philosophy 101哲学

philosophy 101哲学

SyllabusPhilosophy101Spring2008Dr.StrattonPhilosophy101IntroductiontoPhilosophySpring2008Daily9:30–10:20AM,Room108Text:MoviesandtheMeaningofLife,ed.BlessingandTudicoInstructor:JonStrattonSOMEFILMSINTHISCLASSARERATEDRWHATTHECLASSISABOUTPhilosophyisareasonablediscussionaboutthemeaningoflife.Thiscourseasksyoutocreateapersonalphilosophyoflife,awrittendescriptionwhatyouthinkmakesthemostsenseinregardtothreeimportantideas:TheSelf,God,andMoralValues.Yourmaintaskinthecoursewillbetocompleteafinalessaythatdescribesyourphilosophicalapproachtothewaythesethreeideasrelatetothemeaningoflife.Theclasswillspendthequarterworkingtowardthismaintask.Philosophyisareasonablediscussionaboutthemeaningoflife.Inourcourse,webreakdownthediscussionintothreetopics.First,weaskaboutself(forexample,“whatisaperson?”and“whatamI?”).Second,weaskaboutGod(forexample,“doesahigherpowerthatpersonallycaresforusexist?”and“istheexistenceofevilevidencethatGoddoesnotexist?”),andmoralvalues(forexample,“isrightandwrongabsoluteorrelative?”,and“DoesGodcareabouthumanmoralchoices?”).Philosophyrequiresnotonlythatweexpressthoughtsaboutthemeaningoflife,butalsothatwegivereasonsinsupportofthosethoughts.Philosophicaldiscussionoftencentersonideasinbooks,butideasarecommunicatedinmusic,painting,sculpture,theatre,television,andmoviesaswell.Todaymoviesareoftenanimportantsourceofphilosophicalideas.Thisdoesn’tmeanthateverymovie(orbook,orpainting,orplay)offersphilosophicalideas!Whatmakesanidearelevanttoaphilosophicaldiscussionishowrelevantitistothemeaningofourlives.Philosophyisareasonablediscussionaboutthemeaningoflife.HOWTHECLASSWORKSTherearefivecomponentsoftheclass;threeareclassactivities(lecture,discussion,andviewing)andtwoareassignments(textbookreading,philosophyoflifepapers).ClassActivities·Lectureslasttheentireclassperiodandtakeplaceanaverageoftwiceaweek.Thelecturesaredescriptionsofimportantideasinthecoursethatarenotinthetextbook.Youshouldtakenotesbecauseyoushouldusethelecturematerialinyourphilosophyoflifepapers.\nSyllabusPhilosophy101Spring2008Dr.Stratton·Discussionslasttheentireclassperiodandtakeplaceanaverageoftwiceaweek.Thediscussionsconsistofsmallgroupandlargegroupdiscussionofthelectures,themovies,andespeciallyofthetextbookreadingassignmentstudyquestions.·Viewingusuallytakesthreedaysatatime.Weviewfivefulllengthmoviesinclass.Themoviesareaprimarysourceofideasforthiscourse.ClassAssignments·TextbookReadingisassignedforeachweekofthecourse.Usuallytheassignmentisonlyfifteentotwentypagesinlength.Theassignmentisalwaysrelatedtothemovie.Youarerequiredtobringyourreadingnotestoclassasevidencethatyouhavestudiedthereading.Thesenotesmustbeturnedinatthebeginningofclassonthedayassigned.Nolatereadingnoteswillbeaccepted.·PhilosophyofLifepapersareassignedfourtimesduringthequarter.Youaretowritethreethree-pagepapersonyourphilosophicalviewofeachidea(apaperontheself,apaperonGod,andapaperonmoralvalues).GradesØLecturenotes10%–youwillbeaskedtoturninyourlecturenotesonarandombasis.Bringyourlecturenotesandtextbookwithyoutoeveryclasssession,includingviewingsessions.Ifyoudonothaveyourlecturenoteswithyouwhentherandomcheckistaken,youwon’tearncreditforthem.BRINGYOURLECTURENOTESANDTEXTBOOKTOEVERYCLASSSESSION!§Whythisisimportant:Takingnotesduringthelecturekeepsyoualertandontask.Whenyousitpassivelyinclassyouarenotfocusingonthecourse.Philosophyisanactivity.Itissomethingyoudo.Whenyousitinclasspassivelyyouarewatchingothersdophilosophy,ifthat.Whenyoutakenotesandfocus,youareparticipatingintheactivityofphilosophy.It’salotliketherestofyourlife.Youcanwatchitpassyoubyoryoucangetengagedinit.