METAPHILOSOPHY and
RELIGIOUS STUDIES CAPSTONE Spring
2010
Dr. Christine A. James
20448
PHIL 4920 A Metaphilosophy TR 2:00pm-3:15pm WH 104
20460 REL 4920 A Religious Studies Capstone TR 2:00pm-3:15pm WH 104
This syllabus is available online,
and may be updated, at http://teach.valdosta.edu/chjames/MetaPhilRelCapSpring2010.htm
Office: 110 Ashley Hall
Office Hours: MW 2:00pm-3:15pm, TR 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: 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
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.)
Required Texts:
Philosophy Student Writer's
Manual, by Anthony J. Graybosch, Gregory M. Scott, Stephen M. Garrison, Prentice
Hall, 013099166X
Getting What You Came For by Robert Peters, Noonday Press, 0374524777, a text which
includes chapters on writing major research papers, and on how to succeed in
graduate school.
The University Gets Religion:
Religious Studies in American Higher Education, D. G. Hart,
History of Philosophy (Harper Collins College Outline Series), or The
Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy by Robert Audi (Editor), 0521637228
Also
recommended:
Imag(in)ing
Otherness: Filmic Visions of Living Together, by S. Brent Plate (Editor), David Jasper (Editor),
Philosophy
Made Simple
by Richard H. Popkin, Avrum
Stroll, Paperback: 336 pages, Publisher: Made Simple; 2nd Rev edition (July 1, 1993), ISBN: 0385425333, or
The
Craft of Religious Studies by Jon R. Stone (Editor), Palgrave Macmillan,
0312238878
Be
sure to do work before the class for which it is assigned, be sure to bring
copies of your work for all the other students in the class for critique and
comments. 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 = 15%
B = 89 - 80% Undergraduate
Paper Analysis = 5%
C = 79 - 70% 2
Research Assignments (Academic Journals and Précis) at 10% each = 20%
D = 69 - 60% 2
Presentations (Long, then Short with PowerPoint) at 20% each = 40%
F = 59 - 0% 1
Final Paper Presentation with PPT = 20%
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 research paper will have a short and long
version, double spaced, in a standard 12 point font like Times/ Times New
Roman. Expect to use primary and
secondary texts and cite with a consistent citation scheme (refer to the St.
Martin’s Handbook you use in your English classes). “Use direct quotes!” Don’t use plastic paper covers, just a staple
is fine. The ability to write and edit
well-constructed academic essays is an important skill that will come in handy
throughout your college career and beyond. Again, these papers must be typed,
double-spaced, in a standard 12-point font (e.g., Times) with one-inch margins at the top and bottom of each page and
1.25-inch margins on either side (the default settings in Microsoft Word). More
specific topics are given out as we do the readings, and I always mention
things that would make a good paper topic during our class meetings and
discussions.
http://teach.valdosta.edu/chjames/papers4800.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. 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 245-2498 (voice) and 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
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:
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.
|
|
Schedule
|
|
1/12 T |
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 |
|
1/14 R |
Discuss the sections of Getting
What You Came For and Philosophy Student Writer's Manual on
literature reviews |
|
1/19 T |
Review papers from previous
Capstones, and the Phi Sigma Tau journal Dialogue http://academic.evergreen.edu/curricular/eduvalues/precis.htm |
|
1/21 R |
Papers by other
undergraduates, and the Phi Sigma Tau journal Dialogue |
|
1/26 T |
Continue analysis of papers
by other undergraduates |
|
1/28 R |
Undergraduate Paper Analysis (short presentations giving
synopsis by every class member.) In your report, you must
answer the following: Summarize the argument of
the author. How do they discuss
positions other than their own? What sources were used? Consider the journal
articles they found and cited. What search terms might
have helped them to find these articles? Students 1. Bianca Nelson,
2. Dani Henderson, 3. Tiffany Shafer, 4. Benjamin
Scott, 5. Danny Mares, 6. Charles Stanton, 7. Adam Valdez, 8. Chad Smith |
|
2/2 T |
Undergraduate Paper
Analysis second set of students: 9. Josh Keaton
, 10. Logan Pierce,
Laura Barton, 11. David Martin , 12. Chelsey DeJong , 13. Frank Dykes , 14. Shae Lynn , 15. Brett Stuart , 16. Tim Pate , 17. Donny
Erven, 18. Candise
Thorpe, 19. Patrick Montooth, 20. Zach Broyles , 21. Michael Stalvey , 22. Nicolas Sims |
|
2/4 R |
Due today: Academic Journals (Please note that an academic journal is not a “journal” you
might write in a class – it’s like a magazine, with multiple volumes, ie., the Journal of Philosophy, Religious Studies, Lingua
Franca, etc.) On this date, provide
the class with a list 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 or political focus and whether you
agree or disagree with the journal’s perspective. Bring in copies for all the other members
of the class. 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 2/11.
