FALL 2007

  Philosophy 150

Questions in Modern And

                                                                                      Contemporary Philosophy:

          This course of study presents an historical introduction to European, British and American philosophy beginning in the seventeenth century and ending in the twenty-first century.  The emphasis will be on American philosophy but European rationalism and British empiricism will be represented.  The purpose of the course is to instill in the student the ability and the confidences to think, read, and write philosophically.  Most students find the study of philosophical concepts exciting, yet few read philosophy independently of philosophy courses.  As time goes on they may argue and discuss such concepts, and even read an occasional article about philosophy in the New York Times or in The New Yorker or Harper’s magazine.  The mark of success for this philosophy teacher, however, is found in how many of the students he has taught continue to read philosophers on and off for the rest of their lives.  Those who do are those who have the confidence and the discipline to read difficult texts. And have the courage to call others when they have questions about what is philosophical in any work in which philosophy is important..

          To accomplish such ability requires careful analytic reading of representative philosophers of the major movements in modern and contemporary philosophy in a systematic way.  And that is what this course is about.

  The Representative Works

And this Semester’s Questions.

The philosophy texts to be studied in this course were written by the listed philosophers below. Excerpts from their respective works will be provided. This semester’s central questions will concern what philosophy is, how it works, and what the principle of truth is for the philosophers we study.  These are philosophical questions.  However whatever the subject declared by the author of the text is, is as important  if not more than answering our questions.

..

                      The Founders of Modern Philosophy

          Francis Bacon ...……………………. 1620

          Rene Descartes ….…………………..1637

          Anne Bradstreet ……………………..1664

The Enlightenment

Voltaire ………………………………..1733

          Mercy Otis Warren …………………..  1788

                              Nineteenth Century

H.D. Thoreau…………………………….1863

          William James  ……. ..…………………..1899

                              Twentieth Century

          John Dewey …………..………………….. 1930

          Martin Luther King       ………………….…1967

Contemporary Philosophy

          Richard Rorty ….…………………......Post 2000

Responsibility for the Texts.

You are required to research the biography of each of the philosophers we read, printing out a short biography is recommended.  We will discuss together the life and works of each philosopher.The exact texts to be explicated will be printed out and marked up by you.  Be prepared to discuss these passages by the time you come to class.

The History of Philosophy

          This course presumes that the history of philosophy and the philosophy of history tell the same truth. It presumes that you have read some ancient and some medieval philosophers. To re-enforce this presumption you are required to buy and read a history of philosophy text. I recommend that you buy a used copy from a bookstore or off the internet.  I like to see used books with other people’s comments in them.  Here are three I like: Donald Palmer Looking at Philosophy, The Unbearable Heaviness of Philosophy Made Lighter, Mayfield Publishing Co, 2000 (it is funny!) or Jostein Gaarder, Sophie's World, A Novel about the History of Philosophy Farrar Straus & Giroux, 1996 (this is a novel addressed to elder adolescents in the Scandinavian countries) or Bertrand Russell A History of Western Philosophy,   Simon & Schuster, many printings, (this contains more stuff but is not as much fun as the first two).  There are many histories of philosophy. The main thing, however, is to get and to own a history of  philosophy so when I start asking about rationalism, or the enlightenment, and start saying “no” to you – you can just read me what one of these experts have said and say “Oh yeah – what about Don Palmer or Jostein Gaarder, or Bertrand Russell?   Be sure to read the respective sections in your history of philosophy about the philosophers and the schools of philosophy they represent as we are currently dealing with them  in this course.  Again used texts are readily available on line. Be prepared to discuss in class the history of modern and contemporary philosophy, especially as they do or do not touch on the philosophers we read..

Consultation and Recognition

          The method of this course (drill) demands that we talk about what each of these texts is saying to us about what it is that philosophy does and studies.  To do this effectively I need to know to whom I am speaking; so you need to make sure I know who you are.  The longer I do this the more help I need, so it behooves you to make sure I know your name, and that I am calling on you.  Also each student must meet with me individually outside of the classroom to go over the in-class exams.   I am available to see you any class day at a time mutually convenient and arranged between us. Do not let either of these requirements pass unfulfilled. My regular office hours are: Tuesdays: 12:30-1:50 pm; Wednesdays: 1:00 – 1:50 pm; Fridays: 1:150 pm.  Or by appointment any class day. Call ext 2854; e-mail Dykeman@mail.Fairfield.edu

Examination and Grade Schedule:

          First Exam ......50 minutes....Oct 12….....................4/24^th.

          Second Exam .....50 minutes ....Nov 18…................5/24^th.

          Class Participation.....................................................7/24^th.

          Final Exam ....100 minutes......Dec  00 .....................8/24^th.

Daily Class Schedule Modern / Contemporary Fall 07

Date	Topic My work:	Readings Your work:	Assignments Our work:
Sept. 4,	Course overview - Setup for Bacon	Listen to The Origins	Print texts in whatever form you want from web page.
Sept. 5, 7.	Explications of the text.	Novum Organum Set up for Descartes	Read aphorism by aphorism. Number the words, sentences and the paragraphs you do not understand.
Sept. 11, 12, 14	Explications	Discourse on Method Setup for Anne Bradstreet.	Number the paragraphs and number the sentences in the first three paragraphs.
Sept. 18, 19, 21.	Explications	Meditations Divine and Moral Setup for Voltaire & the Enlightenment.	Number the paragraphs etc.
Sept. 25, 26, 28.	Explications Setup for Mercy Otis Warren	Letters on the English.	Number the paragraphs.
Oct. 2, 3, 5, 9	Explications	Observations on the new Constitution.	Number the paragraphs’ Maark the start of the 1^st objection.
Oct. 10 & 12.	Mid-Term	Review of all texts & classes at direction of students.	Mid-term Review . Mid-term on 12Oct.
Oct. 16,17, 19 20, 23.	Explications Setup for James	Setup HD Thoreau “Life without Principle “	Bio + biblio for HDT Number the paragraphs.
Oct 23, 24 26.30	Explications	"A Suggestion About Mysticism"	. Number the paragraphs. Set up for 20^th C.
Oct. 31, Nov. 2	Second Exam	Review of all texts & classes at your direction.  Preview 20^th C.	Review  Preview Oct 31      - Essay exam  2 Nov.
Nov. 6, 7.	Setup Dewey. Explications	“Creative Democracy”	Number the paragraphs
Nov. 9, 13, 14.	Explications  Setup Rorty $ Post modernism	"The Causalities of the War in Vietnam “Beyond Vietnam"	Set up for Post Modernism 21^stC. .
Nov. 20, 27, 28.	Explication	Rorty TBA	. .
Dec. 8,12,13	Review and Synthesis	Come in with selected texts by the philosophers that express the meaning of that philosophy	Find any selections from the texts studied that you do not understand. .

The Class Days:

Keep track of your absences!  You can not participate nor be “drilled” if you are not there!  There is no substitute for bodily presence and no way to make up for not being physical there.  This is not 100% true so see me if you should miss a class.