METAPHILOSOPHY and RELIGIOUS STUDIES
CAPSTONE
Spring 2007
Dr. Christine A. James
20400
PHIL 4920 A Metaphilosophy MW
3:30pm-4:45pm WH 104
20413 REL 4920 A Religious Studies Capstone MW
This syllabus is available online, and may be updated, at http://teach.valdosta.edu/chjames/MetaPhilRelCapSpring2007.htm
Office: 110 Ashley Hall
Office Hours: MTW 10:30am-12:00pm, in between 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: A capstone course
taught in a seminar setting, emphasizing individual research projects on
selected themes, presented by students to their peers and to the philosophy and
religious studies faculty. This is a reading, research and writing
intensive course, so it will require you to read, think about, and write about
a considerable amount of material. The most important aspect of the course is
that it involves independent research leading up to a publishable quality
research paper and a set of presentations during the semester. The class
does not involve lecture, rather we will engage in seminar style critique of
everyone’s oral and written work as you would in a graduate program.
Requirements: Class participation; a listing of journals you
will research; summary précis of three articles you will use; a written report
of secondary literature cited in those articles; a long presentation in class;
a short presentation to the faculty; attendance at all presentations; and the
final paper.
Recommended Texts:
Sample articles from Dialogue, by undergraduates, from
the Phi Sigma Tau honor society.
Listing of academic journals to which our library provides full
text access. Secondary source material from academic journal articles is always
a good idea in any paper. Here are two links where you can begin to look
for interesting journal articles:
http://books.valdosta.edu/gal1.html
(click on “Full Text Journal Title List”) and
http://www.libs.uga.edu/ejournals/locators/acadsearchframe.html
(Access to these sites will be free if you use an on-campus computer. To
use the sites off-campus, you must enter the current Galileo password,
available from the Odum Library website.)
Imag(in)ing Otherness: Filmic Visions of Living Together (American
Getting What You Came For (Noonday), a text
which includes chapters on writing major research papers, and on how to succeed
in graduate school.
Philosophy
Made Simple by
Richard H. Popkin, Avrum
Stroll, Paperback: 336 pages, Publisher: Made Simple; 2nd Rev edition (July 1, 1993), ISBN: 0385425333, or History of
Philosophy (Harper Collins College Outline Series)
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. (required in ENGL 1101 and
1102). 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 Research Assignments at 10% each = 20%
C = 79 - 70%
2 Presentations at 20% each = 40%
D = 69 -
60%
1 Final Paper Presentation with PPT = 20%
F = 59 -
0%
Total = 100%
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 papers
should be no less than five pages long, double spaced, in a standard 12 point
font like Times/ Times New Roman. Expect to use the text and cite it with
a consistent citation scheme (refer to the
http://teach.valdosta.edu/chjames/papers4800.htm http://teach.valdosta.edu/chjames/papers4920.htm
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 room 1115 Nevins Hall. The phone numbers are 229-245-2498 (voice) and
229-219-1348 (tty).
LEARNING OUTCOMES: By the end of the semester,
1. You will be able to understand the distinctions among the various sub-fields of philosophy and religious studies, including epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics as comprising basic branches of the discipline.
2. You will be able to recognize how philosophical inquiry and religious studies scholarship applies to ‘real-world’ circumstances and to individual reflection on the meaning of life.
3. You will become conversant with the
history of philosophy and religious studies as academic disciplines.
4. You will be able 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. You will be able to demonstrate the ability to discuss, in both oral and written discourse, the philosophical and religious issues explored in the course.
6. You will be familiar with what academic philosophy and religious studies is, and you will 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.
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 participating, 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:
(Special Thank You to Richard Amesbury and other
faculty members who teach using WebCT Vista, and the eCore staff!)
During
certain weeks of the semester, you also will be expected to participate
regularly in on-line discussions using WebCT Vista. 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
To log in
to Vista and the course “shell,” go to the VSU homepage and click on the words WebCT Vista in the upper right-hand corner.
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 and the
help pages at http://www.valdosta.edu/vista/guides/start/index.shtml
When
posting in an online bulletin board, like those in the Discussion area of WebCT Vista, 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
E-Mail:
VSU
policy mandates that all official communication by e-mail take place through
VSU e-mail accounts or through the WebCT Vista 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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1/8 |
Introduction
to the
class
What is Philosophy and Religious Studies? Do Philosophy
and Religious Studies majors get jobs related to that major? Here are
two pages to answer that: http://teach.valdosta.edu/chjames/Philosophymajorjobs.htm |
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1/10 |
Discuss the sections of Getting What You Came For on
literature reviews Discuss the example articles from Dialogue
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1/15 |
No class, Martin Luther King Jr. Day |
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1/17 |
Due today: Journals Listing of three academic journals from
the links above that you believe you will use for your general topic.
