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COURSE SYLLABUS Term: Spring 2017 Course: Philosophy 322, “How Can I Know? Epistemology” Instructor Information: Instructor Name Garin Cycholl Office Number: office hours meet in the CCSJ Tutoring Center Phone Number: (312) 213-2708 (in case of emergency; otherwise please contact me by email) Email: [email protected] (the best way to contact me in through email; I’ll try to respond within 12 hours) Hours Available: Mondays, 12:00 to 1:45 P.M. and 3:15 to 4:30 P.M. in the CCSJ Tutoring Center; other times can be arranged by appointment Instructor Background: I have been teaching in the humanities for the past eighteen years at schools in the Chicago area. I grew up in southern Illinois, attended college in Miami, Florida, and did my graduate work at Yale University and the University of Illinois at Chicago. I’ve enjoyed living at different places in the United States and continue to write about these experiences. Course Information: Course Time: Mondays and Wednesdays, 1:45 to 3:15 P.M. Classroom: Calumet College 272 Prerequisites: Phil 200 Required Books David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding. 1748. and Materials: Indianapolis: Hackett, 1993. George Santayana, Scepticism and Animal Faith. 1923. New York: Dover, 1955. Other readings will be available through Blackboard. Learning Outcomes/ Competencies: 1. Students will understand the intricacies of core epistemological concepts including Mind, Perception, Scepticism, and Consciousness. 2. Students will understand what makes Epistemology distinctive from the other branches of philosophy and its relationship with them. 3. Students will analyze arguments and rhetorical structure through the close- reading of primary texts and the writing of papers and other assignments. 4. Students will develop active listening skills, synthesize oral arguments, and actively respond to 2400 NEW YORK AVE. WHITING, IN 46394 TEL. 219-473-7770 773-721-0202 FAX 219-473-4259 peers' views in a seminar classroom. 5. Students will evaluate and examine arguments with an eye to detecting bias as well as the thinker's main claim and whether the grounds for that claim are reasonable. 6. Students will gain confidence in their public speaking abilities through group discussions. Course Description: This course introduces students to the field of epistemology. Points of focus include the analysis of knowledge, the challenges to inductive reasoning and a priori knowledge, skepticism, and the unique problems posed by consciousness. The course will take a historical approach, including works by Thomas Aquinas, Rene Descartes, David Hume, and Immanuel Kant. Within discussion, we will also carefully consider how issues in epistemology impact work in theology and science. Learning Strategies: In-class critical reading and discussion, short papers, and exams. Assessments: Major a) 2 short papers (5+ pages each) that 50 points (25 pts each) Assignments: respond to central course concepts b) midterm exam (short identifications 25 points and essay) c) final exam (short identification and 25 points essay); note that final exam is non- cumulative. Class Participation d) course participation; includes 25 points participation in classroom discussion, quizzes, short in-class research presentations, etc. = 125 points possible in course Grading Scale (by percentage) 100 – 92: A 91 – 90: A- 89 – 88: B+ 87 – 82: B 81 – 80: B- 79 – 78 : C+ 77 – 72: C 71 – 70 : C- 69 – 68: D+ 67 – 62: D 61 – 60: D- 59 and below F Course Schedule: TENTATIVE COURSE OUTLINE AND READINGS: Epistemology: Historical Aspects and Issues M, 1/9 – introduction to course W, 1/11 – The Greek Tradition: Idealism, Knowing, and Reality (handout) M, 1/16 – Martin Luther King, Jr., Day (no course meeting) W, 1/18 – Medieval Philosophy and the Concept of Universals (handout) M, 1/23 – Rene Descartes and the Roots of Modern Philosophy (handout) W, 1/25 – continued discussion of Descartes’ Meditations (handout) M, 1/30 – introduction to David Hume’s An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding (read Hume, 2 pp. 1-15) W, 2/1 – discussion of Hume’s “sceptical doubts” (read Hume, pp. 15-37) M, 2/6 – discussion of Hume and consciousness (read Hume, pp. 37-53) W, 2/8 – discussion of Hume on “the reason of animals” (read Hume, pp. 53-72) M, 2/13 – discussion of Hume on faith and religious knowing (read Hume, pp. 72-90) W, 2/15 – first short paper due; continued discussion of Hume on religious knowing (read Hume, pp. 90-102) M, 2/20 – review for midterm exam; discussion of a “redefined scepticism” in Hume (read Hume, pp. 102-114) W, 2/22 – midterm exam M, 2/27 & W, 3/1 – CCSJ Spring Break (no course meetings) Scepticism and Knowing in 20th Century Thought M, 3/6 – Immanuel Kant and a priori knowledge (handout) W, 3/8 – introduction to George Santayana’s Scepticism and Animal Faith (read Santayana, pp. 1-32) M, 3/13 – discussion of intuition and a “redefined scepticism” (read Santayana, pp. 33-66) W, 3/15 – discussion of Santayana’s “discovery of essence” (read Santayana, pp. 67-108) M, 3/20 – discussion of “animal mind” and human experience (read Santayana, pp. 109-144) W, 3/22 – discussion of self, memory, and knowing in Santayana’s thought (read Santayana, pp. 145-181) M, 3/27 – discussion of substance and scepticism (read Santayana, pp. 182-213) W, 3/29 – discussion of points of definition within “animal faith” (read Santayana, pp. 214-251) M, 4/3 – discussion of natural philosophy and spirit in Santayana’s thought (read Santayana, pp. 252-288) W, 4/5 – discussion of a “redefined epistemology” in Santayana (read Santayana, pp. 289-309) M, 4/10 – second short paper due; discussion of Thomas Kuhn, scientific thought and paradigm (handout) W, 4/12 – continued discussion of Kuhn M, 4/17 – discussion of Frederick Ferre, “Explanation in Science and Theology” (handout) W, 4/19 – continued discussion of Ferre; review for final exam and course evaluations final exam date and time TBA I reserve the right to change this schedule to meet the needs of the class. Responsibilities Attending Class You cannot succeed in this class if you do not attend. We believe that intellectual growth and success in higher education occur through interaction in the classroom and laboratories. However, we do not want to penalize students for participating in college-sponsored events. When you miss class because oF a college event, you must give notice of your absence in advance, and you are responsible For all missed work. Being absent doesn’t excuse you from doing class work; you have more responsibilities to keep up and meet the objectives of this course. Having more than four unexcused absences during the semester may 3 impact your final grade. Having more than six unexcused absences is grounds for a failing grade in the course. Turning In Your You cannot succeed in this class if you do not turn in all your work on the Work day it is due. Please submit all course assignments through Blackboard by the due date/time. Assignments turned in late will be lowered one letter grade per day late (at the instructor’s discretion). Using Electronic I welcome your use of a laptop within this course for note-taking, but Devices please do not allow this to become a distraction to your (and others’) work in the course. If your use of electronic devices (including cell/smart phones, laptops, etc.) becomes distracting to the classroom, you will be asked to either turn off the device or leave the classroom, at the instructor’s discretion. Continued distractions will impact your final grade. Participating in Class Philosophy is a means of investigating the world. Part of the challenge of this course is your own attempts at articulating an understanding of the readings and concepts that we will explore in class. Open participation in class discussion is also an opportunity to develop your critical thinking and public speaking skills. I look forward to your questions and points of discussion; remember that one-fifth of your final grade is your participation in the course, in terms of discussion, small-group work, and individual writing. I will also ask you to introduce your research work as assigned in class. Doing Your Own A student who submits work, at any stage of the writing process, which in Work whole or part has been written by someone else or which contains passages quoted or paraphrased from another’s work without acknowledgment (quotation marks, citation, etc.) has plagiarized. This includes utilizing source material without acknowledgment, cutting and pasting papers from unacknowledged written or online sources, or having others write your assignments. All plagiarized work will be given the grade of “0.” Maintain your integrity when completing assignments and be overzealous to give credit where it is due through footnotes or in- text citation. If you are ever unsure about what constitutes plagiarism, ask me. If you turn in work that is not your own, you are subject to judicial review, and these procedures can be found in the College Catalog and the Student Planner. The maximum penalty for any form of academic dishonesty is dismissal from the College. Using standard citation guidelines, such as MLA or APA format, to document sources avoids plagiarism. The Library has reference copies of each of these manuals, and there are brief checklists in your Student Handbook and Planner. PLEASE NOTE: All papers may be electronically checked for plagiarism. Withdrawing from After the last day established for class changes has passed (see the Class College calendar), you may withdraw from a course by following the policy outlined in the CCSJ Course Catalog. 4 Resources Student Success The Student Success Center provides faculty tutors at all levels to help Center: you master specific subjects and develop effective learning skills.
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