Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
1/13/14 201403_syllabus [Knowledge and Reality]
www.rudygarns.com/class/315/doku.php/201403_syllabus 1/4
Knowledge and Reality
201403_syllabus
Search
HomeSyllabusScheduleEssentialismNatural KindsInnate KnowledgeInduction
Syllabus
PHI 315 Knowledge and Reality
Spring 2014 | TR 12:15‑1:40 | LA 209
http://www.rudygarns.com/class/315/ [http://www.rudygarns.com/class/315/]
Your personal page for grades and comments is My Page. I will give you login instructions the first day ofclass. When you login for the first time your page will be created. When I see your page is created (you cansend me an email letting me know) I will give you permission to view it. Only you and I can read yourpersonal page.
Description
A course on knowledge and reality might be expected to cover the broad philosophical areas ofmetaphysics and epistemology. To do so comprehensively is overly ambitious. So to narrow our focus I'lldivide the course into these main questions.
1. How do empiricist and rationalist perspectives differ?2. Are there properties that are essential to their bearers?3. Is reality divided into natural kinds?4. Do we have knowledge that exists prior to our experiences?5. Can induction justify any knowledge about the world?
The course will conducted as a seminar. We'll read primary sources and discuss them in class. We will usesome historical texts to set the background and also look closely at recent work to see how contemporaryphilosophers address the issues. Theories from the empirical sciences (particularly biology and cognitivescience) will also inform our discussion. The nature and scope of science itself will require our attention.
The course will conducted as a seminar with periodic lectures. Students are expected to prepare for classand participate in the discussion, contributing questions, ideas and insights form their own study of thematerial. We'll read primary sources and discuss them in class. We will use some historical texts to set thebackground and also look closely at recent work to see how contemporary philosophers address theissues. Theories from the empirical sciences (particularly biology and cognitive science) will also inform our
1/13/14 201403_syllabus [Knowledge and Reality]
www.rudygarns.com/class/315/doku.php/201403_syllabus 2/4
discussion.
Office Hours and Information
Office Hours: TR 3:00‑3:50, WF 1:00‑1:50 or by appointment. You can schedule an appointment online onmy Doodle calendar [http://www.doodle.com/rudygarns]. Select two or more available times at least 24 hoursin advance and I'll confirm what works best.
Office: LA 232Phone: (859) 572‑5528email: [email protected]
Texts
Readings will be available online.
Course Objectives
Successful students will be able to articulate and critically discuss
the general kinds of questions philosophers address in the areas of metaphysics and epistemology.the kinds of questions philosophers address and the prominent theories they propose regardingthe specific topics of natural kinds, essentialism, innate knowledge and the problem of induction.Hume's problem of induction; Goodman's New Riddle of Induction; naturalized epistemology;Aristotle's views of substances, kinds and properties; Plato's theory of innate knowledge; Lockecritique of innate ideas; Chomsky's appeal to nativism; Evolutionary Psychology's appeal tonativism; Locke's account of natural kinds; natural kinds as homogeneous property clusters; the dere/de dicto distinction; analytic and synthetic propositions; a priori and a posteriori judgments; thestatus of synthetic a priori knowledge; Quine's critique of the traditional analytic/synthetic and apriori/a posteriori distinctions; Rationalism and Empiricism; Kripki/Putnam views on reference andnatural kinds.
Successful students will be able to
read primary texts and articles from philosophical journal and books and summarize succinctly themain lines of thought;explain the reasoning in appropriately challenging philosophical texts.
Course Requirements
Preparation and Participation (10%)Response Papers (20%)Research Paper (30%)Two Exams: 40%
Attendance: Chronic absenteeism will not be tolerated. To receive an “A” in the course you are expected toattend at least 90% of the classes. To receive a “B” in the course you are expected to attend at least 80% ofthe classes; a “C” requires you attend at least 70% of the classes, and to pass the course you must attend at
1/13/14 201403_syllabus [Knowledge and Reality]
www.rudygarns.com/class/315/doku.php/201403_syllabus 3/4
least 60% of the time. Attendance is a necessary condition not a sufficient condition for earning a particulargrade. Everyone should arrive at class on time. I will take attendance periodically but I will not beresponsible for including those who arrive after attendance is taken. I do not grant make up exams. Extracredit will be available on the final exam, which can be used to compensate for credit missed on a previousexam.
Participation and Preparation: You are required to attend class,participate responsibly, and prepare adequately for each class. Youshould read all the assignments before class, bringing the article orbook to class for reference. My evidence for adequate participation inclass is your behavior. Those who regularly ask questions and take partin class discussions are clearly actively involved in the class; and thosewho regularly attend class, listen attentively to lectures and discussions,and complete assignments on time are also involved in the class(though to a lesser degree). Failure to attend class or to completeassignments, sleeping in class, talking to neighbors and other disruptivebehavior will count against you. Overall participation and preparationcontribute 10% to the final grade.
Response Papers: Approximately once each week a question will beposed on which you can write a brief (one page) response based on thereading assignment and class discussion. The best ten of these willcontribute 20% to the final grade.
