further reactions or comments on the class discussion or lecture should then carry over to the CLASS BLOG at http://worldviewsandethics.blogspot.com. By the end of the semester the participation grade will be evaluated on the basis of class discussion and participation on the blog. Each student’s overall participation grade will also reflect your ability to form questions and ideas which explicitly deal with the text and issues at hand.
o You may earn EXTRA PARTICPATION CREDIT by blogging on whatever you find relevant with regards to the material of the class. That is, you are more than welcome to post comments on the movies we screen, the material we read as well as other material you believe “fits” the theme of the class.
· Take Home Pop Quizzes (15%): There will be three take home pop quizzes in which you answer a single question by writing a 300 word essay (1 page). Since you are allowed to take these quizzes home you will be graded on grammar, punctuation and style as well as quality of insight and argument in your essay. The day that the quiz is announced, one question will be given and your response is due the following class and must be submitted to the CLASS BLOG at http://worldviewsandethics.blogspot.com!
· Midterm Exam (30%): This exam will be in a short essay format. We will review prior to the exam and I will provide study questions to aid your preparation. You are required to bring a blue book for the exam. The exam is primarily based on the reading assignments.
· Final Exam (30%): This exam will consist of the same format as the midterm.
Blackboard and CLASS BLOG: Many of the readings are only available on blackboard. Moreover, you are all required to post your daily assignments (your answers to the questions given in and discussed in class) on the CLASS BLOG at http://worldviewsandethics.blogspot.com. In light of this, all of you must familiarize yourself with using Blackboard. To get started on BLACKBOARD go to http://www.loyno.edu/ and click on the Blackboard icon located in the upper right hand of the screen. Your Blackboard username is the same as your Loyola e-mail username. If your Loyola e-mail address is iggy@loyno.edu, your Blackboard username is just iggy (in lowercase letters). If you do not know your Loyola e-mail address, you can find it under the "Personal Info" section of your LORA account. Password: Your password will be 6 characters long, consisting of the first two letters of your first name, lowercase, followed by the last four digits of your SSN. e.g. Mary Smith SSN xxx-xx-3456 the PIN will be ma3456 (lower case) If you have questions about Blackboard, you may: Visit the Learning Commons desk at the Monroe Library or call the 24/7 Blackboard assistance numbers at 1-866-562-7278.
WAC Lab: WAC administers a writing center and electronic classroom in Room 100 Bobet Hall where students can conduct Internet research, draft papers, consult with writing tutors, and revise their work. The writing center makes available a library of print and online resources for writers, including discipline-specific guides to college writing, dictionaries, handbooks, grammar guides, style and citation guides, and other resources. For more information about WAC and WAC services, contact Robert Bell at rcbell@loyno.edu.
Disability Services: A student with a disability that qualifies for accommodations should contact Sarah Mead Smith, Director of Disability Services at 865-2990 (Academic Resource Center
Academic Dishonesty: Your written work must be your own. I have absolutely no tolerance for any kind of cheating and/or plagiarism and, to be sure, I am constantly fiddling on the internet and checking up on all my students’ work so if you cheat you will be caught. Also to be clear, the Loyola University Bulletin follows Alexander Lindley and defines plagiarism as “the false assumption of authorship: the wrongful act of taking the product of another person’s mind, and presenting it as one’s own” (Plagiarism and Originality). They also turn to the MLA Handbook and similarly define it as “Plagiarism may take the form of repeating another’s sentences as your own, adopting a particularly apt phrase as your own, paraphrasing someone else’s argument as your own, or even presenting someone else’s line of thinking in the development of a thesis as though it were your own.” The Philosophy Department’s Policy requires that every case of plagiarism receive all three of the following sanctions: 1) A report of the incident to the Department Chair and the Associate Dean; 2) A zero on the particular assignment; 3) A failing grade in the course.
Late Assignments: Late assignments will be accepted, however, your grade will be penalized. If you are unable to hand in an assignment and you know in advance, then you must contact me at least 24 hours prior to the deadline. I do not accept hardcopies of your papers as I want everyone to send electronic versions. I must receive this email with your papers before the class in which the assignment is due.
