UNIVERSITY
OF ST. FRANCIS
Philosophy of Modern Society (4 Semester Hours)
August 20—December 6, 2001
Course
Description:
ˇ
To present philosophy as an “activity” that all humans naturally
engage in.
ˇ
To introduce the great philosophical thinkers of the ages and what
they had to say on such topics as art, ethics, science, knowledge, society, and
religion.
ˇ
To present their ideas in their proper historical context to try to
better understand why they said what they said and why they felt compelled to
speak about these issues.
Course
Objectives:
1.
To acquire a working knowledge of the major disciplines of philosophy; in
particular, ethics, epistemology, and metaphysics.
2.
To analyze the lives and ideas of major Western philosophers; in
particular, Plato, Aristotle, Immanuel Kant, John Stuart Mill, and Soren
Kierkegaard.
3.
To understand the major ethical theories of today and their implication
for modern medicine. We will pay
careful attention to the ethical ideas of Kant and Mill.
4. To
assist health-care professionals to understand health-related philosophical
ideas, such as the social dimension of modern medicine.
5.
To develop students’ written skills by writing one creative philosophy
paper.
Required textbook:
About Philosophy, 8/e, Robert Paul
Wolff, Prentice Hall, 2000. (In
addition to the text, use the following site that parallels the book: www.prenhall.com/wolff)
Other Internet Resources:
ˇ
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/
ˇ
Philosophical Terms and Names: http://people.delphi.com/gkemerling/dy/index.htm
Course Content:
August 20th. Getting to know you and the software
August 29th. Introductory paper written by you about the meaning of life.
September 5th. What is Philosophy? (Wolff, pages 1-40)
September 12th. Theory of Knowledge (Wolff, pages 41-86)
September 19th.
Metaphysics and Philosophy of Mind
(Wolff, pages 87-120)
September 26th. Philosophy of Science (Wolff, pages 121-156)
October 3rd Ethical Theory (Wolff, pages 157-242)
October 10th
Midterm
Week
October 17th. Social and Political Philosophy (Wolff, pages 243-306)
October 24th. Philosophy of Art (Wolff, pages 307-350)
October 31st. Philosophy of Religion (Wolff, pages 351-396)
November 7th. Feminist Philosophy
November 14th. Philosophy of People of Color
November 21st. ISC due by November 28th
November 28th.
Final Exam Week—due by December 5th
Grading:
Independent Study Project
25 %
Final Exam
12.5%
N.B. This is critical.
Your class participation in class discussions is critical.
You will be graded on both the amount of participation and also the
quality of it. I will respond to
all your comments to my discussion questions and will read all of you responses
to your classmates.
Guidelines for the Independent Study
Component:
The Independent Study Component will provide 25% of the overall course
grade and will represent at least 16-hours of additional work over and above the
assignments required for this course. Each
student will write a 12-page research paper that will deal with an aspect of
philosophy in our modern society. The
topic will be approved before beginning the project.
Students are encouraged to pick a topic that either has applicability to
their professional work or personal life.
Expectations:
I look forward to this
semester and expect that you will do your part to make this a rewarding
experience for you and the rest of your class.
Together, we will have a fruitful journey to better understanding
philosophy in our modern society. As
an online learner, you will be expected, in addition to your reading
assignments, to be in class at least three hours per week. This three-hour class time will be spent online with your
other online learners or completing the weekly assignments. Assignments will be posted at the beginning of each week.
While you are alone in front of your computer, you are still a part of
your class. Class participation
online is even more important than in the traditional classroom.
Statement of Academic Integrity:
Plagiarism has no place in your research project. No credit will be given if plagiarism is present. Cheating on a test will also result in not receiving any credit for the exam.
Accessibility:
I look forward to teaching this class. If you need anything or have any problem, the following information will provide you with access to assistance. Please feel free to contact me whenever necessary.
Dr.
Al Campbell
5105 Mansard Drive
Michigan City, IN 46360
cell
phone (219) 928-5598
(219)
874-1338
campbell@wolverton-mountain.com
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