GREAT BOOKS: Philosophy

PHL 204-Fall 2003

1:30-2:35 MWF                                     Section 02                                      306 Oelman  

 

            This is a very basic introduction to the discipline known as philosophy.  In this class, students will examine the nature of philosophical discourse through readings, discussions, and reflections upon several major works.  Additionally, presentations will provide an historical context for the development of western philosophy, and a rudimentary introduction to logic.  Concurrent with these goals are the general educational goals of sharpening critical thinking, problem solving, and improving skills in written communication.

 

Instructor:  Dr. Robert B. Smith,  386 Millett Hall, 775-2274.  The best way to contact me is by e-mail: robert.b.smith@wright.edu.          This syllabus is available on my faculty web page: http://www.wright.edu/~robert.b.smith/

         Office hours: 11:00-12:00 and 3:00-4:00 MWF or by appointment.

Class Procedure:  Classes will be devoted to discussions of the readings and

         supplemented by lectures.

Requirements:

1.      Class attendance:  Students must come prepared to participate in class discussion having completed the relevant readings.  Periodically, a study sheet will be distributed.  This sheet must be competed and returned at the time of the next class.  It is the student’s responsibility to acquire a study sheet which will only be accepted in the class when it is due.  These assignments and class discussion account for 10% of the final grade.   

2.      Report: This is a Writing Intensive (WI) General Education (GE) Course requiring a short research paper (3-5 pages) on a specific topic.  Potential topics will be discussed in class, and your choice of topic and a thesis statement is due September 22nd.  A first draft will be due on October 6th.  The draft will be returned to you by October 20th, and your final draft will be due on November 3rd.  This report will account for 25% of your final grade, and will largely determine whether you pass the “Writing Across the Curriculum” portion of the class.  Three other one page reports will be assigned, one from each of the assigned readings.  These will account for 45% of your grade.  Plagiarism will not be tolerated and will result in an “F” for the term.  If you are not certain as to what constitutes plagiarism, see the description at http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/plagsep.html. 

Objectives for General Education Courses are to:

 

 

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sharpen critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills

 

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cultivate an awareness of the moral and ethical insight needed for participation in the human community

 

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increase knowledge and understanding of the past, of the world in which we live, and of how both past and present have an impact on the future

 

         These are major objectives which lie beneath this introduction to western philosophy.

 

2.     Examinations: There will be a quiz in the second week which will be worth 5% and a comprehensive final exam will account for another 15% of the final grade

 

3.     Textbooks: Plato.  Phaedo. Tr. David Gallop.  Oxford University Press: 1993.

     Descartes, René.  Discourse on Method and Meditations on First

             Philosophy.   Fourth Edition, tr. Donald Cress.  Hackett:1999.

     Searle, John.  Minds, Brains, and Science.  Harvard University Press:

1984.

 

Week One (Sept 8-12)

            What is Philosophy?

            Arguments and Propositions

            Prelection on Greek Philosophy

 

Week two (Sept 15-19)

            Phaedo

           

Week Three (Sept 22-26)

            Phaedo

    (Report topic is due.)

           

Week Four (Sept 29-Oct 3)

            Phaedo

 

Week Five (Oct 6-10)

            Descartes       

     (First draft is due.)

 

Week Six (Oct 13-17)

            Descartes

 

Week Seven (Oct 20-24)

            Descartes       

 

Week Eight (Oct 27-31)

            Searle

 

Week Nine (Nov 3-7)

            Searle

     (Final draft is due.)

 

Week Ten (Nov 10-14)

            Searle

           

FINAL EXAM:  Monday, November 17, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

 

The following is offered to guide you in the process of writing an academic paper:

 

 

How to Write a Term Paper

I.  Collecting Information

Opinion is a fine thing, but in an academic paper your opinions are only worthwhile if they are backed up by facts and arguments. You must collect information, that is, gather your sources.  Since many topics will be new to you, it is worthwhile looking at the work and opinions of more than one author. You should begin with background reading related to the topic or area of study.  Use the library as a source of information. Make it a top priority to learn how to find a book in the library.   While the use of the Internet is popular, make sure you know whether the sources you select are authoritative.  There are many sites online which are set up as an outlet for opinion rather than information.

II. Recording Information

Take notes when you are doing your background reading.  This will help you get your main points in order.  Identify quotes from your sources which you may want to include in the paper.  Make sure to record all the publication/source information so that the page can be referenced in your text and listed in your bibliography.

 

III. Defining the Topic

After you have read as much as you need, DO NOT just start to write. Think about what you have read and consider what points you would like to make in your paper.  Develop your thesis, that is, a statement which clearly defines your topic.  This will make writing your paper much easier.  An unclear thesis means that the paper will be weak and unfocused. 

IV. The Plan

Outline the ways you can present your topic and your ideas. You might use a short phrase or a word to indicate the topic of each of a series of paragraphs.  Each paragraph will serves as a step in a logical progression toward the defense your thesis.  The final paragraph will be a summary of your whole discussion and show how it has confirmed the opening hypothesis.

V. Writing and Editing

You cannot expect to just write out a paper and hand it in. The first step is to create a rough draft. When creating a first draft, you may not wish to stop to edit or correct spelling and grammatical mistakes. Writing and editing are different skills, and, at least initially, getting your ideas out is the first step. Even though you may think what you are writing is awkward or stupid, once you have your ideas down on paper then you can go back and improve what you have written. As you edit, you can correct grammar and smooth out sentence construction.  Your goal ought to be making sure that you are getting your meaning across to the reader.

VI. Style

Good grammar is essential in an academic paper.  Below are a few common errors that you should avoid:

 

·         Its and It’s   Its is the possessive form of it (as is his or her).  It’s is the contraction for it is.

·         Apostrophes are not used to make words plural.  Apostrophes are used to make a noun possessive.  In the phrase the professor’s books, the words indicate that a single professor has more than one book.  When a word ends in an “s”, it is made possessive by adding an apostrophe.  In the phrase the professors’ books, the words indicate that more than one professor has more than one book.

·         The use of first person pronouns should be avoided.  Use “I” and “me” only when necessary to avoid confusion.  The same is true with the use of slang.  A research paper requires a certain level of objectivity which can get lost in a document that is too informal.

·         Improve the readability of the document by using active verbs.  Avoid words that add color, but not meaning (for example: “unbelievable”, “incredible”, “literally”, “pretty”, etc.). 

·         Capitalize the first word in the sentence and proper nouns.  Capitalize words such as “President” or “King” when they refer to specific people.  Do not capitalize pronouns just because they are used to refer to God.  It may seem pious, but it is not grammatically correct.

·         Short quotations must be within quotes and referenced.  Longer quotes should be indented and single spaced.  Always, the source of the quotation must be cited.

VII. Finishing Touches

Before you hand a paper in make sure it is in the proper form. Correct any spelling and grammatical errors, and make sure all your references are cited properly. Add a bibliography which includes the works you cited and any background reading which helped shape the content of your paper.