PHIL 4650.001 Philosophy of Water

|PHIL 4650.001 Philosophy of Water

Fall 2013

08/29/2013 - 12/13/2013

Course Description

An examination of water issues at the interface of science, policy, philosophy, art and culture. Philosophical approaches include ethics, aesthetics and ontology of water, epistemological analyses of water conflicts, local and global governance theories.

Class Structure

Lectures, Documentary Films, Discussions

Reading Materials:

Excerpts from

• (WCD) Johnston, R. B., Klaver, I. J., Castillo-Ramos, A., Strang, M., Niles, N. & Hiwasaki, L. (Eds.) (2012). Water, cultural diversity & global environmental change: Emerging trends, sustainable futures? Jakarta: UNESCO International Hydrological Programme and The Hague:Springer Press.
• Kibel, Paul Stanton. 2007. Rivertown. Rethinking Urban Rivers. The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA
• Seal,Jeremy. 2012. Meander: East to West, Indirectly, Along a Turkish River. New York: Bloomsbury USA,
• Articles on BlackBoard

Requirements:

• Class attendance participation. Notification required in case of absence.
• Regular Quizzes about the assigned reading and films shown in class.
• Final paper: 10-15 pages (approx 2500-3,000 words), double-spaced. Topic assigned by Professor Klaver or of your own choosing, in consultation with Prof. Klaver: needs to be decided by October 31, 2013.

Evaluation:

Evaluation:

CLASS SCHEDULE

WEEK I:

Thu, Aug 29: Introduction and Overview of Course

WEEK I:

Thu, Aug 29: Introduction and Overview of Course

WEEK II:

Tue Sept 3:Reading: Trinity Watershed Information sheet

Trinity Watershed Workshop Brian Wheeler, Assistant Director UNT Elm Fork Education Center(EFEC) & Marti Lathrop, Environmental Educator, EFEC

MEET IN ATRIUM OF EESAT

Map Module and Watershed Module

Thu, Sep 5: Idem:Chemistry Module

Quiz 1

WEEK III: PPT Prof Klaver: River as Bridge

Tue Sep 10: Klaver, Irene J., “Placing Water and Culture” in: Water, cultural diversity & global environmental change: Emerging trends, sustainable futures?

Thu, Sep 12 Idem

Quiz 2

WEEK IV: Dam building and water diversion in Turkey. Website: Revolt in Anatolia

Tue, Sep 17: Klaver, Irene J., “Placing Water and Culture” in: Water, cultural diversity & global environmental change: Emerging trends, sustainable futures?

Thu, Sep 19:Seal,Jeremy. 2012. Meander: East to West, Indirectly, Along a

Turkish River till p.28. Look also at the maps.

Quiz 3

WEEK V: PPT Prof Klaver: Meandering

Tue Sep 24:Seal,Jeremy. 2012. Meander: East to West, Indirectly, Along a Turkish River, Chapters 3 & 4, pp. 29-63

Thu, Sep 26:Klaver, Notes about Meandering

Quiz 4

WEEK VI: Cadillac Desert I: Mulholland's Dream (1997)

Tue, Oct 1:Reading: Kibel. Rivertown. Rethinking Urban Rivers,Ch 1, 1-23

ThuOct 3:Idem

Quiz 5

WEEK VI!Cadillac Desert I: Mulholland's Dream (1997)

Tue, Oct 8:Reading: “Bankside Los Angeles” Gottlieb and Azuma, Rivertown. Rethinking Urban Rivers, Ch 2, 23-47

ThuOct 10:Idem

WEEK VIII: Look at websites: and

Film: Website LA RIVER (5 min)

Tue, Oct 15: Klaver, Irene J. and J. Aaron Frith. 2013. “A History of Los Angeles’s Water Supply: Towards Reimagining the Los Angeles River,” Forthcoming in: A History of Water, Series 3, Vol. 1. From Jericho to Cities in the Seas: A History of Urbanization and Water Systems. Editors TerjeTvedt and TerjeOestigaard ,I.B. Tauris. London New York, NY. 2013—in press.

