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Ant 215 How should one live? An introduction to the anthropology of ethics
University of Toronto, Mississauga. Winter 2017
Instructor: Jack Sidnell
Office: Health Sciences Complex, Rm. 360
Lecture: Thursdays 1-3, KN 137 (Kaneff)
Office Hours: Thursdays, 12-1 pm
E-mail: jack.sidnell@utoronto.ca

Teaching assistants:
Rachel Levine, rachel.levine@mail.utoronto.ca
Matthew Resendes Medeiros, matthew.resendesmedeiros@mail.utoronto.ca
Victoria Sheldon, v.sheldon@mail.utoronto.ca

Course Description
Few questions are more obviously important than that which Socrates poses in Platos Republic:
how should one live? This course considers the various ways this question has been asked and
the answers it has received across a range of very different contexts. It begins with Socrates
address to the Athenian assembly in The Apology and his conclusion that the examined life is the
only one worth living. We then turn to the Greek past and the Homeric background against
which the reflective life, that Socrates exemplified, stood in stark contrast. With this background
in place we will proceed to consider the various ways in which the question of how one should
live has been answered across of a range of social settings. Drawing on ethnography as well
journalism and documentary film we will consider, for instance, Rastafarianism, Vipassana
meditation in prison, non-binary gender identity as well as the question of how humans might
live with non-human animals.

Evaluation
Evaluation will be based on one test, one essay (8 pages, double spaced maximum), a journal in
which students will record their experiences practicing Stoic exercises and a final exam. For the
essay students will be expected to apply the ideas we discuss in class (and those that are
contained in the readings) to a topic of their own choosing (although suggestions will be given).

The essay should be submitted electronically to turnitin.com by the date marked in the course
schedule, below. Papers will be marked for how they demonstrate an understanding of the issues
discussed and for clarity of expression and presentation. Papers will lose 10% of the total mark
for every day after the due date that they are submitted. Final marks are tentative until approved
by the Department Chair and Deans Office, and recorded in the Registrars Office.

Note on the use of Turnitin.com

Normally, students will be required to submit their course essay to Turnitin.com for a review of
textual similarity and detection of possible plagiarism. In doing so, students will allow their
essays to be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database, where they
will be used solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism. The terms that apply to the
University's use of the Turnitin.com service are described on the Turnitin.com web site. If you
do not wish to submit your essay through Turnitin.com, you may arrange in the first two weeks
of class to supply hard copies to the instructor by the assignment deadlines. In that case, you will
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be required to provide research notes with your assignments in order to demonstrate the
originality and independence of your work. You will also have to bring any late assignments to
the instructor at the instructors convenience. Emailed assignments will not be accepted.

Due Dates Evaluation

Journal 03/01 Midterm Test 25% (02/15)
Final submission of essay 03/29 Final exam 25% (tba)
Essay 30%
Journal 20%

Missed tests
Students who miss a term test for reasons entirely beyond their control may, within one week of
the missed test, submit to the instructor a written request for special consideration explaining the
reason for missing the test, and attaching appropriate documentation, such as a medical
certificate. Students who do not comply with this regulation will receive a '0' for the test.

Missed lectures: Students are expected to attend all lectures. In the event of illness or any other
circumstance preventing attendance at lecture, the student must provide adequate medical
documentation within 48 hours of the missed lecture (via email or in person).

Late assignments: A student who is unable to submit an assignment by the due date, as a result
of event of illness, may request special consideration. To do so the student must submit a request
in writing (via email) before the deadline. Appropriate medical documentation can be provided
when the student returns to class.

For both missed tests and lectures as well as late assignments the student must request special
consideration in writing in advance of the test, lecture or assignment due date (via email). The
student will be required to provide supporting documentation as appropriate in addition to the
ROSI absence declaration (e.g. UofT medical certificate, death certificate, etc.).

Plagiarism
The course instructor and TA will not allow any form of plagiarism or cheating and will utilize
the University systems in place to fully act against these offences. Please refer to the Code of
Behaviour as well as the document included on Blackboard concerning helpful ways to avoid
plagiarism.

Required texts (available at the UTM Bookstore)

Reading pack from CSPI please ensure that you purchase the reading pack for Winter 2018.
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Tentative schedule of reading and discussion

1, 01/04] Introductory meeting

2, 01/11] Socrates and Thrasymachus, Why by just?

Plato, The Republic, Book I
Williams, Heres what Plato had to say about someone like Donald Trump, Washington Post

3, 01/18] Socrates on the examined life and the care of the self
Plato, The Apology

4, 02/01] The Homeric past, the language of Achilles and the heroic life
Homer, The Iliad, book I
Reeve, The anger that fuels Homers hero is both honourable and divine. Aeon

5, 02/08] Exercises in Stoicism

Pigliucci, To be happier, focus on whats within your control. Aeon
Epictetus, Enchiridion I-XII
Epictetus, Enchiridion XLVI-L
Marcus Aurelius, Selection from the Meditations
Seneca, On Anger XXX, 36
An example Stoic philosophy regime
https://philosophy-of-cbt.com/2012/11/13/example-stoic-therapeutic-regime/

6, 02/15] MID TERM TEST

****READING WEEK****

7, 03/01] Meditation and life without parole

Film > The Dhamma Brothers, 75mins
Phillips, "Inside Donaldson," from Letters from the Dhamma Brothers.
Vipassana Meditation https://www.dhamma.org/en-US/about/code

8, 03/08] The Pirahas and the grammar of happiness <<DROP DATE MARCH 14>>
Film > The Amazon Code, 50mins
Everett, Dont sleep there are snakes, chs. 7 & 17

9, 03/15] Rasta livity

Chevannes, The Bobo Dread, ch. 6 of Rastafari: Roots and Ideology.
Simpson, The Ras Tafari movement in Jamaica,
Kitzinger, The Rastafarian brethren of Jamaica,
Pollard, Word sounds: The language of Rastafari in Barbados and St. Lucia,
Pulis, Up-full sounds: Language, identity and the worldview of Rastafari,
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10, 03/22] Life beyond the gender binary

Ainsworth, Sex redefined. Nature
Reilly-Cooper, Gender is not a spectrum, Aeon
Mele, Oregon court allows a person to choose neither sex, New York Times
Chak, Beyond he and she BBC Magazine (2015)
Pyne, Gender "pronoun war" is about freedom for sure, but not free speech. Now Magazine
Bennet, She? ze? they? Whats in a gender pronoun? New York Times
Zimman, Facebook, the gender binary, and third-person pronouns
Underwood and Vincent, Why we should stand up for trans rights and recognition at the
University of Toronto, Torontoist
Peet, For my longstanding physics friends http://ap.io/home/gender/

11, 03/29] How to live with animals

Film > Unlocking the cage, 90mins
Singer, Great apes deserve life, liberty and the prohibition of torture, The Guardian
Singer, Harambe the gorilla dies, meat-eaters grieve, LA Times
Komireddi, Mercy toward animals runs deep in Asian cultural traditions. Aeon
Monbiot, Ive converted to veganism to reduce my impact on the living world, The Guardian

EXAM