FUNDAMENTALS OF PHILOSOPHY,
INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY Fall
2009
Dr. Christine A. James
PHIL 2010H
A Honors Fundamentals of Philosophy CRN
80370
TR 2:00pm-3:15pm in WH 104
This syllabus is available online, and may
be updated, at http://teach.valdosta.edu/chjames/FUNDAMENTALSOFPHILOSOPHYHonorsFall2009.htm
Office: 110 Ashley Hall
Office Hours: MW 10:00am-11:00am, MW 3:15pm-4:45pm
and after classes and by appointment as needed.
Telephone:
259-7609
Mailbox: Philosophy Department Office
Fax: 259-5011
E-mail address: chjames@valdosta.edu
Course content: This course
provides an introduction to philosophy, giving a basic understanding of the
various areas and specializations within philosophy. Our readings come from various approaches
(theories of knowledge, social and political philosophy, ethics, feminist theory) and from various time periods in the
history of philosophy (from classical philosophers like Socrates to
contemporary philosophers who are still living, like Daniel Dennett and Rita
Manning). This is a reading intensive
course, so it will require you to read, think about, and write about a
considerable amount of material.
Requirements:
Class participation and attendance, two written examinations, two
papers, various Blazeview assignments and
discussions. Pop Reading Quizzes may
also be given during the semester.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Philosophy courses at
http://www.valdosta.edu/academic/VSUGeneralEducationOutcomes.shtml
The Learning Outcomes for PHIL 2010
are:
1. To understand the distinctions among the various sub-fields of philosophy, including epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics as comprising basic branches of the discipline.
2. To recognize how philosophical inquiry applies to ‘real-world’ circumstances and to individual reflection on the meaning of life.
3. To become conversant with the history of philosophy. The course emphasizes Western philosophy in particular, including such significant developments as empiricism, materialism, idealism, rationalism, pragmatism, and existentialism.
4. To recognize and define different world views, adopting a reasonably viable one and justifying it in a philosophically informed way that emphasizes critical reasoning and argument.
5. To demonstrate the ability to discuss, in both oral and written discourse, the philosophical issues explored in the course.
6. To be familiar with what academic philosophy is, and to understand how it can be applied to daily life as well as specific careers.
Members of the faculty in Philosophy and Religious
Studies have verified that these outcomes are in line with the outcomes of the
course as it is taught at peer institutions in the State System of Georgia.
These course-specific learning outcomes contribute to the departmental learning outcomes of the Philosophy and Religious Studies Major by enabling students better to
1. To encourage an understanding of central issues, topics and
philosophers in the history of philosophy, from the ancient to the modern
periods.
2. To develop students’ abilities to think, write, and speak
critically and logically.
3. To enable students to challenge their own ideas and to develop
self-understanding in the context of a diverse range of ideas which inform
contemporary controversies and social conflict.
4. To enable students to engage in independent philosophical
research, and to be responsible for communicating their understanding of the
issues researched and developed, including a working familiarity with current
research methods.
5. To incorporate philosophical positions in oral and written
communications.
6. To critically outline and analyze a philosophical question.
In
addition, we will work towards the Honors
Program Outcomes http://www.valdosta.edu/honors/mission.shtml
Students
in the University Honors Program should demonstrate competency in the following
objectives by the time they finish the Honors Program:
1. Effective written
communication skills (including ability to use research).
2. Effective oral
communication skills.
3. Effective quantitative
skills.
4. The ability to analyze
and synthesize a broad range of material.
5. The ability to make
meaningful connections between various disciplines.
6. The ability to formulate
a problem, develop a plan of action, and prove or disprove an
hypothesis (or to create and produce an original work or do research).
7.
The ability to take greater responsibility for own learning (demonstrate
curiosity, motivation, risk-taking characteristics, and the ability to bring to
bear logic and knowledge of the issue being discussed).
All learning outcomes will be evaluated via formative
and summative assessments, including research papers, formal presentations in
class including verbal expression and Powerpoint
presentations, and written work in Blazeview
including Discussion postings, Assignment attachments of Word .doc or .docx format, and Assessment quizzes.
Required Texts:
Fifty Readings in Philosophy, Donald C.
Abel, ed. (You should have the
enhanced Fifty Readings Plus edition 2, it includes
information on how to access additional materials online.)
Be sure to do the reading before the class for which it is
assigned. Please bring the relevant book(s) and/or article(s) with you to
class, along with a designated notebook and some pens.