ØReadingnotes20%–youwillbeaskedtoturninyourreadingnotesontheassignedreadingfromthetextbookonspecificdays.YouearnanAgradeforthereadingnotesbyhavinganimportantcommentoneachpageofthereadingthatdemonstratesyouhavestudiedthereading,notsimplyreadit.Readingnotesareturnedinonlyatthebeginningoftheclasssessiontheyaredue.Theywillbereturnedbeforetheclassdiscussions.Ifyouturninthereadingnoteslate,youcanearnagradeofConly.§Whythisisimportant:Thetextbookyoupurchasedisanessentialpartofthecourse.Theessaysyouareassignedinitarethought-provokingexplorationsofsomeofthephilosophicalideasinthecourse.Inordertolearnaboutphilosophy,youmustnotonlyreadtheessays,youmuststudythem.Thebestwaytodothatistotakenoteswhileyoustudy.Thismeansthatyouwillneedtoreadpartsoftheessaysseveraltimes.Thereadingmaterialforthe\nSyllabusPhilosophy101Spring2008Dr.Strattonquarterisbrief;onlyfiveessaysofapproximatelyfifteenpageseach.However,eachessayisachallengingphilosophicalinvestigation.Youshouldaddressthechallengeandworkonthereading.Itisnoteasy.Ifphilosophywaseasy,itwouldbeeasytounderstandthemeaningoflife.ØDiscussionandviewingmovies10%–youearnparticipationcreditforviewingthemoviesandforparticipation(notsimplyattendance)indiscussion.§Whythisisimportant:Viewingthemoviesasaclassgivesusasenseofcommunity.Wesharetheexperiencetogetherandwhenwediscusstheideaswecanallreferencethatsharedexperience.Thisclassis,aboveallelse,agroupofpeoplecenteredonacommontask.Wedon’tviewthemoviesinclassforrecreation;weviewthemtoexperiencethephilosophicalideastheygenerateinusasagroup.ØPhilosophyofLifepapers40%–yourpapersaregradedonhowwellyouunderstandthelecturematerial,thereadingassignments,andthequalityofyourownthoughts.YouearnanAgradebycitingatleastonelecture,andonereadingassignment,andbydemonstratingthatyouunderstandthematerialdiscussedinclass.AnAgradealsorequiresthatcometoaconclusiononthetopicandthatyousupportyourpositionwithgoodreasons.Ifyouturninaphilosophyoflifepaperlate,itcanearnagradeofConly.§Whythisisimportant:Youneedtohaveaphilosophyoflifeinordertolivefully.Aphilosophyoflifeconsistsofyourthoughtsaboutwhatlifemeanstoyou.Aphilosophyoflifegoesfarbeyondthevaluesthathavebeendrilledintoyoubyyourculturalbackground.Youtakeresponsibilityforyourphilosophyoflifebecauseyoucreateit.Yourculturalvaluesarewhatothershavetoldyouabout.Youcanbearobotoryoucanbeahumanbeing.Humanbeingsexplorethemeaningoftheirworlds.Robotsjustgoalongwiththeprogram.§FinalExamination20%–yourfinalexaminationconsistsofobjectivequestionsonthephilosophicaltermsweuseinclassandseveralessayquestionsonyourphilosophyoflife.Theclasswillreviewforthefinalexam.\nSyllabusPhilosophy101Spring2008Dr.StrattonImportantthingsforyoursuccess·Attendeveryclasssession.Donotcutthisclass,ever.Ifyouareplanningonnotcomingtoclasseveryday,youshoulddropearlyandgetyourmoneybackfromthebusinessoffice.·Classsessionsareworksessions.Arriveontime,beprepared,andparticipate.Youcansocializeandhavefuninalotofplaces,butnotinyourphilosophyclass.Weareheretoworkonthemeaningoflife.·Turninyourassignedworkontime.Procrastinationissayingnototheenergyoflife.·Turnoffanyelectronicdevices,includinglaptopsandcells.·Avoiddistractingbehavior(forexample,leavingtheroomonceclasshasstarted,whispering,eating,ormakingrudecomments).Keepinmindthatthiscourseisimportanttoeveryoneinit.Yourfellowstudentshavepaidtuition(over$300)forthiscoursewiththeintentionoflearningaboutphilosophy,earningHumanitiescredit,andgraduatingfromWWCC.Theinstructormayloweryourgradeconsiderablyforanydistractingbehavioronyourpart.·Turninginanyworkthatisnotyourownwillresultineitherfailingordroppingtheentirecourse.Cheatingisanexhibitionofweaknessofsoul.Avoidit.THEFINALEXAMPERIODFORTHISCOURSEIS9:30–11:30THURSDAY,JUNE12