PHIL 421 and 422

Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics  and Politics

Spring 2012   Prof. Cherubin

Priam and Achilles

This image from the always superb Perseus collection depicts Priam, King of Troy (left) supplicating the Greek warrior Achilles for the return of the body of Priam's son Hector. Priam has brought a significant ransom, as was considered appropriate. It is interesting to note that instead of vilifying this king who led their enemy, Greek poets and painters generally depicted Priam with respect and sympathy, as an upstanding leader who must witness the destruction of his city and the death of his son. See Nicomachean Ethics Book One Ch. 10.

On this page you will find links to several kinds of materials pertaining to our course. If you would like to suggest further links, please contact me at rcherubi (at) gmu.edu.

Prof. Cherubin's main page

Syllabus:  .pdf format   

Reading assignments (both required reading and supplementary reading; updated weekly)

Writing assignments and potential presentation topics (updated regularly)

Vocabulary notes: discussion of ancient Greek terms

Want to look up more Greek words? Perseus has an online version of the Liddell-Scott-Jones Greek-English Lexicon. From the main page, click on "All search options" and then on "Dictionary Entry Lookup." (Note: Perseus has been experiencing server difficulties. If it is really slow or gives you lots of error messages, try it again at less-busy times, such as midnight to 6 AM Eastern Time.)

Some lecture notes on Aristotle's definition of 'nature' (φύσις, transliterated phusis or physis) in the Physics; this will be especially useful as a reference in Book Five of the Nicomachean Ethics and Book One of the Politics.

(not reading, but a video) This may be helpful in thinking about Aristotle's notion of nature: A rabbit that herds sheep, or sheep who get herded by a rabbit. For Aristotle, it would be wrong to say that it's "unnatural" for the rabbit to herd the sheep, or for the sheep to be herded by an animal that is not a human or a canine. Rather, he would say that the rabbit has by nature the capacity to herd, and to learn to do so effectively (more or less; the rabbit doesn't seem to understand that when the sheep reach a corner of the yard they cannot go further). It's just that most rabbits do not exercise this capacity. Aristotle would also note that the sheep have the capacity to learn how to be herded; they can also flee pursuers without being herded, and they also have the capacity to face down the pursuer (as one of them does when the rabbit nips them even after they go where he is chasing them).