(In addition,
Philosophy and Religious Studies faculty encourage you to use Andrea A. Lunsford,
St. Martin’s Handbook, 5th ed. which was required in ENGL 1101 and 1102
courses. These books are available for purchase at the VSU Bookstore. The
How grades will be calculated:
A =
100 - 90% Class
participation, attendance = 20%
B =
89 - 80% 2
Exams at 20% each = 40%
C =
79 - 70% 2
Papers at 20% each = 40%
D =
69 - 60% Total
= 100%
F =
59 - 0%
Please note that I am not obligated to
accept late work or to allow “make up” work after the date an assignment or
exam or paper is completed by the other members of the class.
I also make no promises about extra credit
items, although I will routinely announce events on campus that can result in
some extra credit points for you.
Exams and Papers: The exams in our class will be “short answer” written exams. Usually I ask six questions and a complete
answer should be no less than four complete sentences. These exams are “objective” in the sense that
the answers can be directly related to class discussions and the textbook.
http://teach.valdosta.edu/chjames/PHIL2010PaperHandout.htm
Here are some extra links, if you would like to use outside sources and secondary source material:
http://books.valdosta.edu/gal1.html (click on “Full Text Journal Title
List”) and
http://www.valdosta.edu/library/learn/guides/philosophy.shtml
The direct link for the database (Academic Search Complete)
http://www.galileo.usg.edu/express?link=zbac (Click on Academic Search Complete to open the first page with the search box.)
Attendance Policy: I do care that
you attend class regularly. As you know,
VSU policy is that missing 20% of class meetings results in an automatic grade
of “F”. Faculty can also institute added
attendance policies in their syllabi. Our class will have a 10% rule for
absences. You can miss up to 10% of the
class meetings with no grade penalty.
10% of our 30 class meetings is 3.
On absence number 4, your final grade for the course will be reduced by
one whole letter grade; on absence number 5, your final grade for the course
will be reduced by two whole letter grades; on absence number 6, you will
automatically fail the course. Be
considerate of your fellow students – don’t be late, and don’t leave your cell
phones and pagers on. Note that if you
are regularly late to class, or leave class early, I will begin to count each
as an absence. Please note that this
policy makes no distinction between excused and unexcused absences.
Special Needs:
Students requiring classroom accommodations or
modification because of a documented disability should discuss this need with
me at the beginning of the semester. If
you are such a student, but you are not registered with the Access Office, you
should contact them too. Students
requesting classroom accommodations or modifications because of a documented
disability must contact the Access Office for Students with Disabilities
located in Farber Hall. The phone numbers are 229-245-2498 (voice) and
229-219-1348 (tty).
Participate!
Once you
arrive at class, make an effort to get involved in the conversation. Don’t
hesitate to ask questions if you need clarification or would like more
information: if you are confused, it is likely that others are too! The participation
percentage you receive will depend on a variety of factors, including (but not
limited to) the frequency and helpfulness of your contributions to class
discussions and the care you take when peer editing.
Pop
Reading Quizzes:
If I
notice that there are many students who are not keeping up with the reading, I
may periodically administer reading quizzes in class. These will not be
announced in advance. No “make-up” quizzes will be given, and a missed quiz
will result in a grade of zero. These
quizzes are a solid reward for attending class, participating, and keeping up
with the readings.
Online Discussions:
During
certain weeks of the semester, you also will be expected to participate
regularly in on-line discussions using Blazeview. Use
this opportunity to comment on the week’s readings, ask questions, raise
objections, and respond to what others have written or said in class.
To use Blazeview, you will need access to a computer with an
internet connection. Your computer and its software will also need to meet
certain technical specifications. You are solely responsible for all technical
matters. Although you do not need to be on campus in order to access
To log in
to Blazeview and the course “shell,” go to the VSU
homepage and click on the words Blazeview Login in the
rectangle. Your username and password are the same as for your BlazeNet e-mail account. For instructions on getting
started, go to: http://www.valdosta.edu/vista
When
posting in an online bulletin board, like those in the Discussion area of Blazeview, you must (1) post at least one original message
of your own, (2) read all the messages posted by others, and (3) respond substantively to at least one message
from another student. Your postings are due the same day as the readings are
listed in the schedule below (i.e., no later than
Your
first message on a given topic should be about 200 words in length. That is
roughly the length of two medium-sized paragraphs (e.g., this one and the
next). Your second (response) posting can be about half that length, but it
should be substantive (i.e.,
involving serious content). Try not to simply repeat what others have said
already. Additional postings can be as long or as short as you desire. Be sure
to give the first message an interesting title in the “Subject” line. This will
help alert the rest of us as to what it will be about.
