BPQ Fall2010 26

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DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY

MCANULTY COLLEGE AND GRADUATE SCHOOL OF LIBERAL ARTS


DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY
FALL 2010

Euthyphro: ‘…if you prefer to call it that’.


Socrates: ‘I prefer nothing, unless it’s true’.
— from Plato, Euthyphro

BASIC PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTIONS – UCOR 132-26


TR 10:50-12:05 / Fisher Hall 607
Tom Sparrow
Office Hours: TR 12:15-1:15 pm / Student Bookstore Starbucks
Contact: sparrowt@duq.edu

COURSE DESCRIPTION
Philosophy is the subject that teaches you how to become a careful, independent thinker. In this respect it
is an integral part of a liberal arts education; it is also what makes it immediately valuable to you as a
student. Its less obvious worth is its indelible capacity to enrich your life as a rational, reflective creature
who can’t help but wonder sometimes about why things are the way they are, or how they might be
different. If you are the kind of person who spends time thinking about the difficult problems of existence
—truth, beauty, fairness, death, God, just to name a few—then you will readily recognize the value of
philosophy. If you’re a person who doesn’t often stop to ask about the meaning of life or whether or not
God exists, then this is your chance to do so. At the very least you will acquire some analytical skills that
will help you in your personal and professional life. Philosophy is not about being right or wrong, but
about formulating ideas clearly and logically so that you can present them to others and begin a dialogue
that will, with any luck, uncover some truth (or at least eliminate some obscurity). Philosophy will
challenge you intellectually and may even end up providing you with a new source of enjoyment.

Philosophical writing often seems impossible to decipher. It’s not. This course will enable you to discover
the possibilities that philosophy has hidden inside its difficult language. Once you have an understanding
of its content and method, you’ll begin to see that philosophy is open to anyone willing to set aside the
time to contemplate its questions. Through a close reading of several of the most important texts in the
history of philosophy, you will be introduced to the art of thinking philosophically and the practice of
evaluating arguments. So, what is a philosophical question? Here are several we will handle in our
course: Is knowledge possible? Does God exist? Is God knowable; if so, by what means? Are material
things real or illusory? What is an argument? How does language confuse us about the existence of
things? What am I? Why is there social inequality and is it natural? Are we naturally altruistic or selfish
creatures? How do societies get started? What is virtue? Is there a legitimate justification for breaking the
law?

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Being philosophically inclined does not make you a good philosopher. A good philosopher is someone
who can reason well and recognize solid or faulty logic when they see it. Whether you are inclined in this
way or not, this course will enable you to become a better philosopher. It will acquaint you with the
literature and history of philosophy as well as enable you to recognize philosophy’s significance in
intellectual, personal, and practical life. By the end of our course you will have become familiar with the
basic elements of logic and learned how to: read a philosophical text; construct and analyze arguments;
clearly organize and articulate a philosophical argument in writing and speech; engage in a productive
dialectic; critically respond to the ideas of others.

LEARNING METHODS
Our course will employ several means to deliver instruction and exchange ideas. In the classroom we will
always discuss the day’s reading assignment and focus in on a few of the main arguments contained
therein. Sometimes our discussions will be supplemented by lectures that will serve to contextualize the
text or outline some material not explicitly dealt with in it. Occasionally you will be asked to work in
small groups to collectively interpret/debate some difficult passages. On a couple occasions we will view
a film or television program which addresses relevant philosophical themes. One assignment will ask you
to work in pairs outside of class to discuss and write about these viewings. Outside of class you will also
be asked to regularly participate in an ongoing blog discussion that will constitute part of your
participation grade. Blackboard (http://blackboard.duq.edu) will be used primarily for posting course
documents and announcements.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND EVALUATION


