Philosophy 2008

Philosophy 2008

Paper Topics - Introduction to Philosophy

The paper may be written on any of the philosophers appearing in the textbook. The paper will be due on March 19-23. The papers will be graded based upon an oral examination. The paper must have the following elements:

Ø Maximum 5 pages typed, double spaced.

Ø A minimum of 2 references. References must be cited correctly.

Ø The paper must include quotations from all of the required references.

Ø Paper Topics:

§ Compare Descartes Meditations on First Philosophy to Jean Paul Sartre’s essay, “Existentialism is a Humanism.” How are they similar? How are they distinct? Find a philosophical basis for despair, abandonment or anguish in Descartes work. Explain

§ Compare Tucker’s characterization of Karl Marx’s communism to Jean Paul Sartre’s description of Existentialism and Marxism.

§ How does Kierkegaard refute Hegel, Feuerbach and Marx? Characterize this refutation with quotes from Kierkegaard.

§ How is Heidegger’s characterization of metaphysics different from Descartes? Use specific quotes from each text to demonstrate the difference.

§ Chose two philosophers from our books and show how their philosophy differs. Use specific quotes from the texts to demonstrate the differences. Then characterize these differences as an expression of two different philosophical traditions and explain why you think this characterization is accurate.

§ Chose one of the philosophers in our books and describe how one of the movies we have seen integrates that philosophy into the plot and character development. You will need to provide quotes from the text, and from the movie to support your claim. You will also need secondary sources to support your claim (so if you describe the Graduate as an expression of Karl Jasper’s existentialism, you will need to find a secondary source that supports your assertion.

ETHICS 2000 - SPRING

ARMSTRONG ATLANTIC STATE UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGES, LITERATURE AND PHILOSOPHY
COURSE NUMBER: ETHICS 2000: INTERDISCIPLINARY ETHICS & VALUES
Spring 2007

Grades for Module #1 are ready. Please visit Dr Simmons during office hours to pick up your grades.

Instructors Module Titles
Jack Simmons Philosophical Ethics Module
John Kraft Psychology
Allison Belzer History
Samantha Porgorelsky Law
Classrooms:
 Module 1: Jan 9- – Feb. 6, UH 156
 Modules 2-4: Feb. 8-Mar. 1, Mar. 6-April 3, April 5- April 26
 Kraft – 203, 204, 207
 Belzer – 204, 207, 203
 Porgorelsky – 207, 203, 204
Class time: Tuesday and Thursday -- 10:00-11:15 am
Course Description:
Ethics 2000 is designed to combine interdisciplinary teaching and the study of ethics to satisfy the ethics core curriculum requirement. This course will be taught as a series of modules, each having a different instructor. Each module will consist of seven class meetings, except for the first module which will consist of nine meetings. All students will take the first module together. This first module will be taught by an instructor in Philosophy and will cover basic concepts in the study of ethics. Students will then be separated into three groups. Each group will be assigned a classroom, and students in that group will attend class in that room for the remainder of the semester. The second, third and fourth modules will be taught by instructors from different departments at Armstrong, and each instructor will discuss ethical issues which arise in the instructor’s profession, in an academic discipline, and/or in society generally.
3 Credit Course: Students taking the class for three hours of credit must attend all four modules.
2 Credit Course: Students taking the course for two hours of credit must complete the initial module and two of the remaining three modules. These students may complete all four modules if they wish. In such a case, the lowest of the last three module grades will automatically be dropped. The grade for the first module is never dropped.
Course Objectives:
1. To introduce students to the basic types and structures of ethical reasoning
2. To apply ethical reasoning to various professions and areas of academic training.
3. To challenge the student to think deeply about ethical issues as they arise in society.
Grading Scale:
A – 100-90 B – 89-80 C – 79-66 D – 65-60 F – 59-0

PHILOSOPHY MODULE (January 5 - February 2)
Instructor
Dr. Jack Simmons
Telephone: 921-7336
E-mail: simmonja@mail.armstrong.edu
Office: 202A Gamble Hall
Office Hours: MWF: 1:00-2:30
TTH: 1:45-2:45

Reading (web posted at: http://www.llp.armstrong.edu/facultystaff/simmons.html)
1. Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle
http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.html (Book 1 and 2)
2. Utilitarianism, Mill
http://www.utilitarianism.com/jsmill.htm (Chapter 1,2,4,5)
3. The Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals, Kant
http://www.sacred-texts.com/phi/kant/fund.txt
4. “This Sex Which Is Not One,” Luce Irigaray (on e-reserve with Lane Library)

