Back to Christian
Perring's Classes Page
Dowling
College
PHL
002C Western Philosophy 2
Spring
2001
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Dr. Christian Perring |
E-mail: cperring@go.com |
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Office Room: 330A RC |
Home page: www.dowling.edu/faculty/cperring |
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Office Phone: 244-3349 |
MW 11:30-1250 PM CRN 23012 RC 204 |
MW 1:00-2:20 PM CRN 20574 (Honors section) RC 324 |
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Course Book: PHILOSOPHY: The Power of
Ideas, Fourth Edition (PPI) [Required] Brooke Moore and Kenneth Bruder, Mayfield, 1999
(Note that the Study Guide and CD are available when purchased
through college book store) |
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Schedule:
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Date |
Reading |
Topic |
Work |
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M 29 Jan |
PPI 90-100 |
Metaphysics and Epistemology Descartes |
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W 31 |
PPI Selection 5.1, 115-7 |
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M 5 Feb |
PPI 101-107 |
Hobbes and Spinoza |
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W 7 |
PPI 107-115, Selection 5.2 |
Locke and Berkeley |
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M 12 |
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Review |
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W 14 |
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Test 1 |
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W 21 |
PPI 123-133 |
Hume |
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M 26 |
PPI 144-147, Selection 6.1 |
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W 28 |
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Presentations on Human Freedom |
Paper topics given |
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M 5 Mar |
PPI 133-137, |
Kant |
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W 7 |
PPI 147-8, Selection 6.2 |
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M 12 |
PPI 137-144, 148-9, Selection 6.3 |
Nineteenth Century Philosophy |
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W 14 |
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Review |
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M 19 |
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Test 2 |
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W 21 |
PPI 249-255 |
Moral Philosophy Hobbes and Hume |
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M 26 |
PPI 255-258, 270-272, Selection 9.4 |
Kant |
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W 28 |
PPI 258-263, 272-274, Selection 9.5 325-326, Selection 10.2 |
Utilitarianism |
Paper draft due |
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M 2 Apr |
PPI 275-278, Selection 9.6 |
Nietzsche |
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W 4 |
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Presentations on The Nature of Emotions |
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M 16 |
PPI 157-171 |
Existentialism |
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W 18 |
PPI 178-182, Selections 7.1 & 7.2 |
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M 23 |
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Review |
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W 25 |
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Test 3 |
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M 30 |
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Presentations |
Paper due |
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W 2 May |
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Presentations |
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M 7 |
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Presentations |
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Course
Description:
This course is an interdisciplinary study of the growth of Western culture
through the study of philosophical and other texts. The course covers the
period from the end of the Renaissance through the contemporary period.
Teaching
Goals:
My goals are for you to learn about a number of different views of the world,
and for you to see how it is possible to compare and evaluate these views. You
shall learn some facts about the ideas of different thinkers, but more
importantly you shall understand these ideas and shall be able to explain them
clearly in both speech and writing. My tasks in teaching are to help you learn
and to evaluate your progress as fairly as possible. You will find many of the
texts challenging, and you will need to read them thoughtfully several times in
order to understand them. If you feel in need of help with the course work, I
encourage you to form study groups with your classmates or to come to me during
my office hours.
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Grading |
Percentage |
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3 tests |
3 x 15% each = 45% |
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Attendance |
5% (-1% for each class missed) |
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Participation |
5% |
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Presentation |
5% |
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Paper |
40% |
Make-up
policy for tests:
You can retake ONE and only one of the first two tests during the
semester. There is a 10% penalty for retaking a test (unless you can give
a legitimate reason why you could not do the test the first time). You
must retake your test by Monday April 2.
Presentation: You will do one
presentation, either on your own or in a group of 2 or 3. The
presentation should last 10 minutes per person. By the end of the first
week, you should give me your top three preferences for which presentation you
would like to do. The presentation topics are listed in the schedule
below. By the end of the second week, I will let you know which
presentation you will do. Your presentation will be assessed according to
the research you did, how effectively you explained the information.
For guidelines
about my policies concerning written work, late work, make-ups, grading policy,
and some terminology, see my guidelines page.
Possible 10 minute presentation topics. (More coming soon)
· The determinist view that there is no freedom
· The compatibilist view that we are free
· Ways of depriving people of freedom
· What does quantum theory tell us about the predictability of matter?
· Artistic representations of despair
· The physicalist claim that the mind is the brain
· John Searle’s “Chinese Room” argument that information processing cannot constitute consciousness
· Daniel Dennett’s “Where Am I?” paper
· Jean-Paul Sartre’s No Exit
· Jean-Paul Sartre’s Nausea
· Albert Camus’ The Outsider
· Dostoyesky’s Crime and Punishment
· Renaissance art
Links for research and preparation for tests,
presentations, and your paper
Previous
versions of this course: