Philosophy 151

Philosophy 303

FYO

Human Person Syllabus

Philosophy 151
Autumn 2010

Section 03 MWF 11am-11:50am Wister 204

Section 04 MWF 12noon-12:50pm Wister 204

Section 06 MWF 3pm-3:50pm Wister 204

Catalog Description:

The nature of the human person is studied from philosophical perspectives that seek to integrate the biological, social, political, and religious dimensions of human life. Possible topics include freedom and determinism, body and soul, mortality and immortality, the individual and society, the meaningful and the absurd, human origins and human ends.

Course Overview:

Welcome to Philosophy 151, "The Human Person."

General: This course will serve, first of all, as an introduction to the discipline and practice of philosophy. What sorts of questions are philosophers interested in? How do they try to explore those questions? How can philosophy make a difference for how I think about the world and my place in it? Part of the way we will pursue these questions is through a selection of readings that will take us from the ancient Greeks up to the present day.

Specific: Our focus will be the philosophical study of what it means to be human. What is the meaning of human life? Is there a human purpose? Do those questions even make sense? What, if anything, lies beyond death? What sorts of choices fulfill us and what sorts diminish us? Do we have a "soul" and what would it mean if we do? In what ways are we shaped by larger traditions, society, language, and culture?

Required Texts:

The following five texts will be required for this course, listed below in the order that we will be using them. If you do not currently have the funds to obtain all the texts, you should purchase at least the first two before the semester begins, since we will jump into Eagleton immediately and Plato shortly thereafter. All five texts should add up to less than $50: Terry Eagleton, The Meaning of Life: A Very Short Introduction
Edition: 2008
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN-10: 0199532176
ISBN-13: 978-0199532179
Retail Price: $11.95

Plato, Phaedo
Edition: 1977
Publisher: Hackett Publishing
ISBN-10: 0915144182
ISBN-13: 978-0915144181
Retail Price: $5.50

Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics
Edition: 2nd 1999
Publisher: Hackett Publishing
ISBN-10: 0872204642
ISBN-13: 978-0872204645
Retail Price: $13.95

St. Augustine, On Free Choice of the Will
Edition: 1993
Publisher: Hackett Publishing
ISBN-10: 0872201880
ISBN-13: 978-0872201880
Retail Price: $8.95

Rene Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy
Edition: 3rd 1993
Publisher: Hackett Publishing
ISBN-10: 0872201929
ISBN-13: 978-0872201927
Retail Price: $5.95 Your textbooks are available in the Campus Store, but the store often runs shorts on copies. You all were sent an email, however, a couple weeks ago with the list texts. Therefore, you are responsible and expected to have the texts in hand prior to the beginning of the semester.

All of these texts are currently in stock and available through a variety of online retailers such as Half.com, Amazon.com, and Barnesandnoble.com. I've included authors, titles, editions, publishers, ISBNs, and retail prices above for the sake of comparison shopping.

In addition, there will be supplementary readings that I'll give to you either electronically or as photocopied handouts.

Objectives:

This course is designed to familiarize you with philosophy and the issues that are raised by the discipline, both in what is unique to philosophy and in terms of abilities that will serve you more widely.

Part of the goal here is academic. In particular, philosophy will challenge you to think critically, to take a second look, and to attempt to uncover hidden assumptions. More generally, philosophy will hone your reading, communication, and writing skills.

Part of the goal is also personal and spiritual. The issues that philosophy raises are important to the meaning of what it is to be human, what constitutes a good life, and how we fit into a larger human community. Thus philosophy will challenge you to think about your own goals, your basic commitments, as well as your relationship to others and to God.

Expectations:

If this class is going to be a genuine learning experience through which you are challenged and will grow, you will have to contribute substantially. This will require your attention to several areas: Attendance: You need to come to class regularly and on time. Failure to attend or regular lateness will affect your grade negatively, inclduing of possibility of receiving a "0" for Attendance/Participation. Excused absences should be arranged beforehand if possible or discussed with me at your earliest convenience. You are responsible to find out about and make up all missed work.

Participation: Everyone is expected to contribute to the class through active class discussion, raising questions, involvement in any group activities, and completion of all assigned readings and coursework. This, together with attendance, constitute 10% of your final grade. Sleeping, texting during class, distracting conversations, and so forth all constitute a failure to participate and will reduce your grade.

