Fall 2004 Philosophy 200
Sec. 2 TTh
Sec. 3 TTh
Problems in
Philosophy: Geographic Boundaries and Universal Principles
Rex Gilliland
Classroom: Engleman B105
Office: Engleman D210
Office Hours: MWF
TTh 3:
and by appointment
Phone: 392-6783
Email: gillilandr1@southernct.edu
For guidelines on
writing a philosophy paper, see: www.dartmouth.edu/~compose/student/humanities/philosophy.html
Schedule
Click on dates for reading
questions
T 8/31 Introduction to Course
I. Cultural Universalism and Relativism
Th
9/2 Encyclopedia
Britannica Online, “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” Short Paper #1
Topic: Universalist conceptions of the human being
T 9/7 Gregory Jay, “What is Multiculturalism?”; Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy Online, “Multiculturalism”; Gary E. Kessler, “What is Rationality?”
Topic: Multiculturalism
Th 9/9 James Rachels, “The Challenge of Cultural Relativism” 53-59
Topic: Is multiculturalism relativistic?
T 9/14 Rachels cont. 59-65
Th 9/16 Nicholas Rescher, “The Primacy of our own Standards of Rationality”
Topic: Is it possible to conceive of people radically different from ourselves?
T 9/21 Rudyard Kipling, Gunga Din and other Favorite Poems 6-9, 25-29, 52-53;
Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness
Topic: Representations of the foreign and alien
Th 9/23 Chief Tuiavii and Erich Scheurmann, Tuiavii’s Way
Topic: How do others perceive us?
T 9/28 Midterm Exam Study Guide
II. Community and its Divisions
Th 9/30 Alexis de Tocqueville, “Effects of Individualism Combated” 41-46
Topic: Community and extrapolitical social institutions
T 10/5 de Tocqueville cont. 46-52
Th 10/7 John Dewey, “The Great Community” 54-60
Topic: Community and democratic political activity
T 10/12 Dewey cont. 60-65
Th 10/14 W.E.B.
Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk;
Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex;
Recommended: Omi and Winant, “Racial Formation in the
Topic: The nature of racial and sexual discrimination
T 10/19 Marilyn Frye, “Sexism”; Iris M. Young, “Cultural Imperialism”
Topic: How pervasive is sexual discrimination?
Th 10/21 Kenneth Clatterbaugh, “The Oppression Debate in Sexual Politics”; Recommended: Manuel G. Velasquez, “The Ethics of Job Discrimination”
Topic: The difference between oppression and mere discrimination
(F 10/22 Deadline to Withdraw)
T 10/26 Gregory Jay, “Who Invented White People?”
Topic: The invisibility of whiteness
Th 10/28 No Class; Read Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye
T 11/2 Acceptance of Gays Rises Among New Generation”
Topic: Familiarity and sympathy
Th 11/4 Paper Due Study Guide
Topic: Have communities become globalized?
III. Responsibility for Others and Global Warming
T 11/9 Immanuel Kant, Grounding
for the Metaphysics of Morals,
7-12
Topic: Ethical egoism
and Kantian ethics
Th 11/11 Kant cont. 12-17
T 11/16 John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism, 6-17
Topic:
Utilitarian ethics
Th 11/18 Mill cont. 17-25
T 11/23 Garrett Hardin, “The Tragedy of the Commons”
Topic: The social consequences of individualism
Th 11/25 Thanksgiving
T 11/30 Henry Shue, “Climate”
Topic: The ethical implications of global warming
Th 12/2 Ernest Partridge, “Future Generations”
Topic: What is our responsibility for future generations?
T 12/7 Alan Holland, “Sustainability”
Topic: What is environmental sustainability?
Th 12/9 Review for Final Exam
Final Exam Sec. 2 Th
12/16 12:45 – 2:45 pm Study Guide
Sec. 3 T 12/14