Introduction to Philosophy - Writing Intensive (PHIL09 12101)
Rowan University, Fall, 2009
Monday and Wednesday, 12:15 pm -1:30 pm, Wilson 164
Instructor: Dr. David Clowney

Introduction and Course Requirements:

This course will introduce you to some of the main topics of philosophy, as they have been raised and dealt with by several of the most influential thinkers in Western history. Rather than reading about these thinkers, you will read works written by them, as well as by recent philosophers who have been inspired by their work. The texts will be supplemented with occasional class handouts, which will also be required reading.

The Readings:

We will start near the beginning of traditional western philosophy, with Socrates and Plato. The five short dialogues by Plato will introduce you to the philosophy of Plato and of his mentor, Socrates. These dialogues (Euthyphro, Meno, Apology, Crito and Phaedo) tell the story of the trial and death of Socrates, and give a picture of the philosophical discussions that got him into trouble. Each of them also raises some philosophical question, and shows the Socratic method in action as Socrates and his discussion partners try to find the answer.

From Plato we will turn to the early modern philosopher René Descartes. We will read his Meditations, a set of explorations on the question of what we can know and how we can know it. We will also read a chapter from Nancy Tuana's Woman and the History of Philosophy on Descartes, "The Man of Reason".

Our third reading is by the twentieth century philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. Wittgenstein’s approach to philosophy has been highly influential. We will see how he “dissolves” the problems raised by Descartes, and perhaps some of Plato’s as well.

We will close the semester with another short set of dialogues by Justin Leiber, Can Animals and Machines be Persons? The self-explanatory title introduces a highly relevant topic. As we learn more about apes, dolphins, and some other animals, and as we build more intelligent computers, many people are asking the title question. In fact some related questions were the theme of a major recent scientific conference on robots and artificial intelligence research. We will consider several different answers to it, and some reasons for and against accepting those answers.

All of these books are available in the bookstore. I have managed (I think) to keep the cost well under $40, even if you buy them new. Please get them all before the bookstore sends them back!

Doing the Readings:

If you have not read philosophy before you may find the readings harder and stranger than most things you've read. Don't take these difficulties personally; everyone finds philosophy hard to read at first, and a lot of it is very strange. On the other hand, once you get past the difficulties, the material may seem familiar. Philosophy deals with questions that people all over the world, adults and children (especially children), have been asking ever since there have been people. You have undoubtedly asked some of them yourself. What makes philosophy difficult is the rigor with which philosophers approach these common questions.

I have asked the bookstore to order some copies of reference aids that will help you. Palmer's Looking at Philosophy: The Unbearable Heaviness of Philosophy Made Lighter is quite a good summary of the history of western philosophy with cartoon illustrations; although I don't require it, it would make a great companion to this class, and it doesn't cost very much. For those who want something that will take you deeper, W.T. Jones History of Western Philosophy (six volumes) is in the library, and I've asked the bookstore to stock a couple of copies of it. It's expensive, but if you are interested in philosophy you might consider picking it up a volume at a time. Reasonably priced used copies are also available on-line.

Class time will be taken up almost entirely by discussion of the readings, and of questions raised by the readings. My lectures will usually occur on the fly, as part of the discussion. Plan to read everything three times: once quickly, and a second time more carefully, before class discussion; then once more after class to review what we talked about. Keep some written record of your thoughts, whether you do so in the margin of the text or in some other place. If you do this, and if you bring questions to class about what you don't understand, you will probably find yourself both learning from and enjoying the class, and your grades on papers and the final should be good ones. If you miss lots of classes and do last minute cram reading, you are most likely not to have a clue, your grade will show it, and you won't have gotten your money's worth. The choice is yours.

Class participation:

Discussion and debate have been an essential part of philosophy since it began; this is as true in Asia and elsewhere as it is in the west. I will call on you frequently, involve you in small group discussions, and expect you to contribute to the discussion. For that reason, part of your grade is based on class participation. What I am looking for here is preparation, and engagement in a serious effort to deepen our understanding of the material at hand. There is a bulletin board on the course website on Blackboard. Post comments and questions about the readings before you come to class; that will help your participation grade, and give us guidance for class discussion.

