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
- Pragmatism, William James [WJ]
- Self Reliance and other essays, Ralph Waldo Emerson [RWE]
- a course packet, available at Shipmates in Stuyvesant Plaza [pkt]
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
- 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)
- 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
- ...