PHIL 300-003 Spring 2007
INSTRUCTOR:
Mr. J. Michael Jones E-mail: JonesM@montevallo.edu
Office: 201 E Comer Hall Phone: 205-665-6423
Office Hours: T 3:30 – 4:30
COURSE INFORMATION :
Meeting Time : T&Th, 2:00 – 3:15
Meeting Place: Room 104 Comer Hall
Course Website : http://www.oocities.org/americanphilguy/amphil
On-line Discussion Board: http://amphil.proboards81.com/
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Science and religion figure prominently into the worldviews of most modern Americans. Nevertheless, for many people, the relationship between these two broad areas of human activity remains enigmatic. This course will inquire into the relationship between science and religion, using classical American philosophers as our guide. We will survey the writings of such thinkers as C. S. Peirce, William James, Josiah Royce, George Santayana, A. N. Whitehead, and John Dewey. By the end of the study, we will have an appreciable understanding of each of these philosophers, especially their seminal ideas on science and religion, which can then be applied to the ongoing debates in this field.
COURSE GOALS:
This course is designed to develop in students the following skills:
1. an understanding of the major philosophical problems related to science/religion debates and the various solutions offered by classical American philosophers
2. familiarity with major historical figures in this period of American philosophy
3. the ability to think critically about philosophical issues and communicate complex ideas in writing
4. the propensity to live a better, more thoughtful life.
REQUIRED TEXT:
Stuhr, John J. (ed), Pragmatism and Classical American Philosophy: Essential Readings and Interpretive Essays. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000.
SUPPLEMENTAL READINGS:
Additional readings will be assigned from time to time and posted on the course website.
GRADING:
Final grades will be given on a ten-point scale (100-90 = A, 89-80 = B, 79-70 = C, 69-60 = D, 59 and below = F) and calculated based on the following six components:
5% Weekly Participation
10% Pop Quizzes
20% Exam 1
20% Exam 2
10% Response Papers
35% Rough Draft and Final Paper
Weekly Participation – This includes properly preparing for and engaging in active discussions, in class and online, as well as participation in a group debate.
Pop Quizzes – Quizzes will be administered from time to time to gauge students’ progress in the course. Questions for these quizzes will be drawn from the assigned readings.
Exams – Two exams will be given during this course. They are intended to gauge the student’s acquisition of the course goals stated above. More specific details concerning the nature and scope of these exams will be given later in class.
Response Papers – Each student will select at least two of the assigned readings from class and write a response paper for each. These will be 2-3 page essays where the student records his or her initial reaction to the text. I’ll give more specific instructions later in class.
Rough Draft – Each student is required to submit a complete draft of their final paper (see below) to the instructor for review and comment no later than April 17th. Prior to submitting a rough draft, each student must also meet with the instructor to discuss the topic of the final paper.
Final Paper – Papers may be written on any topic discussed in the course, or any other topic approved by the instructor. Each student must meet with the instructor to discuss the topic of the final paper. Final papers should be 8-10 pages (see writing guidelines below). One class day will be set aside for a detailed discussion of this project; more specific instructions will be given at that time.
WRITING GUIDELINES:
General guidelines for this course-
• 12 pt. standard font (e.g. Times New Roman, Arial, etc.)
• double-spaced
• 1 inch margins top, bottom, and sides
• consistently follow standard style guide (e.g. MLA, Chicago, etc.)
Guidelines for Writing a Philosophy Paper – Philosophical writing is characterized by precise analysis, development, and critique of arguments. For most of you, this will be your first experience writing such a paper. I expect everyone in the class to read the following article: http://www.jimpryor.net/teaching/guidelines/writing.html