Participation (15%) – Participation is essential to the progress of our course. Not only does it enhance
understanding by making you an active participant, rather than a passive consumer, it naturally deepens
the conversation. Two components must be fulfilled in order to earn full credit for participation:
(A) In class: you must attend class and be prepared to contribute to the day’s discussion. If you
are prepared for class, this means that you have completed, taken notes and reflected on the reading in an
effort to bring your understanding, criticism, and questions to the discussion. Of course, it is also
necessary that you actually do contribute, either by asking relevant questions, offering your own
viewpoint, applying course material to your own experience, criticizing the views under consideration,
and so forth. In order to earn a terrible participation grade, do not come to class or come to class
consistently unprepared.
(B) Course blog: you must make a substantial weekly contribution to our course blog. Each
week a new question will be posted on the blog. Every student is expected to comment on the question
and/or raise a relevant, related question and provide the reasoning behind your new question. Your
comment should be at least a paragraph long and may be addressed to the original question or to one of
the comments already made by another student or myself. As a general rule, you should read each other’s
comments charitably and make your comments in the interest of moving the discussion forward. Avoid
reactionary or harsh comments. If you disagree with someone, the burden is on you to do so tactfully.
Think of the blog (or any philosophical discussion) as a collective effort toward finding a satisfying
answer to the proposed question. Please be sure to include your full name when posting. The blog will be
reviewed throughout the week and I will periodically contribute comments myself. Every Sunday evening
I will document everyone who has participated in the blog discussion, so be sure to post by then. If you
post late, please inform me so you can earn credit for your contribution. The blog (called “BPQ B”) is
found at: http://bpqfall2010b.blogspot.com

Logic Quiz (5%) – In the second week of classes there will be a brief quiz on the material we cover in
Weston’s A Rulebook for Arguments. The quiz will ask about the structure of arguments, some common
logical fallacies, and definitions.

Paraphrases (15%) – This exercise is designed to help you become a close reader of philosophical texts,
and thereby improve your ability to comprehend and communicate complex, unfamiliar writing styles.
Here’s what to do: Read the assigned text all the way through. Then read it again. On the second reading,
paraphrase each paragraph in (approximately) one to four sentences. Your paraphrase should identify the

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paragraph’s basic idea and be written in your own words, in an informal style that you would use with
your friends. Do not quote the text; do include page numbers. When you’re finished, think of an objection
or question to the text you’ve paraphrased and write it out at the end. Feel free to disagree or agree with
the author, but always be generous in your interpretation. If you wish, you may work on your paraphrase
in a group of no more than three students. If you do work with others, each student must write their own
paraphrase and include the names of all students in the group at the top of their assignment. All of this
should be typed (single-spaced) and submitted by email on the due date indicated in the Course Calendar
below.

Film Dialogue (15%) – We will watch Fight Club, a film which raises a number of questions about the
meaning of life and the nature of personal identity. Take notes on the film because they will be helpful to
you as you complete this assignment. After the film you will be given a question that can be answered in
a number of different ways. Choose a partner to work with. Each of you should defend a different
perspective in response to the question, as you would in a debate or disagreement. You may even defend
a position you do not agree with (an exercise that will help you understand and critique arguments
dispassionately). Write out your conversation on the film in dialogue form. You may do this in person,
through email, Google Docs, or whatever way is best for your partnership. Consider sitting down and
having a conversation that you record and then transcribe into a written dialogue. The dialogue should be
two pages in length, typed, single-spaced, and submitted by email on the date due.

Papers (50%) – There are two, revisable papers to write. Each 3-5 page paper will ask you to construct
an argumentative essay in response to a topic assigned by me. The topics will be drawn from our primary
course texts and the papers will be due in class on the dates indicated in the Course Calendar. If your
paper is turned in late and you have not made arrangements with me, your grade on the assignment will
drop by one step for every day it is late (example: a ‘B+’ will become a ‘B’). The second paper has two
due dates, one for those who want the option to revise it, a later date for those who do not. Everything
you need to know about writing a philosophical essay for this class is contained in “A Guide for Writing
Philosophy Papers,” which is posted on Blackboard under Course Documents. I have also posted a
sample essay that will give you some idea of what an ‘A’ paper looks like.

TEXTS, TV, FILM


Required texts (available for purchase in the Duquesne University bookstore):
Anthony Weston, A Rulebook for Arguments, 4th ed. (Hackett, 2009)
David Hume, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, 2nd ed. (Hackett, 1998)
Descartes, Meditations, Objections, and Replies (Hackett, 2006)
Plato, The Trial and Death of Socrates, 3rd ed. (Hackett, 2000)
Berkeley, A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge (Hackett, 1982)
Rousseau, Discourse On the Origin of Inequality (Hackett, 1992)

To be screened in class:
Fight Club, directed by David Fincher (1999; based on the book by Chuck Palahniuk)
House (episode to be determined)

COURSE POLICIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS


Attendance – Attendance is essential to your success. Missing more than two classes will hinder your
ability to earn full participation credit. If you arrive more than 5 minutes late, you will be marked late.

Electronics – Electronic devices (including laptops, cell phones, and mp3 players) are not permitted in
class. These devices should be stowed away for the duration of our meeting. Texting during class will
negatively affect your participation grade.