Students 1. Bianca Nelson,
2. Dani Henderson, 3. Tiffany Shafer, 4. Benjamin
Scott, 5. Danny Mares, 6. Charles Stanton, 7. Adam Valdez, 8. Chad Smith, 9. Josh Keaton , 10. Logan Pierce, Laura Barton |
|
2/9 T |
Journals –second set of
students 11. David Martin , 12. Chelsey DeJong ,
13. Frank Dykes , 14. Shae
Lynn , 15. Brett Stuart ,
16. Tim Pate , 17. Donny Erven,
18. Candise Thorpe, 19. Patrick Montooth,
20. Zach Broyles , 21. Michael Stalvey , 22. Nicolas Sims |
|
2/11 R |
Due today: Articles
Remember, articles are the items that appear in each issue of a journal. You need to find three articles that you can
use for your research paper and present them to the class. On this day, 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 VERY important for your long paper. Discuss potential debates between the authors,
and where you see your own work located in that debate. Bring in copies for all the other members
of the class. 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. Bianca Nelson, 2. Dani Henderson, 3. Tiffany Shafer |
|
2/16 T |
4. Benjamin Scott, 5. Danny
Mares, 6. Charles Stanton 7. Adam Valdez, |
|
2/18 R |
8. Chad Smith, 9. Josh
Keaton, 10. Logan Pierce, Laura Barton |
|
2/23 T |
11. David Martin , 12. Chelsey DeJong , 13. Frank Dykes |
|
2/25 R |
14. Shae Lynn ,
15. Brett Stuart , 16. Tim Pate |
|
3/2 T |
17. Donny Erven, 18. Candise Thorpe, 19.
Patrick Montooth, 20. Zach Broyles, 21. Michael Stalvey ,
22. Nicolas Sims |
|
3/4 R |
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. It is strongly
recommended that everyone have a long paper draft completed by this date. If
you would like Dr. James to read over your rough draft, you MUST bring it to
her by 3/4. ******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. Bianca Nelson, 2. Dani Henderson Note
Again Please: Whether your long paper reading date
is early or late, 3/4 is the 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. |
|
3/9 T |
3. Tiffany Shafer, 4. Benjamin Scott |
|
3/11 R |
5. Danny Mares, 6. Charles
Stanton |
|
3/26-3/18 |
No class, Spring Break Week |
|
3/23 T |
7. Adam Valdez, 8.
Chad Smith |
|
3/25 R |
9. Josh Keaton, 10. Logan Pierce(LATE),
Laura Barton |
|
3/30 T |
11. David Martin, 12. Chelsey DeJong |
|
4/1 R |
13. Frank Dykes, 14. Shae Lynn |
|
4/6 T |
15. (Chris)Brett Stuart(LATE), 16. Tim Pate |
|
4/8 R |
17. Donny Erven, 18. Candise Thorpe |
|
4/13 T |
19. Patrick Montooth, 20. Zach Broyles, 21. Michael Stalvey, 22. Nicolas Sims |
|
4/15 R |
Practice reading of short versions of the paper with PowerPoints
begins (we may begin this process earlier if there are no other long
presentations dates needed, waiting until after drop/add to schedule.) Getting ready for the faculty
presentations! 1.Bianca Nelson 2. Dani Henderson 3. Tiffany
Shafer, 4. Benjamin Scott |
|
4/20 T |
2. Dani
Henderson (LATE), 3. Tiffany Shafer |
|
4/22 R |
1. Bianca Nelson (LATE), 4.
Benjamin Scott 5. Danny Mares, 6. Charles Stanton 7. Adam Valdez 8. Chad Smith 9. Josh Keaton |
|
4/27 T |
13. Frank Dykes, 14. Shae Lynn 16. Tim
Pate |
|
4/29 R |
17. Donny Erven, 18. Candise Thorpe, 19. Patrick Montooth,
20. Zach Broyles, 21. Michael Stalvey, 22. Nicolas
Sims 6. Charles Stanton(LATE) 8. Chad Smith 9. Josh Keaton, 10. Logan
Pierce(LATE), Laura Barton 11. David Martin, 12. Chelsey DeJong 15. (Chris)Brett Stuart(LATE), Last Class Day |
|
5/3 |
On this date 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. Your attendance is required
for all sessions. Normally, this event would be scheduled on Dead Day (Tuesday)
but this year that date is a Furlough Day and we are not allowed on campus. It
has to be this Monday. We will try to schedule times so that they do not
conflict with your classes, but you should let your other professors know
about this event immediately so that you can be excused from your other
classes or your other professors can talk with me about it. |
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 the
Registration website:
http://www.valdosta.edu/it/eas/sis/documents/Spring2010FinalExamSchedule.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.
15. 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
It has special pages on "Writing the
Religion Paper" and "Writing the Philosophy Paper."
16. A great website that explains the
importance of critically evaluating web resources is maintained by Robert
Harris:
http://www.virtualsalt.com/evalu8it.htm