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Fall, 2008
Wednesday, 6:30-9:15 pm
Kinard 105
Dr. Houston Craighead
Email:
houstonac@comporium.net (preferred)
or
craigheadh@winthrop.edu
TEXTS:
1.
John R. Burr and Milton Goldinger (eds), Philosophy and
Contemporary Issues (9th
edition).
2.
Daniel Kolak, In Search of God: The Language and Logic of
Belief.
3.
Plato, Five Dialogues (Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno,
Phaedo). Be sure to get the edition in the University Bookstore
(The Bookworm).
(Tentative) CLASS SCHEDULE
8/27-
Introduction. Explanation of what the course is about and how
we will proceed.
9/3 -
Free Will and Determinism: “What Philosophy Can Be” and
selections 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7 (5 also recommended).
9/10 -
God and Religion: Selections 10-15 (16 and 17 recommended; 18,
19, 55 and 56 also of interest).
9/17 -
Morality and Society: Selections 20, 21, 23-28.
9/24 - Mind and Body - Read
in this order: Sels. 43 and 50; Sel. 42; handout by
Berkeley.
10/1 - Mind and Body
(continued): Selections 44-49.
10/8 - Kolak, In Search of
God, pgs. i-124.
10/15 - Kolak, In Search of
God, pgs. 125-237.
10/22 - Plato, Euthyphro,
Apology, Crito.
10/29 - Plato, Meno and
Phaedo. Exam passed out at end of class.
11/12 – First half of Exam
due. No class. Either turn in your paper to Ms. Hopkins in 107
Kinard before 5 pm., or bring it to the seminar room at 6:30.
I’ll be there for about 10 minutes.
11/19 - Second half of Exam
due. We will spend the class discussing what people said in
their exams. You will also fill out a Course Evaluation.
11/26 - No Class: Thanksgiving
Break.
12/3 - Last Class: Exams
returned.
ASSIGNMENTS
AND GRADING
1.
Class participation (50%).
The course is centered on readings and the discussion of those
readings. It is vital that you carefully read each essay or
book, that you take notes on and think about what you have read,
and that you critically compare/contrast what the authors say
with your own views and with the other authors. Then you must
participate in the class discussion in light of that reading and
thinking. If you are not present, you cannot participate. Be
here. Be on time. Be prepared. Participate.
2.
Take-home exam (50%).
When we have read and discussed all of the assignments, I will
give you a take-home exam with questions about many of the
readings and your responses to them. Some of the questions will
ask you to compare/contrast what different authors have said and
then to show which one you think is more likely correct (and
why). Some will ask you to develop your own views in dialogue
with just one author. If you have been answering the questions
handed out each week, you will be prepared for this because the
exam questions will come from those questions. The paper must
be typed on a word-processor, double-spaced, and correct in
spelling, grammar, sentence structure, etc. Be sure to
proofread your paper very carefully. Don’t use just the
spell-checker on your computer. You will have three weeks to
work on it, but at least half of the exam is due after two
weeks. The due dates are listed in the above schedule. [On
your word processor, please use a 12 point font, Arial or Times
New Roman. Microsoft Word may automatically comes up in 10
point TNR, but that is too small – at least for me.]
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