Schedule
Date Topic (Reading)
Jan. 9 Introduction to Ethics, Relativism & Absolutism
Jan. 11 Ethics and Religion, Virtue Ethics (Aristotle)
Jan. 16 Virtue Ethics (Aristotle) & Utilitarianism and Consequentialism (Mill)
Jan. 18 Utilitarianism and Consequentialism (Mill) & Deontological Ethics (Kant)
Jan. 23 Deontological Ethics (Kant)
Jan. 25 Deontological Ethics (Kant) & Feminism (Irigaray)
Jan. 30 Feminism (Irigaray)
Feb. 1 Contract Theory and Summary
Feb 6 Exam


There exists no moral system under which there do not arise unequivocal cases of conflicting obligation.
Mill

MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY

When she saw that the muses of poetry were present by my couch giving words to my lamenting, she was stirred a while; her eyes flashed fiercely, and she said, “Who has allowed these hysterical sluts to approach this sick man’s bedside?”
- Boethius

ARMSTRONG ATLANTIC STATE UNIVERSITY
DEAPRTMENT OF LANGUAGES, LITERATURE AND PHILOSOPHY
COURSE NUMBER: PHIL 3120 Medieval Philosophy and the Rise of Humanism
Spring 2007

Instructor: Dr. Jack Simmons
Telephone: 921-7336
Office: 202A Gamble Hall
E-mail: simmonja@mail.armstrong.edu
Office Hours: MWF: 1:00-2:30
TTH: 1:45-2:45

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course will introduce students to Medieval Philosophy and its historical consequences. The course defines the start of medieval philosophy by the decline of Roman ability to exert military power inland and the end of medieval philosophy by the rise of secular humanism and empirical science. Certainly one could draw the historical boundaries differently. The course will focus on the three seminal thinkers of this period, St Augustine, St Anselm and St Thomas Aquinas.
OBJECTIVES:
1. Introduce students to the philosophical ideas that define medieval thinking.
2. Establish a fundamental understanding of philosophical issues and argumentative techniques distinctive of medieval thought.
3. Illustrate the worldview of the medieval European.
4. Provide a direct encounter with medieval thinkers.
ASSUMPTIONS
1. Medieval period is distinguished by a tension between faith and reason.
2. That the medieval worldview is no longer dominant in Western societies, but still dominates the Middle East.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Medieval Philosophy, 4th Edition, Edited by Forrest Baird and Walter Kaufmann
ISBN: 0-13-048557-8
FILMS:
The Seventh Seal, Henry V, Joan of Arc, Ivanhoe
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Weekly Quizzes 20 points Quizzes on the Readings
Journals 20 points
Exam I 10 points Exam - Peer Review
Exam III 20 points 5-7 page paper – oral exam
Exam IV 30 points Exam
SCHEDULE (actual class-room progress may vary)
Week Readings Exam Schedule
Jan 9-11 pp. 1-7, 33-41
Jan 16-18 p. 51-67 (mysticism)
Jan 23-25 p. 69-99
Jan 20-Feb 1 p. 99-114
Feb 6-8 p. 114-142 Exam
Feb 13-15 Reflection on Assumptions
Feb 20 p. 145-159
Feb 22 Library Day
Feb 27 p. 169-177
Mar 1 Paper Writing Session in Class
Mar 6-9 p. 169-177 Oral Exam
Mar 13-15 Spring Break
Mar 20-22 p. 299-309
Mar 27-29 p. 331-410
Apr. 3-5 p. 410-419
Apr 7-9 p. 420-436
Apr 17-19 p. 523-527
Apr 24-26 Reflections on assumptions
Final Exam
GRADING SCALE
A – 100-90 B – 89-80 C – 79-66 D – 65-60 F – 59-0



COURSE POLICIES:
Electronics: No beepers, mobile telephones or other noise making electronic devices are allowed in class. If you must carry one, make sure it is off, and hidden so that the professor cannot see it. Academic Honor Code: Plagiarism and/or cheating will result in automatic failure of the course, and possible disciplinary action through established university procedures.
Attendance: Students must attend class. Failing to attend class is likely to lead to a failing grade.
Visitor Policy: The classroom remains open to all adult visitors, including all AASU faculty, administration and staff. Visitors are encouraged to participate in classroom activities.
Free Speech: The Introduction to Philosophy classroom is a free speech zone. This means that students, faculty and visitors may offer any ideas they like, and use any words available in English or any other language that they feel necessary to express their ideas. Students, faculty and visitors are encouraged to exercise this liberty. Comments in class do not necessarily represent the views of Armstrong Atlantic State University, and may not represent the views of the student, faculty member or visitor member making the comment.
Graduating Seniors: Graduating seniors are responsible for notifying the professor of their status.
Journals: Late journals will not be accepted. Journals may not be turned in early, nor may they be turned in by a fellow student. Each journal entry must be bound in a folder sporting the class title and time, student’s name, address, telephone number and e-mail address. Each journal entry must be typed, double-spaced and one entire page in length. Each journal entry must also include the following heading:
Title of the Assignment
Name of Student
Date
Journal Entry Number
Term Paper
The paper may be written on any of the philosophers appearing in the textbook (disciples not included). The paper will be due on March 6-9. Papers will be graded on the basis of an oral examination. The paper must have the following elements:
5-7 pages typed, double spaced.
A minimum of 4 references (one of those four can be the text book, and one can be a website).
The paper must include quotations from all of the 4 required references.

