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PHILOSOPHY 201 TTH (SPRING 2017) – CONTEMPORARY PHILOSOPHY
Instructor: Dr. Ted Stolze
Office: SS-132
Office Phone: 562-860-2451, extension 2774
Office Hours: MW 12:30-1:30pm, TTh 9-9:30am
E-mail:
Webpage:
“During the past decade I ... gained a new appreciation for the philosophy of existentialism. My first contact with this philosophy came through my reading of [Søren] Kierkegaard and [Friedrich] Nietzsche. Later I turned to a study of [Karl] Jaspers, [Martin] Heidegger and [Jean-Paul] Sartre. All of these thinkers stimulated my thinking; while finding things to question in each, I nevertheless learned a great deal from study of them. When I finally turned to a serious study of the works of Paul Tillich I became convinced that existentialism, in spite of the fact that it had become all too fashionable, had grasped certain basic truths about man and his condition that could not be permanently overlooked.
Its understanding of the 'finite freedom' of man is one of existentialism’s most lasting contributions, and its perception of the anxiety and conflict produced in man’s personal and social life as a result of the perilous and ambiguous structure of existence is especially meaningful for our time. The common point in all existentialism, whether it is atheistic or theistic, is that man’s existential situation is a state of estrangement from his essential nature.In their revolt against [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich] Hegel’s essentialism, all existentialists contend that the world is fragmented. History is a series of unreconciled conflicts and man’s existence is filled with anxiety and threatened with meaninglessness. While the ultimate Christian answer is not found in any of these existential assertions, there is much here that the theologian can use to describe the true state of man’s existence.”
—Martin Luther King, Jr., “Pilgrimage to Nonviolence” [1960] ()
“Courage, the determination not to be overwhelmed by any object, however frightful, enables us to stand up to any fear. Many of our fears are not mere snakes under the carpet. Trouble is a reality in this strange medley of life, dangers lurk within the circumstance of every action, accidents do occur, bad health is an ever-threatening possibility, and death is a stark, grim, and inevitable fact of human experience. Evil and pain in this conundrum of life are close to each of us, and we do both ourselves and our neighbors a great disservice when we attempt to prove that there is nothing in this world of which we should be frightened. These forces that threaten to negate life must be challenged by courage, which is the power of life to affirm itself in spite of life's ambiguities. This requires the exercise of a creative will that enables us to hew a stone of hope from a mountain of despair.”
--Martin Luther King, Jr., The Strength to Love (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2010), pp. 123-124
Transfer Credit:
CSU, UC
Prerequisite:
Satisfactory completion of the English Placement Process or ENGL 52 or equivalent with a grade of Credit or "C" or higher
Course Description:
This course is a survey of the major philosophical movements that characterize the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, including the rise of Continental, Anglo-American, Marxist, Feminist, Asian, African, and Latin American philosophies. Students will become familiar with the diversity of styles, methods, and approaches that contemporary philosophers have developed in response to the problems of self and subjectivity; mind and consciousness; alienation, anxiety, and authenticity; gender, race, nationality, and social justice; relativism, universalism, realism; and the role of meaning and language in philosophical inquiry.
Texts:
- Thomas Wartenberg, Existentialism (Oneworld, 2008) = E
- Lorna Finlayson, An Introduction to Feminism (Cambridge, 2016) = IF
- Evan Thompson, Waking, Dreaming, Being (Columbia, 2014) = WDB
Student Learning Outcomes:
At the completion of this course students will be able to:
- Understand, explain, and assess at least three major philosophical movements that characterize the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, including the rise of Continental, Asian, Anglo-American, African, Feminist, Latin American, and Marxist philosophies.
- Explain successfully at least three of the following concepts examined by the above philosophical movements: self and subjectivity; mind and consciousness; alienation, anxiety, and authenticity; gender, modernity, post-modernity, and alter-modernity; race, nationality, and social justice.
- Recognize and explain the role of language, meaning, and truth in philosophical inquiry.
- Develop a philosophical analysis of a contemporary cultural, political, religious, or scientific problem.
- Distinguish between ‘analytic’ and ‘continental’ approaches to doing philosophy.
- Demonstrate a basic understanding of methods of philosophy.
Course Requirements:
- Show up regularly and on time. Be prepared to discuss the readings. You should carefully read the assignment before class, noting difficult passages and writing down any questions you’d like to pose in class. You should also briefly reread the assignment after class to confirm that you now understand the author’s main points. NOTE: you must turn off, and place in your pocket or bag under your desk, all electronic devices before class begins (unless you have a demonstrable need); there is absolutely no texting permitted during class. Students who violate this policy may be asked to leave class.