On one side of a sheet of paper, provide a short summary of the journal’s
emphasis and whether you agree or disagree with the journal’s
perspective. Note, this is about the journal itself, in multiple
volumes, not the particular article in the journal you want to use. The
presentation of articles will begin on 1/22. |
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1/22 |
Due today: Articles The first six students will provide the
whole class with a summary précis of three articles that they believe they
can use. All total, this should only take two sides of a sheet of
paper, or two pages. Consider the secondary sources cited at the end of
the journal articles you have chosen, because locating your own opinion
within the academic debate is most important for your long paper. Discuss potential debates between
the authors, and where you see your own work located in that debate. FOR GENERAL PAPER TIPS, CHECK THIS HANDOUT PAGE: http://teach.valdosta.edu/chjames/papers4920.htm Former student Shaun Galloway suggests this page for help with
writing précis: http://academic.evergreen.edu/curricular/eduvalues/precis.htm
1, 2 Tawanda |
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1/24 |
6, 7 Reba
Nelson, 8 Luke McMurray, 9 Lainey Drummond, 10 Paul
Gaines |
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1/29 |
11 |
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1/31 |
16
Candice Gordon, 17 Felicia Spears, 18, 19, 20 Deveron
Smith |
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2/5 |
21 Reed Drury, 22 Chantrele Edwards, 23 Telecia Ramsey, 24 Janetta Evans, 25 Raaj Bhaskar |
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2/7 |
26 Andrew McClure, 27 Torekia Owens, 28 Nick Palombo,
29 |
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2/12 |
31 Jennifer Keene, 32 Geoff Platta, 33
James Varnell, 34 Chris Harris |
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2/14 |
Today, the first two students will read their long
paper in front of the class. The paper should be read in approximately
20 minutes, and should be approximately 18 pages long. On these long
paper reading dates, you must also provide the every member of the class and
Dr. James with a photocopy of your entire long paper, so that we can make
pencil comments and notes for you. ******You can also choose to invite faculty members
to these longer in-class presentations. If you would like to have faculty
present at the longer presentation, I recommend that you have all powerpoints, handouts and everything including the paper
itself completed well before your long presentation date.****** 1, 2 Tawanda Bell (missed) Note
Please: Whether your long paper reading date is early or late, please
consider 2/14 to be a due date for Rough Drafts of your long paper to be
given to Dr. James, if you want her assistance with your draft before you
present it in its final form. |
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2/19 |
3, Aaron Beckman, 4
(Tawanda
Bell, Nick Palombo, Reed Drury still need to
present three article précis, Lainey Drummond has
presented hers orally but she still needs to turn in the three written
précis.) |
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2/21 |
5, Leslie Rawlings, 6 |
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2/26 |
7 Reba Nelson, 8 Luke McMurray |
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2/28 |
9 Lainey Drummond, 10 Paul Ganes
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3/5 |
11 |
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3/7 |
13 Dustin Daniels, 14 Tyler Powell |
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3/12, 3/14 |
No class, Spring Break Week |
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3/19 |
15 Jason Young, 16 Candice Gordon |
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3/21 |
17 Felicia Spears, 18 |
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3/26 |
19, 20 Deveron Smith |
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3/28 |
21 Reed Drury, 22 Chantrele Edwards |
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4/2 |
23 Telecia Ramsey, 24 Janetta
Evans |
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4/4 |
25 Raaj Bhaskar, 26 Andrew McClure |
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4/9 |
27 Torekia Owens, 28 Nick Palombo |
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4/11 |
29 |
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All students are encouraged to attend the Council on
Undergraduate Research Symposium in the Bailey Bio Chem
Building Auditorium on the night of April 12 and all day on April 13. |
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4/16 |
31 Jennifer Keene, 32 Geoff Platta |
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4/18 |
33 James Varnell, 34 Chris Harris |
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4/23 |
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4/25 |
Extra day
if needed, last minute help with papers |
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4/30, 5/1 |
On these dates we will have our formal Metaphilosophy
and Religious Studies Capstone Colloquium, where you will present the shortened
version of your long paper (15 minutes length, with powerpoint)
in West Hall 104. |
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 on page 3
of the Registrar’s Fall 2006 Guide document:
http://www.valdosta.edu/eas/sis/guides/RG_Spring_07.pdf
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.
Richard
Amesbury’s tips about writing in Philosophy and Religious Studies:
(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
Dr. Richard
Amesbury