Thu, Oct 17:Idem

Quiz 7

WEEK IX: KERA Living with the Trinity

Tue, Oct 22:Reading: Articles on BB about the Trinity River

Thu, Oct 24: Guest Lecture Professor Brian C. O'Connor, College of Information,UNT: Water, infrastructure & imagery

Quiz 8

WEEK X: Liquid Assets—The Story of Our Water Infrastructure (2008)

Tue, Oct 29: Klaver, Irene J. 2013. “Environment Imagination Situation,” forthcoming in: Linking Ecology And Ethics For A Changing World: Values, Philosophy, and Action, Editors Ricardo Rozzi, Steward T.A. Pickett, Juan J. Armesto, Clare Palmer, and J. Baird Callicott, The Hague:Springer Press, 2013—in press.

Thu, Oct31:Idem

Guest Lecture Professor Brian C. O'Connor, College of Information,UN

WEEK XI:PPT Dr Klaver: Mekong.

Tue, Nov 5: Reading: World Rivers Review Vol 22, number2 /June 2007 The Mekong: Diverse, Magnificent, Threatened

Thu, Nov 7: Idem

Quiz 9

WEEK XII: PPT Dr Klaver: Mekong.

Tue, Nov 12: Fred Pearce: From When the Rivers Run Dry, Ch 12 “Mekong: Feel the Pulse”

Thu, Nov 14: Democratizing water governance in the Mekong, Eds Louis Lebel, John Dore e.a. Introduction: Masao Imamura

Quiz 10

WEEK XIII: Film: River Planet (2011)

Tue, Nov 19:Democratizing water governance in the Mekong, Eds Louis Lebel, John Dore e.a. Introduction: Masao Imamura

Thu, Nov 21: Idem

WEEK XIV:

Tue, Nov 26:Research Day

Thu, Nov 28: THANKSGIVING BREAK (University Closed)

WEEK XV: Film: Cadillac Desert II: An American Nile (1997)

Tue, Dec 3:Review Literature

Thu, Dec 5: LAST CLASS

WEEK XVI: OFFICIAL EXAM WEEK

Tue, Dec 10:

PAPER DUE ELECTRONICALLY

Send to

NO Official Exam

Classroom Courtesy: Please follow these guidelines

(1) Turn off cell phones before arriving.

(2) Do not arrive late or leave early.

(3) Do not sleep during class.

(4) Do not work on other assignments during class.

(5) Do not talk or whisper to neighbors (except for formal class interaction).

Student behavior that interferes with an instructor’s ability to conduct a class or other students’ opportunity to learn is unacceptable and disruptive and will not be tolerated in any instructional forum at UNT. Students engaging in unacceptable behavior will be directed to leave the classroom. Code of Student Conduct:

Academic Dishonesty: Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, the use of any unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests, or exams; dependence upon the aid of sources beyond those authorized by the instructor, the acquisition of tests or other material belonging to a faculty member, dual submission of a paper or project, resubmission of a paper or project to a different class without express permission from the instructors, or any other act designed to give a student an unfair advantage. Plagiarism includes the paraphrase or direct quotation of published or unpublished works without full and clear acknowledgment of the author/source.

Academic dishonesty will bring about disciplinary action, which may include expulsion from the university. This is explained in the UNT Student Handbook.

Drop/Add Information

If you wish to drop the class, please refer for scheduling and deadline information to:

ODA Statement:

The University of North Texas makes reasonable academic accommodation for students with disabilities. Students seeking accommodation must first register with the Office of Disability Accommodation (ODA) to verify their eligibility. If a disability is verified, the ODA will provide you with an accommodation letter to be delivered to faculty to begin a private discussion regarding your specific needs in a course. You may request accommodations at any time, however, ODA notices of accommodation should be provided as early as possible in the semester to avoid any delay in implementation. Note that students must obtain a new letter of accommodation for every semester and must meet with each faculty member prior to implementation in each class. For additional information see the Office of Disability Accommodation website at You may also contact them by phone at 940.565.4323.