“da mihi castitatem et continentiam, sed noli mod.”
- St. Augustine

Introduction to Philosophy - Spring 2007

ARMSTRONG ATLANTIC STATE UNIVERSITY
DEAPRTMENT OF LANGUAGES, LITERATURE AND PHILOSOPHY
COURSE NUMBER: PHIL 2201 Introduction to Philosophy
Spring 2007

Instructor: Dr. Jack Simmons
Telephone: 921-7336
Office: 202A Gamble Hall
E-mail: simmonja@mail.armstrong.edu
Office Hours: MWF: 1:00-2:30
TTH: 1:45-2:45

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course will introduce students to the history of Western philosophy, from Plato to Jean-Paul Sartre. This introduction will develop the historical development of the distinction between knowledge and wisdom, objective truth and subjective truth. Developing this distinction will include: 1) a direct encounter with Plato, Descartes, Kiekegaard, Heidegger, and Sartre, 2) illustrating the historical development of human and natural sciences, 3) showing how this distinction determines the social and political character of society, and 4) demonstrate the nihilism associated with this distinction and the contemporary existential condition in which people today find themselves.
OBJECTIVES:
1. Introduce students to philosophical ideas that define contemporary North American culture.
2. Establish a fundamental understanding of philosophical issues and argumentative techniques that will provide grounding for further theoretical investigation in philosophy and other fields of study.
3. Illustrate the importance of examining one’s life and world.
4. Uncover hidden social and personal presuppositions that influence our beliefs about the world and ourselves.
5. Improve skills in reading and writing sophisticated theoretical arguments.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
The Trial and Death of Socrates, Plato, New York: Dover Publications, Inc
0-486-27066-1
Meditations on First Philosophy, Rene Descartes, Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company
0-87220-192-9
Philosophy and Myth in Karl Marx, Robert Tucker
0-7658-0644-4
Existentialism from Dostoevsky to Sartre, Walter Kaufmann
0-452-00930-8
FILMS:
The Last Kiss, The Graduate, Garden State, Accidental Tourist, The Stranger (by Camus), American Beauty or Fight Club
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Journals 30 points Weekly writing assignments.
Exam I 10 points Essay Exam - Peer Review
Exam II 10 points Exam – Faculty Review
Exam III 20 points 5 page paper – oral exam
Exam IV 30 points Exam
SCHEDULE (actual class-room progress may vary)
Week Readings Exam Schedule
Jan 8-12 Plato, "Euthyphro"
Jan 15-19 Plato, "Apology"
Jan 22-26 Plato, "Crito" Exam I
Jan 29-Feb 2 Descartes (Meditations 1-2-3)
Feb 5-9 Descartes (Meditations 3-4-6)
Feb 12-16 Tucker (Marx, Part I) Exam II
Feb 19 Tucker (Marx Part II)
Feb 21 Library Day
Feb 23 Paper Review
Feb 26-28 Tucker (Marx Part III)
Mar 2-5 Paper Writing Sessions
Mar 7-9 Contemporary Readings Oral Exam
Mar 12-16 Spring Break
Mar 19-23 Kierkegaard (pp. 83-94)
Mar 26-30 Kierkegaard (pp. 94-101)
Apr. 2-6 Sartre (pp. 309-316)
Apr 6-13 Sartre (pp. 345-368)
Apr 16-20 Heidegger (pp. 234-248)
Apr 23-27 Heidegger (pp. 250-257)
April 30 Review Exam III
GRADING SCALE
A – 100-90 B – 89-80 C – 79-66 D – 65-60 F – 59-0


