HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY:

Modern & Contemporary

DR. JEFF JOHNSON

COURSE SYLLABUS

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IMPORTANT NOTICE!

What follows is so self-evident to me that I have never stated explicitly in words.  But there seems to be a persistent misunderstanding, so here goes.  There are video-lectures that go with this course.  Viewing them is essential to doing well in the course.  They are a formal requirement.  Just as though you could hardly expect to do well in a course you never attended, trying to take this course without watching the video-lectures is just as foolhardy.

The video-lectures are only available by rental through the Eastern Oregon University Bookstore.  This means that even if you use other resources to find the assigned texts for the course, you will still need to contact the Bookstore to get the video-lectures.  Here is a link to the Bookstore:

http://www.eoubookstore.com/

In this course you will be using a testing procedure requiring the use of a computer with Internet-access.

Contact the Division of Distance Education at http://www.eou.edu/dde/webadv/forms/testing.html or 1-800-544-2195 ext. 2 to  schedule a date for your exam(s).  

Our focus this quarter will be the history of epistemology. We will focus on three hugely important theories of knowledge.  We will begin with Descates' classic articulation of the rationalist position in epistemology as presented in his most famous work, Mediations on First Philosophy.

We will then carefully examine the empiricism and skepticism of David Hume as presented in An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding.

Our historical treatment of knowledge and skepticism will conclude with an examination of Kant's synthesis of the rationalist and empiricist traditions as outlined in his Prolegomena to any Future Metaphysics.

Our course will then conclude with a brief survey of some of the recent extensions of these issues by contemporary epistemologists.

UWR Outcomes for Upper Division Writing Intensive Courses:

• Students will produce at least 5,000 words (including drafts, in-class writing, informal papers, and polished papers); 2,000 words of this total should be in polished papers which students have revised after receiving feedback and criticism.
• Students will practice the forms of writing and reflect upon the nature of the writing used by graduates and professionals in the discipline the course represents.
• Students will write at least one paper integrating information from more than one source, employing the appropriate documentation style for the discipline represented by the course.
• Students will draft, revise, and edit their formal written work.
• Students will seek assistance from a Writing Tutor in the Writing Lab when needed and when referred by the instructor.

Additional Outcomes:

• Understand the epistemological views of Descartes, Hume, Kant, as well as selected contemporary philosophers.

• Read philosophical texts critically and with understanding.

• Write effectively about philosophical controversies.

Means of Assessment and Grading:

• Open-book, non-proctored, timed (two hour) on-line essay mid-term examination (outcomes 1, 2, and 3) (33% of course grade).

• Open-book, non- proctored, timed (two hour) on-line essay final examination (outcomes 1, 2, and 3) (33% of course grade).

• A two to three thousand word original dialogue or analytical paper (outcomes 1, 2, and 3) (33% of course grade).

• Please note: a grade of at least C- is required in order for this course to count toward the University Writing Requirement 

LINK TO ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES

ACADEMIC HONESTY

I am including below Eastern's Academic Honesty Code.  It is vitally important that you carefully read it, and that you understand that it is my intention to follow this code to the letter.  I really can't think of a better way to ruin your experience with this course, than to disregard this code.  Obviously, if you have any questions, I can't urge you too strongly to ask me.

ACADEMIC HONESTY CODE

All members of the Eastern Oregon University academic community are responsible for compliance with its Academic Honesty Code. Students are required to report violations to the respective faculty member of a course. Provisions of the Academic Honesty Code are:

1. Collaboration while taking any quizzes, in-class examinations, or take home examinations without the instructor's written approval is forbidden. The faculty member is responsible for defining limits for other collaborative learning activities for each course.

2. Plagiarism or representation of the work of others as one's own is forbidden. The faculty member will make clear the format for properly citing sources of information not original by the student.

3. Explicit approval by all instructors is required if the same work is to be submitted to more than one course, even if is not within the same term.

Violations of the Academic Honesty Code may result in both academic and behavioral penalties including possible suspension or expulsion from the University.

An automatic grade of zero for any work which is a violation of the Academic Honesty Code will be assigned by the instructor. The instructor may also assign a grade of F for the course after discussion with the respective School Dean. Students may appeal the course grade to the respective School Dean, who is the final level of appeal on the matter of course grade penalties for academic dishonesty.

The faculty member is also required to file a disciplinary complaint to the Vice President for Student Affairs about any student believed to have violated the Academic Honesty Code. If deemed appropriate, hearing procedures will be implemented by a University Hearing Officer as outlined in the Code of Student Conduct. Possible sanctions considered by the Student Conduct Committee include probation, suspension, and expulsion.

CALENDAR

I have kept the general structure of four lectures per week that was the format when the course was taught on-campus.  It is crucial that one-term, financial aid students come pretty close to the weekly time-table, though they are definitely free to accelerate the pace.