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American Philosophy

Philosophy 329
Fall 2006, MWF 11:30-12:25, AS-15
http://www.fecundity.com/courses
Professor:   P.D. Magnus
Campus phone x2-4251
Office hours:   Tu 11-12, W 2:45-3:45, and by appointment

Texts

Requirements

3 Exams (each 25%)   The exams will test your understanding of the course readings. They will not be cumulative.
Paper (25%)   5-8 pages on an assigned topic. A rough draft will be due during Week 8 (fri, oct27). The paper will be returned to you with comments and the final draft will be due during Week 11 (fri, nov17). You should turn in the rough draft along with the final.

The draft will be marked with the grade it would have received if it were a final draft. If the paper is not improved, however, the final draft will not receive this grade! If you turn in the paper unmodified, you will get one letter grade less than the grade marked on the draft.
Class participation   Participation in class discussion is required. Exemplary participation will add to your grade, up to two-thirds of a letter grade.

Policies

Academic honesty:   Students are encouraged to discuss issues from the course with each other and with others outside of class. However, they are responsible for their own ideas. Papers should include citations to any works cited or consulted, as well as acknowledgments of helpful interactions.
Cheating will not be tolerated.
Late papers:   The paper will be considered late if it is not ready to hand in at the beginning of class on the day it is due. Each day late will result in a loss of one letter grade.
Absences:   Students who will need to miss class for religious observance, away games, or for other scheduled reasons should discuss these issues with the professor at the beginning of the term. If an emergency results in absence, the student should contact the professor as soon as possible. Make-up exams will be given only for documented, excused absences.

Schedule

The schedule is approximate. Topics will require some revision along the way, but the due dates and dates of exams will not change.
W sep6
Introduction
F sep8
Theodore Parker (pkt 1)
M sep11
more Parker
W sep13
Ralph Waldo Emerson, `Self-reliance' (RWE 19-38)
F sep15
Emerson, `The Over-soul' (RWE 51-64)
M sep18
Charles Sanders Peirce, selections from `Some conseqeunces...' and `Fixation of belief' (pkt 2,3)
W sep20
`Fixation...' continued
F sep22
Peirce, `How to make our ideas clear' (pkt 3)
M sep25
`How...' continued
W sep27
William James, `The will to believe' (pkt 5)
F sep29
`The will...' continued
M oct2
NO CLASS
W oct4
James, Pragmatism (WJ I)
F oct6
1st MIDTERM EXAM
M oct9
more Pragmatism (WJ II)
W oct11
more Pragmatism (WJ III)
F oct13
more Pragmatism (WJ IV)
M oct16
more Pragmatism (WJ V)
W oct18
more Pragmatism (WJ VI)
F oct20
more Pragmatism (WJ VII)
M oct23
more Pragmatism (WJ VIII)
W oct25
more Pragmatism
F oct27
more Pragmatism
DRAFT PAPER DUE
M oct30
Santayana on the American tradition (pkt 9)
W nov1
Wrangling over `pragmatism' (pkt 6, 7)
F nov3
John Dewey (pkt 10)
M nov6
more Dewey (pkt 11)
W nov8
more Dewey
F nov10
2nd MIDTERM EXAM
M nov13
AO Lovejoy (pkt 8)
W nov15
CI Lewis (pkt 13)
F nov17
American realism (pkt 12)
FINAL PAPER DUE
M nov20
more realism
W nov22
NO CLASS
F nov24
NO CLASS
M nov27
The Analytic/Synthetic distinction, Lewis again (pkt 14)
W nov29
more Lewis again
F dec1
WVO Quine, `Two dogmas of empiricism' (pkt 15)
M dec4
more Quine
W dec6
more Quine
F dec8
...
M dec11
...
[pmagnus at fecundity dot com]