COURSE POLICIES:
Electronics: No beepers, mobile telephones or other noise making electronic devices are allowed in class. If you must carry one, make sure it is off, and hidden so that the professor cannot see it.
Academic Honor Code: Plagiarism and/or cheating will result in automatic failure of the course, and possible disciplinary action through established university procedures.
Attendance: Students must attend class. Failing to attend class is likely to lead to a failing grade.
Visitor Policy: The classroom remains open to all adult visitors, including all AASU faculty, administration and staff. Visitors are encouraged to participate in classroom activities.
Free Speech: The Introduction to Philosophy classroom is a free speech zone. This means that students, faculty and visitors may offer any ideas they like, and use any words available in English or any other language that they feel necessary to express their ideas. Students, faculty and visitors are encouraged to exercise this liberty. Comments in class do not necessarily represent the views of Armstrong Atlantic State University, and may not represent the views of the student, faculty member or visitor member making the comment.
Graduating Seniors: Graduating seniors are responsible for notifying the professor of their status.
Journals: Late journals will not be accepted. Journals may not be turned in early, nor may they be turned in by a fellow student. Each journal entry must be bound in a folder sporting the class title and time, student’s name, address, telephone number and e-mail address. Each journal entry must be typed, double-spaced and one entire page in length. Each journal entry must also include the following heading:
Title of the Assignment
Name of Student
Date
Journal Entry Number
Term Paper
The paper may be written on any of the philosophers appearing in the textbook (disciples not included). The paper will be due on March 12-16. The papers will be graded based upon an oral examination. The paper must have the following elements:
Maximum 5 pages typed, double spaced.
A minimum of 2 references.
The paper must include quotations from all of the required references.

Philosophy is...freeing oneself from the idols we all have and to which we are wont to go cringing.
Martin Heidegger

Introduction to Ethics

ARMSTRONG ATLANTIC STATE UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGES, LITERATURE AND PHILOSOPHY
COURSE NUMBER: PHIL 2251 – Introduction to Ethics
Fall 2006

Instructor: Dr. Jack Simmons
Office: 202A Gamble Hall
Telephone: 921-7336
E-mail: simmonja@mail.armstrong.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday: 3:45-5:00, Wednesday 2:00-6:00

COURSE DESCRIPTION
When we think of ethics, we often think in terms of 'good,' 'evil,' 'right,' and 'wrong,' and we apply these terms to actions as diverse as executing murderers, voting, practicing homosexuality, and eating dinner (when it includes meat or dairy). In this course, we will discuss the right, wrong, good and evil of some issues that we face today. In our discussions, we will consider 1) what constitutes our notions of good and evil, 2) how we can apply those notions of good and evil to actual issues, and 3) whether these ethical considerations should determine public policy (should we have laws enforcing what is ethically right) or merely represent a guide for private morality.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
1. Introduce classic and contemporary ethical thought.
2. Develop skills in ethical analysis and reasoning.
3. Improve skills in reading and writing sophisticated theoretical arguments.
4. Apply ethical analysis to contemporary moral issues.
REQUIRED READING
Morality and Moral Controversies, John Arthur
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Journals 20% Weekly writing assignments on the readings. These assignments will be one page typed and double spaced. The assignments will be turned in, reviewed by the class, saved by the student, and turned in again at the end of the semester.
Exam I 20% Exam, Peer Review
Exam II (Midterm) 20% Exam
Exam III 20% Exam, Essay
Exam IV (Final) 20% Exam

CLASS SCHEDULE (actual classroom progress may vary)
Week Topic

1 Introduction
2 Classical Readings – Arthur, Aristotle
4 Mill
5 Kant
6 Free Speech – Affirmative Action
7 Date Rape
8 Gender Equality
9 Hobbes/Locke
10 Marx - Property Rights
11 War
12 St Augustine
13 Rawls
14 Abortion
15 TBA
16 Review







COURSE POLICIES
Electronics: No beepers, mobile telephones or other noise making electronic devices are allowed in class. If you must carry one, make sure it is off, and hidden so that the professor cannot see it.
Academic Honor Code: Plagiarism and/or cheating will result in automatic failure of the course, and possible disciplinary action through established university procedures.
Attendance: Students must attend class. Failing to attend class is likely to lead to a failing grade.
Visitor Policy: The classroom remains open to all adult visitors, including all AASU faculty, administration and staff. Visitors are encouraged to participate in classroom activities.
Free Speech: The Ethics 2251 classroom is a free speech zone. This means that students, faculty and visitors may offer any ideas they like, and use any words available in English or any other language that they feel necessary to express their ideas. Students, faculty and visitors may exercise their free speech without fear of retaliation. The only limit on free speech is that comments must be directed to the classroom, not to individuals in the classroom. Comments in class do not necessarily represent the views of Armstrong Atlantic State University, and may not represent the views of the student, faculty member or visitor making the comment. Speakers may be called upon to defend any idea presented in class.
Graduating Seniors: Graduating seniors are responsible for notifying the professor of their status.
Journals: Late journals will not be accepted. Journals may not be turned in early, nor may they be turned in by a fellow student. Journals that do not conform to the following requirements will not be accepted. Each journal entry must be bound in a folder sporting the class title and time, student’s name, address, telephone number and e-mail address. Each journal entry must be typed, double-spaced and one entire page in length. Each journal entry must also include the following heading:
Title of the Assignment
Name of Student
Date
Journal Entry Number