When you
are ready to respond to someone else, do so by opening their message and
hitting the “Reply” button. This will create a “thread” that others can add on
to. Keep in mind that although it is fine to disagree with what someone else
has said, it is important to do so in a way that is polite and constructive. If
someone says something that makes you angry, pause and take a breath before
firing off a reply! You can preview your message before you send it, but once
you have hit “Post,” your message will no longer be editable.
Academic
Honesty:
Members
of the
http://www.valdosta.edu/academic/AcademicHonestyPoliciesandProcedures.shtml
http://www.valdosta.edu/academic/documents/ReportofAcademicDishonesty.doc
E-Mail:
VSU
policy mandates that all official communication by e-mail take place through
VSU e-mail accounts or through the Blazeview Mail
tool. Please check your VSU
(@valdosta.edu) e-mail account regularly.
Note: This
syllabus is not a legal contract; the content of this course is subject to
revision by the professor.
|
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Schedule
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|
8/18 T |
Introduction to the class. Syllabus First reading together: Academic
Integrity http://teach.valdosta.edu/chjames/acin.htm http://teach.valdosta.edu/chjames/acin.doc http://teach.valdosta.edu/chjames/acin.pdf For the next class, read the textbook’s Preface,
Intro, and reading #1 in Ch. 1. (Each date in the class after this one
assumes that you will have read that day’s assigned discussion reading before
class.) What is Philosophy? Do Philosophy majors get jobs related to
that major? Here are two pages to
answer that: |
|
8/20 R |
Discussion of Philosophy and Plato's Euthyphro,
which is |
|
8/25 T |
Discussion of Plato, and Russell,
“Problems of Philosophy: The Value of Philosophy” which is reading #2. |
|
8/27 R |
Discussion of Plato, King’s “Letter from a
Birmigham Jail” and Russell’s Value of Philosophy, |
|
9/1 T |
Review day, Plato’s Republic |
|
9/3 R |
FIRST EXAM |
|
9/8 T |
Going over the first exam, Discussion tool
assignments in Blazeview |
|
9/10 R |
Today, begin to post in the online Blazeview
Discussion board for our class. Topics
will be listed in the class, under the Discussion tool link. http://www.valdosta.edu/vista Begin Theories of
Knowledge (Epistemology), introducing Descartes and Locke. |
|
9/15 T |
Discussion of Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy, #13, and Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, #14 |
|
9/17 R |
Discussion of |
|
9/22 T |
Video presentation and discussion on
Williams syndrome (social knowledge) |
|
9/24 R |
Dr. James will be away to give a paper at
a conference in |
|
9/29 T |
Discussion of Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, #16 |
|
10/1 R |
Discussion of Kant, Critique of Pure Reason, #17 |
|
10/6 T |
Discussion of Kant, Hume, the problem of
induction and philosophy of science |
|
10/8 R |
Discussion of Peirce, Fixation of Belief, #18 and Discussion of Puhakka,
Invitation to Authentic Knowing, #19 |
|
10/13 T |
FIRST PAPER DUE TODAY Be ready to discuss your papers in front of the class. Papers will
be turned in to Vista Blazeview in the Assignment
Tool. |
|
10/15 R |
Dr. James will be away to give a paper at
a conference in |
|
10/20 T |
No class, Fall Break |
|
10/22 R |
PLEASE NOTE that class today will meet in
BC 2020. We will meet with Jesse Spencer’s Chemistry class to discuss Ethics. Begin Ethics,
Chapter 6; Discussion of Aristotle, Nichomachean Ethics, #34 |
|
10/27 T |
Discussion of Kant, Metaphysics of Morals, #36 |
|
10/29 R |
PLEASE NOTE that class today will meet in
BC 2020. We will meet with Jesse Spencer’s Chemistry class to discuss the Ethics
Cases, Day 2. Discussion of Mill, Utilitarianism, #37 Are you anticipating having a job
interview? Here’s a document that might help! http://teach.valdosta.edu/chjames/jobsearch.pdf http://teach.valdosta.edu/chjames/jobsearch.doc |
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11/3 T |
Discussion of Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil, #48 |
|
11/5 R-11/12 R |
Dr. James will be in |
|
11/17 T |
Discussion of Sartre, Existentialism is a Humanism, #40 |
|
11/19 R |
Discussion of Rachels,
The Challenge of Cultural Relativism, #41 Discussion of Manning, Just Caring, #42 |
|
11/24 T |
Begin Social
and Political Philosophy Discuss Hobbes, Leviathan, and Locke's Second
Treatise, #45 |
|
11/26 R |
No class, Thanksgiving Break |
|
12/ 1 T |
Discussion of Rawls, A Theory of Justice, #50 |
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12/3 R |
SECOND PAPER DUE Be ready to discuss your paper in
class. Papers will be longer research papers than the first paper, and will
be turned in through the Vista Blazeview Assignment
Tool. |
The last official class day for all Fall Semester classes is
Monday December 7.