Research Paper: You are required to write an 6‑8 page research paperon a topic falling within the questions driving the course (exceptions can be negotiated). The paper shouldreflect an appropriate amount of scholarly research, background information, and a critical discussion ofthe main issues. Include a bibliography and citations according to an appropriate publishing style (MLA,APA, Chicago). The paper should be typed and double‑spaced, with an appropriate font type and size.
The project will be broken into several parts. A micro‑essay (summary) of one article, an annotatedbibliography, an abstract, and a final paper. Each assignment has its own due date.
Two Exams: The exams will include multiple choice questions along with short essays. Material from classdiscussion and the assigned readings will be covered; each exam is comprehensive. Exams will be held inclass in the absence of texts and notes and will be designed to be completed in one hour. Circumstancesmight require that an exam be offered in a take‑home format. There are no make up exams. Each exam iscontributes 20% to the final grade
Grading
The final grade for the course should be understood as my assessment of your overall level of achievementin the class based on all the evidence available to me. The three exams, research paper, and classparticipation and preparation will constitute the bulk of that evidence.
All assigned work is required work, unless I indicate otherwise. This is not tosay that all assigned work is graded work or work that will contribute toward thefinal grade. I understand the particular letter grades in terms of the descriptionsgiven in the recent university catalog. A grade of “C” “represents averageachievement, the minimum expected of a college student.” Better or worse workis possible and will be reflected in the grade. Please ask me if you havequestions about your standing in the class at any point in the semester.
Instructor's prerogative
1/13/14 201403_syllabus [Knowledge and Reality]
www.rudygarns.com/class/315/doku.php/201403_syllabus 4/4
I reserve the right to alter the conditions stated in this syllabus at any time during the semester shouldsuch alterations better facilitate meeting the goals. I will, in such a case, provide notice in class. I may onoccasion add or delete reading assignments. It is the student's responsibility to be in class and get thisinformation.
201403_syllabus.txt · Last modified: 2013/12/31 08:29 by garns© 2014 Rudygarns.com. All rights reserved.Except where otherwise noted, content on this wiki is licensed under the following license: CC Attribution‑Share Alike 3.0 Unported [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by‑sa/3.0/]
1/13/14 201403_schedule [Knowledge and Reality]
www.rudygarns.com/class/315/doku.php/201403_schedule 1/2
Knowledge and Reality
201403_schedule
Search
HomeSyllabusScheduleEssentialismNatural KindsInnate KnowledgeInduction
Schedule
This schedule is tentative. Adjustments will be announced in class and on the class web site.
Rationalism and Empiricism
T.01.14 Introduce the course: topics, questions, syllabus
R.01.16 Rationalism and Empiricism. Discuss Rationalism vs. Empiricism [http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/rationalism‑empiricism/], Markie SEP article
T.01.21 Discuss Hume selections [http://www.earlymoderntexts.com/pdfs/hume1748_1.pdf]. Classic Empiricism
R.01.23 No Class
T.01.28 More on Empiricism
R.01.30 Discuss Leibniz, First Truths [http://www.earlymoderntexts.com/pdfs/leibniz1686c.pdf]. Classic Rationalism
T.02.04 More on Rationalism
Essentialism
R.02.06 Substance and Predicate
T.02.11
R.02.13 Discuss Aristotle's Categories, Section 1, Parts I‑V [http://www.classicallibrary.org/aristotle/categories/1.htm]
T.02.18
R.02.25 Discuss Putnam's Meaning and Reference [http://www.jstor.org.proxy1.nku.edu/stable/2025079]
T.03.04
R.03.06 Midterm Exam
Natural Kinds
T.03.18 Discuss Locke selection. Essay, Book III Words, Chapter iii: General terms and Chapter vi: The names of substances[http://www.earlymoderntexts.com/pdfbits/lo31.pdf].
R.03.20
T.03.25 Discuss Boyd article. Realism, Anti‑Foundationalism and the Enthusiasm for Natural Kinds[http://www.jstor.org.proxy1.nku.edu/stable/4320174].
Innate Knowledge
R.03.27 Discuss Plato's Meno [http://www.classicallibrary.org/plato/dialogues/10_meno.htm]
T.04.01 Discuss Locke selection. Essay, Book I Innate Notions, Chapter i: Introduction and Chapter ii: No innate speculativeprinciples in the mind [http://www.earlymoderntexts.com/pdf/lockess1.pdf]
1/13/14 201403_schedule [Knowledge and Reality]
www.rudygarns.com/class/315/doku.php/201403_schedule 2/2
R.04.03 Discuss Evolutionary Psychology. Micro‑essay Due.
T.04.08
Induction
R.04.10 Discuss Quine's “Two Dogmas”
T.04.15 Discuss Hume selection
R.04.17 Bibliography Due.
T.04.22 Discuss Goodman selection
R.04.24 Abstract due.
T.04.29 Discuss Stich's Is Man An Irrational Animal?
Conclusions
R.05.01 Review and summary
T.05.06 Final Exam 1:00‑3:00 Research Paper due.
201403_schedule.txt · Last modified: 2014/01/06 08:30 by garns© 2014 Rudygarns.com. All rights reserved.Except where otherwise noted, content on this wiki is licensed under the following license: CC Attribution‑Share Alike 3.0 Unported [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by‑sa/3.0/]