Assignment and Policies:

I teach Intro to Philosophy as a "writing-intensive" course. This means I use a variety of writing assignments as learning tools, and as ways for me to assess your performance. You will have both graded and ungraded writing assignments in this class. As a regular ungraded assignment, you will keep a philosophy notebook. Write in it at least once in preparation for each class. Use it to record your thoughts and questions about the readings, class discussions, and possible paper topics. And don't forget to bring it to class! I will call on you now and then to see what your wrote down, and sometimes I will collect them to see that you are keeping up. Doing so will contribute to your class participation grade.

Your graded assignments are three short (two to three page) papers (a paper on Plato, one on Descartes, and one on either Wittgenstein or Leiber); and a take home final exam. You will choose the topics for your three short papers, with help from me and subject to my approval. The final will be approximately equivalent in length and grade value to two short papers, but I will choose the topics.

The accompanying handout, "How to Write a Philosophy Paper," gives you some guidelines that should help you with these papers. For each of them, we will go through a class brainstorming session to get you started; and you will hand in a rough draft which will be reviewed and commented on by a classmate and by me. I will grade the final draft. The dates for the three papers are listed below. The three dates listed for each paper are, respectively, the date for the brainstorming session, for the rough draft, and for the final draft.

You have a choice as to which last paper you do, and the deadlines are different for the two papers. But you must meet all the deadlines for each paper you submit. In this class, the process of writing drafts is just as important as the finished product. So I will subtract an entire letter grade for each unexcused missing of a step in the process. In other words, if you aren't there for brainstorming, and don't hand in a rough draft for peer review, an "A" final draft would get a "C", and a "C" draft would get an "F".

Late final drafts will be penalized at the rate of one letter grade for each week they are late. If you think you have a legitimate excuse you must clear it with me. Spelling and grammatical errors in final drafts will also be penalized.

Paper Deadlines (Brainstorming, Rough draft, Final draft):

Paper 1: (Plato) 9/21, 9/23, 9/30

Paper 2: (Descartes) 10/19, 10/26, 11/2

Paper 3: (Wittgenstein) 11/11, 11/16, 11/23*

Paper 4: (Leiber) 12/2, 12/7, 12/14*

*Choose either paper 3 or paper 4

Every now and then, someone pretends that the work they are handing me is their own, when it really isn't. Most of you won't do this, but if the temptation arises, please resist it! Deliberate plagiarism is dishonest, and by doing it you deprive yourself of the learning you are paying for. If these more noble reasons don't dissuade you, consider that if you are caught you guarantee that you will at least fail the assignment, and I am very likely to catch you. If you are unclear about what is plagiarism and what is not, here is a definition you can work with. On all of your written academic work you are absolutely required to say where you got your information and ideas, unless they are your very own original words and thoughts, or they are common knowledge. If the words are not your own, you must put them in quotes and say whose words they are. (Long quotations, more than three lines, should be indented and single spaced rather than put in quotation marks.) If the ideas are not your own, you must tell your reader where you got them. Use one of the standard forms for acknowledging your sources, like the one you learned in your freshman composition courses. Not giving your sources is considered plagiarism (copying). All assignments in this class, including the take home final, are governed by the no-plagiarism rule. If you hand me a plagiarized assignment it will get a grade of "F". (That's the minimum penalty for deliberate plagiarism. If you deny that you've engaged in plagiarism, and I can prove that you have, you will fail the course.)

Class Schedule:

September 2: Introduction

September 7: Labor Day, no class

September 9 - 30: Plato

October 5- October 28: Descartes

November 2 - November 23: Wittgenstein

November 25 (day before Thanksgiving) no class

November 30 - December 14: Lieber

Talk to me!

I am always glad to see students, whether you just want to talk or need help. Please don't hesitate to come see me. You're paying me to teach you; if you're not learning I want to know about it! The Philosophy and Religion Department is located in Bunce Hall, suite 315. My office hours are Monday and Wednesday, 1:45 pm to 3:00 pm. If these times are inconvenient, I'll be glad to arrange others. In any case, please make an appointment to be sure we catch each other. Enjoy the course!