FINAL EXAM:
For classes that normally meet TR at 2pm, the Registrar has set the
official exam time for Wednesday December 9 at 2:45pm in the usual room.
If you are not sure about how the final exam times are assigned
for your other courses, use this link, and check the Final Exam Schedule here:
http://www.valdosta.edu/it/eas/sis/documents/ExamSchedFall09.pdf
Special Pilot Project: Online Course Evaluations
This course may be part of a pilot project this semester, testing a new online Student Opinion of Instruction (SOI) form. Student evaluations are extremely important in helping faculty members plan and revise their courses. Rather than completing these evaluations during class time, students will need to access evaluation forms via BANNER and complete them in a period during the last few weeks of class. You will only complete evaluations online for the classes that are part of this pilot project; other classes may still require you to complete a scantron (bubble) form in class. Please take the time to complete this important evaluation (or opt out of providing an evaluation) during the designated period. If you do not do so, you will not be able to access the grade for this class, scheduled to be posted on the Monday after the final examination days.
The Administration has not yet set up the online forms, and Dr. James will update the class with instructions when they are available.
Tips for doing well in Philosophy classes, adapted from a handout
by Robert Scott
1.
Read text with a pencil, underline the important ideas and key concepts.
Write down technical ideas, key terms, key distinctions between two terms,
definitions, diagrams, etc. to help you remember them.
2.
Write questions or reactions you have to the text in the margin of the book. Ask about these questions in class, and keep
them in mind, since they may provide good points to make about that author in
papers you will write for class.
3.
Read ahead to see the ultimate objectives of the chapter and of the
individual readings. Keep in mind the
overall picture of the chapters given in the introductory sections to each
chapter in the book.
4.
Work with the new terminology frequently, and try to apply it to
situations outside of class. I would
recommend flash cards to help you memorize the meanings of new terms quickly.
5.
For longer readings, be sure to review the reading as a whole after you
have read it section-by-section. What
was the main question the author wanted to address? What were the answers? What
concepts were used to make the points?
6.
When confronted with a difficult reading or question, break it down into
parts, and into individual ideas. This
will at least help to clarify the question, even if it might not give the
answer. And for philosophy, clarifying the
question is really half the battle!
7.
Ponder an unsolved problem and return to it every so often to see if it
will give. Inspiration may happen at an
unexpected time, and the subconscious mind does work on problems even when we
aren't consciously aware of it.
8.
Begin work on all the class tasks early, and spread out your work over
time so as to maximize your chances for comprehending the readings accurately,
memorizing the information, and grappling with the questions for papers.
9. If
you do need to meet with an instructor outside of class, be sure to have your
questions for the instructor planned out ahead of time, to make the meeting as
productive as possible.
10.
Always think about the philosophical issues for yourself, rather than
waiting to be told what to think or believe.
11.
Study for all exams on a daily basis, for at least a week before the
exam date. You will need to know who said what, from memory.
12.
Try to anticipate the questions that will be asked on an examination
beforehand. Questions may come from the
readings or from lectures and class discussions, but in either case, certain
terms and concepts will be emphasized more than others.
13.
Listen carefully to different points of view, and actively respond (when
you read, when you are in class, and when you write your philosophy papers)!
14.
Philosophy involves skills, like learning to appreciate a good debate,
learning to imagine the world differently than we assume it to be, and
appreciating the world with a sense of wonder.
(1) A really great website for students about how to write
academic papers is maintained by the Dartmouth Writing Program:
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/toc.shtml
In addition to lots of helpful general information, it has
special pages on "Writing the Religion Paper" and "Writing the
Philosophy Paper."
(2) A great website that explains the importance of critically
evaluating web resources -- always a problem area for students – is maintained
by Robert Harris:
http://www.virtualsalt.com/evalu8it.htm
(3) A third thing I'm planning to do this semester is to
require students to own a copy of the