PHI 150: Basic Philosophy
Dr. Erin C. Tarver
Pawling Hall 312, 502-863-8214
[email protected]
Office Hours: Tues/Thurs 11-12, 3:30-5 (and by appointment)
Georgetown College, Fall 2011
Course Catalog Description: Introduction to typical methods and problems of philosophic
thought, with emphasis on forming and evaluating a personal world view.
Required Texts
Augustine of Hippo. Confessions. Penguin.
de Beauvoir, Simone. The Second Sex, trans. Borde & Malovany-Chevalier.
Descartes, René. Meditations on First Philosophy. Hackett.
Douglass, Frederick. The Autobiography of Frederick Douglass, ed. Davis.
Plato. The Republic, trans. Joe Sachs. Focus.
Learning Outcomes
- Students will understand and be able to articulate the significance and historical
development of major philosophical problems.
- Students will develop basic skills in analyzing and critiquing complex philosophical
arguments and texts.
- Students will develop basic skills in verbally communicating philosophical positions
and in using collaborative discussions to advance philosophical knowledge.
- Students will develop basic skills in critiquing their own and others’ philosophical
writing.
- Students will understand and be able to articulate the applicability of philosophical
reasoning to contemporary life.
Grading
Exams (2)
Term Paper
Discussion Participation
Group Project
Paper Workshop
Reading Quizzes (10)
Grading Scale
92 – 100 = A
87 – 92 = A/B
82 – 87 = B
77 – 82 = B/C
70 – 77 = C
60 – 70 = D
< 60 = F
30%
25%
15%
10%
10%
10%
Assignments
Quizzes
Each day, you will have assigned reading that needs to be done before you come to class.
There will be unannounced reading quizzes (on that day’s assigned material) over the
course of the semester, the highest 10 of which will be counted toward your grade. Note
that I do not schedule make-up quizzes unless you are absent for an official university
event (athletics, debate, etc.) or documented illness.
Exams
There will be two exams in this class: a mid-term and a final. All exams are cumulative.
Missed exams may only be made up in the case of an absence for an official university event
or documented illness.
Term Paper
Think of this as an opportunity to be a philosopher yourself. Now, you’ll learn over the
course of the semester that this is more difficult than it sounds, and involves much, much
more than just stating your opinions or writing in over-the-top, flowery prose. A good
philosophy paper does two things: it clearly and accurately describes the details of the
philosophical argument that is its topic, and it clearly and persuasively offers a wellreasoned, critical position on that topic. As the term moves along, I’ll offer more detailed
instructions on crafting, drafting, and re-writing (yes!) your paper. In general, it is
important to note that this paper will require the most independent thought on your part
than any other assignment in this course, and will absolutely not be done well if left to the
last minute. Thus, you’ll do this work in stages (see schedule), which will include a draft
conference with me.
Discussion Participation
Because Philosophy is best done conversationally, it’s incredibly important that everyone
in this class think of themselves as semester-long conversation partners, rather than
simply as students who come to sit in (or, heaven forbid, hide in the back of) class. It’s also
important to note that the best conversations happen when we all take care to prepare for
them—which means that your job in this class is not just to speak up, but to come prepared
(i.e., having done the reading) to contribute helpfully to our general classroom experience.
Thus, to get good marks in this component, you’ll need to do the following things:
- Come to class regularly, and do not miss more than 3 classes.
- Contribute positively to the general class discussion
- Complete one day of Begin The Discussion duties
- Abide by the Classroom Conduct policy (see below)
Group Project: Applied Philosophy
In the course of our reading of each major text this semester, one group will be responsible
for giving a presentation or leading an activity that demonstrates how that text and its
ideas might be usefully applied to contemporary life today. Unconventional presentations
or activities are encouraged; the only restriction is that your presentation/activity should
take between 20 and 30 minutes.
Schedule
8/29 – Intro: What is Philosophy?
8/31 – Kant, “What is Enlightenment?” (handout)
9/2 - Rousseau, “Discourse on the Arts and Sciences” (handout)
9/5 – LABOR DAY, NO CLASS
9/7 – Plato, Book I
9/9 – Plato, Book I contd.
9/12 – Plato, Book II
9/14 – Plato, Book III
9/16 – Plato, Book V
9/19 – Plato, Book VI
9/21 – Plato, Book VI, Applied Philosophy Group 1
9/23 – Plato, Book VII
9/26 – Augustine, Book I & II
9/28 – Augustine Book III
9/30 – Augustine Book IV & V
10/3 – Augustine Book VII & VIII
10/5 – Augustine Book X
10/7 – Augustine, Book XI, Applied Philosophy Group 2
10/10 – Descartes Meditation I
10/12 – Descartes, Meditation I
10/14 – FALL BREAK, NO CLASS
10/17 – Descartes, Meditation II
10/19 – Descartes, Meditation II
10/21 – EXAM I (DR. TARVER AT CONFERENCE)
10/24 – Descartes, Meditation III
10/26 – Descartes, Meditation III
10/28 – Descartes, Meditation IV
10/31 – Descartes, Meditation V,
11/2 – Descartes, Meditation VI, Applied Philosophy Group 3
11/4 – Revisiting the question of Enlightenment: Reason and Democracy
11/7 – Douglass [Paper conferences]
11/9 – Douglass [Paper conferences]
11/11 – Douglass [Paper conferences]
11/14 – Douglass, “Whose Fourth of July?” [Paper conferences], Applied Phil. Group 4
11/16 – Davis/Douglass [Paper conferences]
11/18 – Davis/Douglass [Paper conferences]
11/21 – IN CLASS PAPER WORKSHOP: Bring Drafts
11/23 – Humanity, Selfhood and Wisdom: Introducing Beauvoir
11/25 – THANKSGIVING BREAK, NO CLASS
11/28 – Beauvoir
11/30 – Beauvoir
12/2 – Beauvoir
12/5 – TERM PAPERS DUE, Beauvoir
12/7 – Beauvoir
12/9 – Beauvoir, Applied Philosophy Group 5
12/12 – LAST DAY OF CLASS, Exam Review
12/17 – EXAM 2, 9:00 AM
Classroom Conduct
We’re going to talk quite a bit about arguments in this class—and we’ll definitely have a
few of our own!—but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have ground rules. In fact, being
respectful of one another, even when we disagree, is absolutely crucial to making this an
environment in which everyone can learn. There are several ways we can show one
another respect; the following are the ones I insist upon:
-
We may attack ideas, but never people.
Listen to others when they’re talking.
Don’t use cell phones or computers in the classroom.
Any other ground rules we agree upon as a group
Academic Honesty
Academic Honesty is extremely important, and so violations of the Georgetown College
Honor System will not be tolerated. I will not hesitate to fail a student for the course for
such violations. Infractions of the Honor System include plagiarism, cheating, stealing, and
lying related to academic matters. Definitions of these infractions are available in the
Georgetown College Student Handbook.
Disability Access
I encourage any students with disabilities that may impact their access to or performance
in any component of this course to talk with me or Disability Support Services as soon as
possible. Disability Support Services is located in the Student Wellness Center.