There are many different ways to introduce students to philosophy. Two of the most common are the "history of philosophy" approach and the "big questions" approach. The book we are using takes the second (thematic) approach, which I prefer. During the semester, we will be reviewing and talking about the historical aspects of the subject, but our primary organizing tool will be themes.
Another other major organizing principle for any class is whether we will take the 'lecture and test' approach or the 'read and discuss' approach. My preference for this subject is to focus on discussing your reactions to and understanding of the materials. We will have quizzes and a final examination, but if you participate in the discussions, you'll be fully prepared without any last minute 'cramming'.
Finally, I should mention that we will be using a text that draws on various philosophical traditions around the world and across time. We'll be exposed to writings by Buddhists, feminists, and African thinkers as well as getting a good grounding in the primary themes of Western philosophy.
As we go thorugh the course, I'll want your opinions on the material. Philosophy is not a one-way street. You will have reactions to the material. Some things you might not have thought about at all (perhaps the ontological status of 'universals' vs 'particulars'?) but others you probably have (what is 'right' and 'wrong?' and "How Should I Live?")
I believe that the students in this course have a lot of vital input. You have most likely had experiences that these philosophers have not had. They lived in different places and times, they were interested in questions that might not occur to us in our day-to-day doings. I'm going to want you to try and apply some of the thing we read to your own experiences and lives.
Most likely, you're already "doing" philosophy -- whether you know it or not. Every time you think "where did this all start?", " how can I be sure of anything?", "is this the right thing to do?" or "what position should I take on this issue and why?" or (on those late nights when the questions come up) "why am I here?" and "what does it all mean?" you're doing philosophy.
You'll be giving me your opinions in class discussions and journal entries. To help you think through the readings, you can look at the questions Kessler poses at the beginning of each reading.
The overall course will take this shape: you'll be given assigned readings, which you should read before coming to class. Each week, you'll write a page or two either giving your reactions to the material or answering specific questions on each reading. You'll also be expected to come up with two questions we could use to spur class discussion each week. What you want to think about is how these readings might apply to us, here in 21st century America. Try to consider our readings introductory materials -- a starting point for our discussions. We will attempt to draw correlations between the readings and things going on outside of the classroom -- contemporary events in politics, science, entertainment, wherever we find interesting and applicable material. Your own personal experiences are also fair game, so feel free to think about connections and where you can make them yourselves. We will apply the ideas we've learned in the readings to these questions.
Once during the semester, you'll present one of the readings for your fellow students. We'll have a sign-up sheet for this so you will be able to make the selection yourself.
Later in the semester, we will read a work of fiction by Daniel Quinn in which he comes to some conclusions about history and philosophy from a completely different perspective.
Finally, each of you will complete a semester project. The idea of the semester project is this: learn about something you're interested in. Rastafarians. Feminism. Evolution. Race theory. Aesthetics. Censorship. The Bhagavad-Gita. Shamanic trance. Thomas Jefferson's views of politics. Something that has a philosophical edge to it and can be somehow applicable to the class.
I've posted a list of books from which you can pick (http://www.fedel.com/mike/reading_list.html) Choose one that looks interesting. At two points during the semester, you'll give me a status on where you are with the book, then at the end, you'll give a presentation to the class on the contents of the book. Try to pursue one of the books that sounds related to your own life interests or your own personal philosophy.
We are scheduled to meet from 06:00 p.m. - 08:55 p.m. on Monday.
We will take a break midway through the class. Feel free to bring coffee if you need something to keep you going!
During the class, I'll go over the readings with you to see how you interpreted them and what I can add to flesh out something about the writers and their position in the history of philosophy. Then, we'll focus on some of the questions you've brought with you.
Attendance will be taken at each class session by way of a sign-up sheet. It is your responsibility to make sure you sign in for each class session. Attendance counts toward your final grade. Attendance is counted as showing up at the beginning of the class and leaving at the end of the class. Dropping in to sign the attendance sheet does not count.
You will be graded on the following:
Attendance and class participation are of major importance both for yourself and for the success of this class. The best way for me to know if you are working with the material is by the way you talk about it in class. I'm not looking for your agreement with me on the material we're presenting, but I'll be looking for a sense that you've read and thought about the material. Participation points are calculated every 4 weeks not every class, so speaking up each day is not required, but participation is important.
If you need to make special arrangements with me because of problems speaking in class, we can discuss this.
Attendance and class participation are worth 20 points each day (10 for attendance, 10 for participation) toward your total for the class. Since we have 16 meetings, this is a total of 16X20 or 320 points.
You will be presenting one topic this semester. The topic is selected from our readings. Each presentation should be short (3-5 minutes) and does not have to be written. Be prepared for questions.
This assignment will be graded for the following: did you explain the subject clearly and did you answer questions raised by other students and the instructor?
This assignment is worth 100 points toward your final grade.
There are 11 one-page assignments due. Some of these assignments ask you to answer specific questions, some ask for your opinion or comments on the readings. They are documented in the syllabus reading list.
There are 11 assignments due, each worth 10 points for a total of 110 points. Last assignments are accepted, with a reduction in points. For instance, if the paper is on time, it is worth 10 points. Late 1 meeting is 9 points, etc.
Every Monday, bring at least two questions you think the class would like to discuss. These should be written and handed in at the beginning of class.
Late questions are accepted, with a 1 point reduction per class session. If your question is on time, it is worth 10 points. Late 1 day is 9 points, etc.
Questions are due for each week indicated in the syllabus, This is a total of 11 questions.
Each question pair is worth 10 points, for a total of 110 points toward your grade.
Three quizzes will be given during the semester. Each quiz will consist of questions based on the assigned reading to that point. We are not looking for details such as birth and death dates of famous philosophers, but information about their ideas and theories.
Quizzes will total 100 points toward your final grade.
The semester project grade will be based on whether the audience can tell you've read and thought about the material and how well you answer their questions.
Semester project is worth 200 points toward your final grade.
You are expected to be present for both of the student presentation dates, whether or not you are presenting.
Attendance on each of these days is worth an additional 50 points, for a total of 100 points.
The final examination will consist of a variety of questions including an essay.
The final examination is worth 100 points toward your final grade.
The total number of possible points for the class is 1140. In general, over 1000 points=A, 900=B, 800=C, 700=D, etc. This may be modified on a curve depending on student performance.
Quizzes generally cannot be made up. Extreme situations excepted.
The journals will be accepted late, with a corresponding reduction in grade. See the grading section prior.