Syllabus for PHIL (Spring 2012)

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Syllabus for PHIL (Spring 2012)

PHIL 103-001 (35074) Instructor: Dr. Garrett

10:20 am-11:15 am MWF CH 324 CH 306--Ext. 55740

PHIL 103-002 (35075) email:

12:40 pm-1:35 pm MWF CH 305

Enduring Questions: The Committed Life (Spring 2012)

Catalog Description: The philosophical study of individual and collective commitment to ideals and values in a pluralistic society.

General Education Information: This course fulfills a Categorical Requirement as a Humanities Elective (B-II). The course seeks to foster the following General Education goals: critical thought; proficiency in reading and writing, informed acquaintance with major achievements in the humanities; historical perspective; understanding of society and human conduct.

Relationship of Course to General Education Goals: In this particular section of PHIL 103, the approach is to engage the student with several philosophies of human nature. In so doing we will look at diverse perspectives on reality (metaphysics), ethics, theory of knowledge, and religious context, and examine the commitments each perspective proposes. Most such philosophies diagnose the human condition or predicament and propose ways of improving or resolving it. A primary general education goal met by this course is development of the capacity for critical thought. Challenges and criticisms of each perspective are part of the study. Students are taught how to evaluate arguments critically. Written assignments are designed to providean opportunity to explore philosophical questions in writing.

Texts Required:

Leslie Stevenson and David L. Haberman, Ten Theories of Human Nature (TT), 5th edition. Oxford University Press, 2009. Pbk. 978-0-19-536825-3

John Dominic Crossan, Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography (JRB), Harper Collins Publishers, October 2009, Pbk. 9780061800351

Other Reading: (as assigned)

Projected Main Factors Involved in Determination of Grade

200 points are possible. The point allocations below are subject to modest alteration.

1. Two Tests (42 points each) and Final Exam (49 points). The final will be held at regular final exam time; search for “2012Spring Final Exam Schedule.”

2. Class participation and attendance, 20 points. The participation factor may be based on oral answers to study questions and contributions to discussion of philosophical issues studied in the course.

3. Short written assignments (3 at 15 points each = 45 points), due approximately third, seventh, and twelfth weeks of classes. See course website for instructions.

4. Quizzes and special lecture attendance. (To be determined)

5. Attendance Thresholds. Attendance is important. Students with less than 75 percent attendance (as recorded in my attendance/grade book) will receive no higher than a C; students with less than 60% attendance will receive no higher than a D. Excused absences will not count as absences but will also not count as class attendance.

Tentative Outline of Topics and Readings (and Approximate Schedule)

W1: Opening; Eisler’s Models; What Is Commitment?

W2: Theravada Buddhism (TT chapter 3)

W3: Socrates and Plato (TT chapter 4)

W4: Plato (finish); Aristotle (TT chapter 5)

W5: Aristotle continued.

W6: Biblical Views (Ancient Hebrew view) (TT ch. 6: 107-118)

W7-W8: What was Jesus’ Message? (A Historical View) (JRB, chapters 3-5); a more familiar view of Christianity is found in TT, 118-28.

W9: Transition to Modernity (TT pp. 129-43)

W10: Philosophical Defenses of Capitalism (website)

W11-12: Marx’s Critique of Capitalism (TT chapter 8 and website)

W13: Freud and Reich: Sexual Misery and Human Liberation (various sources)

W14: Immigration and Human Rights (various sources)

Student Disability Services. In compliance with university policy, students with disabilities who require academic and/or auxiliary accommodations for this course must contact the Office for Student Disability Services in Downing University Center, A-200. The phone number is 270-745-5004. Please DO NOT request accommodations directly from the professor or instructor without a letter of accommodation from the Office for Student Disability Services.

The Learning Center (TLC)

At TLC, WKU undergraduate students provide free peer-to-peer course specific tutoring. Currently enrolled WKU students should make appointments for one-on-one tutoring via our online scheduling system or call (270) 745-6254 and we will make a tutoring appointment for you. In addition to tutoring course specific content, TLC offers assistance with academic skill areas such as note taking, time management, test taking skills, etc. TLC is also host to a number of other programs and services including: The Academic Advantage Series: Workshops for Success, Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS), a 32 machine Dell computer lab for academic projects only, and black & white printing. Additionally, TLC has three satellite locations. Each satellite is a quiet study center and is equipped with a small computer lab. These satellites are located in Douglas Keen Hall, McCormack Hall, and Pearce Ford Tower. For more information, or to schedule a tutoring appointment, please call TLC at (270) 745-6254.
Hours of Operation At DUC A330: Sunday 4:00pm–9:00 pm; Monday–Thursday 8:00am–9:00pm; Friday 8:00am – 4:00pm. At Keen, McCormack, or PFT (open to PFT residents and their guests only) Sunday-Thursday 6:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m.