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Philosophy 399: The Nature and Cultural Role of Philosophy; Spring, 1999
Ed Langerak; H601C; 3494 or 645-8321; <langerak>, Office hrs: M, 2-3; T,Th, 2:45-4:15
and by appointment
We explore the nature, goals, and cultural role of philosophy as an activity, methodology, and vocation. We will review some of the classic statements within the "grand tradition," including debate about "the linguistic turn." We will then discuss movements, including the debate over the post-modern "end" of philosophy.
Students will, during the first part of the course, hand in "response paragraphs" on the readings for each class. These, along with attendance and participation, will contribute to 20% of the course grade. In addition to the final exam (35%), students will give a class presentation (15%) that will be developed into a term paper (30 %).
For projects, students may focus on a thinker, a movement, a book, or a topic, such as:
1. Rationalism, empiricism, and the Enlightenment
2. Nietzsche's rebuttal of the tradition
3. Logical positivism : Ayer's Language, Truth, and Logic
4. Later Wittgenstein and/or ordinary language philosophy
5. Feminist critiques
6. Rawls
7. MacIntyre (and/or Stout)
8. Habermas
9. Rorty
10. Philosophy in the liberal arts curriculum (eg Nussbaum's Cultivating Humanity)
11. Current philosophy of religion and epistemology
12. Continental philosophy: hermeneutics, deconstructionism, Foucault
13. Pragmatism
14. Debate over expertise in ethics
15. Professional or applied ethics
16. Kuhn
17. Philosophy and public affairs
Agenda
Feb. 9: Introduction and orientation.
11: Plato and Aristotle
16: Aristotle, Hellenistic philosophy, Augustine
18: Aquinas
23: Aquinas and Descartes
25: Descartes and Hume
March 2: Hume and Kant
4: Kant
9: Kant and Blanshard
11: Blanshard and Popper
16: Popper, Copleston, Hampshire, Ziff, Fisch, Smart, Hook
18: Nietzsche--Jonathan Dienhart
23: MacIntyre
25: Ayer--John Keisler
Break
April 6: Religious Epistemology--Matt Peterson
8: Wittgenstein--Paul Way
[10: MN Philosophy Society Student Meeting at St. Olaf]
13: Philosophy in the curriculum: Bloom and Nussbaum--Sara Hoffmann
15: Kuhn--Maud Berge
20: Feminism--Jackie Gaston
22: Godel--Wu Chen Khoo
27: Expertise in ethics--Gada Simeso
29: Rorty--Aaron Wittkamper
May 4: Rorty and critics Papers should be finished
6: Philosophy of religion--Mike Mahoney; Descartes/Hume/Kant--Kirsti Petraborg
11: Summary Papers must be finished
18: Final Exam, 2:30pm.
Ed Langerak's Homepage | Personal and Family | Course Syllabi | Talks and Papers | Colleagues | Curriculum Vitae