NOTE: I reserve the right to drop any student who is absent for more than six class sessions during the course. Also, if you leave class early without permission, you will be considered absent for that session.
2.Sign up for and make two presentations in class on Finlayson's and Thompson's book. Each presentation is basically a discussion starter and has two objectives:
- Reconstruct an argument in the text (and briefly quote from it), and identify both the argument’s conclusion and support for this conclusion.
- Explain whether or not you think this argument is persuasive, and identify weaknesses with, or possible objections to, the argument. Could the argument be improved or strengthened? If so, how?
You need to distribute a two-page typed outline at beginning of the session during which you make your presentation (you may choose to do a PowerPoint presentation and then turn in printed slides to me alone). This is what will be graded (not your poise or persuasiveness as a public speaker!) Each of your presentations counts for 12.5% of your final grade.
3.Take three exams, each of which is worth 25% of your final grade.
4.Cheating and plagiarism are ethically unacceptable and will result in automatic failure for a particular assignment. For the official Cerritos College Academic Honesty/ Dishonesty Policy, see
5.If you have a disability for which you would like to request an accommodation, you are encouraged to contact both me and the Disabled Student Programs and Services at (562) 860-2451 ext. 2335, as early as possible in the term.
6.If you are a veteran and would like to take advantage of such support services as counseling and tutoring, please contact the Veterans Resource Center on campus (TE-8), 562-860-2451 ext. 3716 (
7.Aretē—The Center forReadingand Writing in Philosophy—offers academic support to students enrolled in philosophy classes in the areas of:
- Writing philosophy papers
- Readingprimary sources
- Reviewing logic concepts relevant to PHIL 106 classes
- Guiding students in completion of homework
- Drop by on an as-needed basis for help!
Information & Contact: Greg Spooner, Philosophy Instructor &Aretē Coordinator ()
Standards for Classroom Behavior and Discussion:
Our goal in this course is to achieve respectful philosophical dialogue in which everyone feels that his or her ideas and contributions to the class are respected. This means not only that we should speak in certain ways, but also that we should listen in certain ways. Respectful philosophical dialogue demands that even if we strongly disagree with others, we should be very careful not to speak in a way that demeans them or their ideas. We should instead engage in active listening—a technique that helps us to be less defensive in responding to criticism or disagreement. Mindful, active listening requires each of us to focus on the words of the person speaking rather than on what we ourselves might want to say, and to reserve judgment until he or she has finished speaking and we are sure that we really understand his or her perspective. At the very least, active listening requires the following respectful behavior:
- No sleeping in class—but daydreaming is okay!
- If you are tired or ill, please stay home and get some rest.
- No body language that is disrespectful (e.g., sighs, eye-rolling, muttering under your breath, throw-away comments after a speaker is finished).
- The use of electronic devices in class is distracting, both for the user and for the rest of the class.Even thepresence of such devices is distracting, given the temptation to use them.It affects the whole atmosphere of the class when you are seen to be texting, surfing the Internet, checking email, and so forth—even if you believe that you are still listening and participating.As a result, the use of cell phones and other electronic communication devices is not allowed in class.
Weekly Topics and Reading Assignments:
1. Existentialism
1/10Introduction
1/12E, pp. 1-30
1/17Review
1/19E, pp. 31-46
1/24Review
1/26E, pp. 47-69
1/31E, pp. 70-88
2/2E, pp. 89-106
2/7E, pp. 106-124
2/9E, pp. 125-145
2/14E, pp. 146-171
2/16Review
2/21Exam #1
2. Feminism and Philosophy
2/23IF, pp. 1-24
2/28IF, pp. 25-51
3/2IF, pp. 52-100
3/7Review
3/9IF, pp. 101-135
3/13-17No Class – Spring Recess
3/21IF, pp. 136-166
3/23 IF, pp. 167-197
3/28 IF, pp. 198-229
3/30 Review
4/4 Exam #2
3. Consciousness, Dreaming, Death, and Reality
4/6WDB, pp. xvii-20
4/11WDB, pp. 21-65
4/13WDB, pp. 67-106
4/18WDB, pp. 107-138
4/20 WDB, pp. 139-165
4/25Review
4/27WDB, pp. 167-202
5/2WDB, pp. 203-229
5/4WDB, pp. 231-271
5/9 WDB, pp. 273-318
5/12WDB, pp. 319-366
5/16Exam #3 (10-12)