Emergency Evacuation Procedures: It is Loyola University
General Policies:
- Your attendance is expected but not mandatory. Keep in mind though that class participation is 1/5 of your grade and every time you are absent you are hurting this grade.
- The lectures will be based on the assigned readings, therefore you are expected to bring the course material to class, be prepared to take notes, and to answer and ask questions.
- Laptops in class are to be used for note-taking purposes only.
- Turn off your cell phones when in class.
- Lastly and perhaps most silly of me, I expect that everyone in class come ON TIME, READY (NOT HALF ASLEEP), and dressed appropriately (NO PYJAMAS or BUNNY SLIPPERS). If you cannot do this, then do not come at all!
If you are falling behind in the course, or are earning a below average grade, I strongly encourage you to stop by my office to discuss your work in the class. I will be happy to address any questions concerning the material and I always love helping students. I am good at it. So even if you think it is impossible, just come and we can figure things out.
Schedule
(I reserve the right to change or adapt this agenda at anytime.)
Week 1:
M 8/30 Introduction to Course
W 9/1 Homer, Iliad Book I BB
F 9/3 Homer, Iliad Book 24 BB
Week 2:
M HOLIDAY
W 9/8 Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound
F 9/10 Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound
Week 3:
M 9/13 Euripides, Bacchae
W 9/15 Euripides, Bacchae
F 9/17 Euripides, Bacchae
Week 4: From Myth to Worldviews
M 9/20 Xenophanes AGP: 21-23
W 9/22 Milesians AGP: 8-14
F 9/24 Heraclitus AGP: 24-29
Week 5: The Battle
M 9/27 Heraclitus AGP: 29-34
W 9/29 Parmenides AGP: 35-41
F 10/1 Parmenides and Zeno AGP: 57-61
Week 6: Ethics from Number, Plurality and even Empty Space?
M 0/4 Pythagoreans AGP: 15-20
W 10/6 Pluralism AGP: 42-56
F 10/8 Atomism AGP: 62-69
Week 7: Can Virtue Be Taught? Sophistry and Socrates
M 10/11 Sophistry and Plato, Protagoras AGP: 74-82 and 136-140
W 10/13 Plato, Protagoras AGP: 140-150
F 10/15 Plato, Protagoras AGP: 150-162
Week 8: Beyond Being: Virtue, Justice and the Transcendent Good
M 10/18 No Class
W 10/20 Mid-Term Exam
F 10/22 Plato, Republic Book I AGP: 253-261
Week 9
M 10/25 Plato, Republic Book I AGP : 261-271
W 10/27 Plato, Republic Book II AGP: 272-285
F 10/29 Plato, Republic Book VI AGP: 343-358
Week 10:
M 11/1 Plato, Republic Book VI AGP : 358-369
W 11/3 Plato, Republic Book VII AGP: 370-375
F 11/5 Plato, Republic Book X AGP: 418-431
Week 11: Virtue, the Fulfillment of our Nature?
M 11/8 Aristotle AGP: 660-673
W 11/10 Aristotle AGP: 673-695
F 11/12 Aristotle AGP: 695-719
Week 12: Hellenism
M 11/15 Epicureanism BB: 102-125
W 11/17 Epicureanism BB: 125-149
F 11/19 Epicureanism BB: 149-158
Week 13:
M 11/22 Stoicism BB: 344-368
W 11/24 No Class
F 11/26 No Class
Week 14:
M 11/29 Stoicism BB: 368-386
W 12/1 Stoicism BB: 386-410
F 12/3 Stoicism BB: 410-429
Week 15:
M 12/6 Skepticism BB: 450-461
W 12/8 Plotinus BB:
F 12/10 Plotinus BB:
FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE
12:30-1:30 Class
Friday, DECEMBER 17 @ 11:30-1:30pm
1:30-2:30 Class
Monday, DECEMBER 13 @ 9:00-11:00am
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)