Readings: About 20-45 pages per week of reading will be assigned, depending upon content and difficulty. It is your responsibility to read carefully and to understand the material to the best of your ability prior to the class in which it will be discussed. For a timetable of readings, consult the Schedule of Readings.

Portfolio: Your grade will be based in part upon attendance and participation, but the most significant portion of your grade will be based upon the contents of your portfolio. Your portfolio consists of a folder with your name on it that will contain all assigned written work for the class. While I will collect and return various assignments along the way, you will turn in the entire portfolio both at the mid-term and at the end of the course as the primary basis for your grades.

Portfolios:

As noted already, all written work will be incorporated into an individual course portfolio. The portfolio will include the following: Meaning Reflections: Throughout the semester, you'll be given time in class to reflect upon and write about meaning, based upon a specific feature of human existence that will be presented to you in the form of a PowerPoint slide, artwork, or video clip. Sometimes another type of in-class, informal writing may be assigned. These will not receive specific, individual grades, but are required and will count toward your final grade.

Reading Reflections: Many of your readings (or a film or site visit) will be accompanied by a substantive, assigned reflection. These may focus upon a specific concept, a line of argument, a connection with another reading, or the like. These should be about 1-2 typed, double-spaced pages. Though they are very short, they should not therefore be seen as "easy." Rather, they will require textual analysis, critical thinking, and integration of concepts, all within a brief space. Being thoughtful, yet concise will be vital.

Film Nights: At several points throughout the semester, I will set up "film nights" where you will have opportunity to watch a film that's related to course content. Most of these will be in the evening, in a classroom space or dorm lounge, though several may be scheduled during a Tuesday or Thursday free period (12:15pm - 2pm). Everyone will be required to attend at least one film night and write a 1-2 page critical reflection about and analysis of the film in relation to philosophical themes we've been exploring. While no one is required to attend more than one film, you are always welcome to do so and can turn in additional reflections for extra credit.

Mid-Term Review: Near the mid-term, I will collect your portfolios. At that time, you should include a 2 page, typed review of your work and reading up to that point, reflecting upon and evaluating your progress, a concept that interests you, an area in which you've gained insight, or some other aspect of your experience in the course.

Abstract and Outline + Peer Review: In the second half of the semester you will begin work toward a final paper, beginning with an abstract and outline for the paper. You will give these to a classmate for review and then revise them based upon their comments.

Rough Draft + Peer Review: A rough draft of your final paper will have to be complete a couple weeks before the end of the semester. You will give this draft to a classmate for review and then revise it in light of their comments.

Final Paper: You will turn in a final paper as the product of your outlining and drafting process. This paper should be about 6-7 pages in length. The focus will be to explore some theme in relation to the texts we've be reading, developing your own ideas about that theme, and relating the theme to our lives and your experiences.

Final Review: At the end of the semester, I will collect your portfolios again. At that time, you should include a 3 page, typed review, similar to the mid-term one, but reviewing, reflecting upon, and evaluating all your work during the semester, with an emphasis upon the second half of the term. I reserve the right to give unannounced quizzes on any of the readings, especially if it appears that folks are not adequately preparing for class through a careful consideration of the texts. Any such quizzes will be added to your porfolio.

I am available in my office about six hours per week and by appointment. I am always more than happy to talk to you about any aspect of your experience here at La Salle and in connection with this class. I will readily discuss readings, talk about your progress, review prior assignments, go over drafts, and so on. Please make use of this opportunity, as it will benefit us both greatly.

All assigned work should be completed on time. Late work will be received at a reduced grade. Nevertheless, it is always better turned in late than never.

Plagiarism is unacceptable. All information and quotations from sources must be documented. Failure to do so will result in a zero for that assignment. Please review La Salle's Academic Integrity Policy for further details.

Please note: I will accept written work in the form of a hard copy only - no electronic submissions. If, for some reason you need to miss class and want to turn in an assignment electronically in order for it to be counted as "on time," that is acceptable, but you must follow up with submitting a hard copy as soon as possible thereafter or you will not receive credit for the assignment. Thanks for your cooperation with this.

Grading:

The following is a breakdown of how your various grades will be weighed:

Participation/Attendance Meaning Reflections Reading Reflections Mid-Term Review Drafting Process Final Paper Final Review

10% 10% 25% 10% 10% 20% 15%