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Reading – Reading philosophy is difficult, and often tedious. This is because most students do not read
philosophy until they get to college. Be sure to set aside plenty of time to read each week. Even better: do
the reading over several sittings and in quiet spaces. Don’t try to devour it all at once. This will either put
you to sleep or lead to distracted reading, neither of which is conducive to digesting philosophy. You
probably will need to read some things more than once. As you read, constantly ask yourself: What does
this mean? and Is this true? You will have to (and should) look up words in the dictionary; sometimes the
only thing keeping you from comprehending a passage is a single word whose definition you do not
know. Also note that comprehension questions are often the best way to initiate a discussion, so don’t be
afraid to ask them.

Annotation – Annotation (note-taking) is necessary for active learning. When reading at home you should
underline, highlight, and write in the margins of your texts. In class, you should take down notes for
anything that is written on the board and for many things not written on the board. These notes will not
only serve as a record of the material you’ve covered, they will also prove indispensable when writing
papers.

Contact me – I am available to assist you with any problem that arises in class. If you need help with
annotation or writing papers; if you can’t figure out how to contribute positively to the class discussion;
or if you have trouble comprehending the readings, then please contact me. I check email frequently and I
am available to meet with you upon request. Of course, feel free to contact me not only when you have a
“problem,” but also when you just want to talk about some issue from the course.

COURSE CALENDAR AND READING SCHEDULE


[All readings will be discussed in class on the dates listed. When you see “par.”, this means “paragraph”.
For example, “p. 25 (par. 2)” indicates the second paragraph on page 25. If the schedule changes, you will
be informed.]

August
24 – Brief introduction to philosophy; ask the professor exercise; survey of student views
26 – Syllabus (download from Blackboard); Weston: Introduction, Chapter 1
31 – Weston: Appendix I, Appendix II

September
2 – Descartes: Meditation I, pp. 9-13; Logic Quiz
7 – Descartes: Meditation II, pp. 13-19; Paraphrase pars. 1-9
9 – Descartes: Meditation III, pp. 19-25 (par. 1)
14 – Descartes: Meditation III, p. 25 (par. 2)-29
16 – Descartes: Meditation V, pp. 35-40
21 – Descartes: Meditation VI, pp. 40-50
23 – Berkeley: Part I, §§1-15; Paraphrase §§1-5
30 – Berkeley: Part I, §§16-24

October
5 – Berkeley: Part I, §§25-44, §50
7 – Screening of Fight Club
12 – Screening and Discussion of Fight Club
14 – Plato: Euthyphro, pp. 1-11 (9e in margin); First Paper Due In Class
19 – Plato: Euthyphro, pp. 11-19
21 – Plato: Crito, pp. 43-54

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26 – Rousseau: Preface and Question, pp. 10-15; 16-18
28 – Rousseau: Part I, pp. 18-28; Film Dialogue Due

November
2 – No Class. Classes meet according to Monday schedule.
4 – Rousseau: Part I, pp. 29-39; 41 (bottom par.)-44; First Paper Revisions Due
9 – Rousseau: Part II, pp. 44-51 par. 1; Paraphrase pp. 49 (par. 2)-51 (par. 1)
11 – Rousseau: Part II, pp. 52 (bottom par.)-54; pp. 58-71
16 – Hume: Part I, pp. 3-12
18 – Hume: Part II, pp. 13-22; Weston: Chapter 3; Paraphrase Philo, pp. 17-21 (par. 1)
23 – No Classes (Thanksgiving Break)
25 – No Classes (Thanksgiving Break)
30 – Hume: Parts V and VI, pp. 34-38; 39-43; Second Paper Due (for those who want the option to
revise)

December
2 – Screening and Discussion of House
7 – Hume: Part X, pp. 58-66; Second Paper Due (no revision option)
14 – Final Exam, 1:30-3:30 pm; Hume: Part XI, pp. 67-76; Second Paper Revisions Due

PLAGIARISM AND ACADEMIC INTEGRITY


Plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated. Plagiarism or cheating will result in failure of the
assignment and referral to the University. A second plagiarism offense will result in failure of the course.
To learn about what plagiarism is and read the University’s policy go to:
http://www.studentlife.duq.edu/studenthandbook/05_academicintegrity.html

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES


Students with documented disabilities are entitled to reasonable accommodations if needed. If you need
accommodations, please contact the Office of Freshman Development and Special Student Services in
309 Duquesne Union (412.396.6657) as soon as possible. Accommodations will not be granted
retrospectively.

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