Spring, 2004

Instructor: Paul Hodapp
Office: Weber House (1015 20th St.)
Telephone: 351-2574
Office Hours: T/Th: 9:30-10:30, 1:00-2:00 & by appointment
E-mail: paul.hodapp@unco.edu

Course Objectives

The aim of this course is to help you reason more effectively in discussion with others on matters of social and political importance. The method of instruction will be lecture and class discussion. Attendance is not required, but if you come to class, I will expect that you will be attentive and you will be prepared to discuss the assigned material.

Evaluation

Your grade will be determined by three objective examinations (90%).You may earn up to 10 points with short writing assignments. One page reviews of the films of the International Film Series at UNC will earn one point. The reviews must tie the film to some aspect of philosophy. Up to five points will be available for a five page review of the following books:

• The Arrogance of Power, by Senator J. William Fulbright
• New Class Society by Perrucci & Wysong
• Savage Inequalities by Jonathon Kozol
• Bush in Babylon by Tariq Ali
• The Roaring Nineties by Joseph Stizlitz
• Where I Was From by Joan Didion
• Patriotism and Cosmopolitianism by Martha Nussbaum
• Sleeping on a Wire by David Grossman.

Consider these questions for your review:

1. Why does the book have this title?
2. What is the author’s reasoning about the policies of the US?
3. What are his/her suggestions and arguments for the future of US policy?

Please give specific page citations in your review. Please proof your writing. Good writing will be a component of your grade. I encourage you to hand in drafts of the book reviews to insure full credit.

The grading scale for the course is 90-100 = A; 80-89 = B; etc.

General Information

Philosophy is more like tennis than it is like intellectual history. The skill of philosophy takes time to develop, and grades on early tests are often not helpful in this process of intellectual development. Thus, I will consider improvement in assigning final grades. Philosophical discussion, both in and out of class, will be another plus factor, as will extra credit writing assignments.

The topics of the course will be: the nature of philosophy; logical arguments; ethics, e.g., moral subjectivism, egoism, and the first principles of morality; social and political philosophy, e.g., the good for human beings in a just society; free-will and determinism; God’s existence; the mind-body problem; and skepticism about the physical world.

The skills that are important for this class are the ability to give clear definitions and examples of all key terms, including terms used in the definitions themselves, and the ability to give at least one key argument for each philosophical position and one objection to the argument with support for any new claims. It is important that you ask questions if you find yourself becoming lost in the material.

You will be responsible for all material that has been assigned whether the material is discussed in class or not. The assigned text will be Lawhead, The Philosophical Journey, 2nd ed., available at the Book Stop, at the corner of 16th Street and 10th Avenue.

Any cheating may cause you to fail the course.

Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact the Disability Access Center (351-2289) as soon as possible.

This syllabus is subject to revision during the course of the semester.