Fall 2004 Philosophy 100, LINKS V
MWF 10:
Introduction
to Philosophy: Geographic Boundaries and Universal Principles
Rex Gilliland
Classroom: Engleman B214
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
M 8/30 Introduction to Course
I. Cultural Universalism and Relativism
W
9/1 Encyclopedia
Britannica Online, “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” Short Paper #1
Topic: Universalist conceptions of the human being
F 9/3 Gregory Jay, “What is Multiculturalism?”; Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy Online, “Multiculturalism”
Topic: Multiculturalism
M 9/6
W 9/8 Gary E. Kessler, “What is Rationality?”
Topic: Are there one or many forms of rationality?
F 9/10 James Rachels, “The Challenge of Cultural Relativism” 53-59
Topic: Is multiculturalism relativistic?
M 9/13 Rachels cont. 59-65
W 9/15 Rachels cont.
F 9/17 Nicholas Rescher, “The Primacy of our own Standards of Rationality”
Topic: Is it possible to conceive of people radically different from ourselves?
M 9/20 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
W 9/22 Conrad cont.; Chief Tuiavii and Erich Scheurmann, Tuiavii’s Way
Topic: How do others perceive us?
F 9/24 Tuiavii and Scheurmann cont.
M 9/27 Midterm Exam Study Guide
II. Community and its Divisions
W 9/29 Alexis de Tocqueville, “Effects of Individualism Combated” 41-46
Topic: Community and extrapolitical social institutions
F 10/1 de Tocqueville cont. 46-52
M 10/4 de Tocqueville cont.
W 10/6 John Dewey, “The Great Community” 54-60
Topic: Community and democratic political activity
F 10/8 Dewey cont. 60-65
M 10/11 Dewey cont.
W 10/13 W.E.B. Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk; Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex
Topic: The nature of racial and sexual discrimination
F 10/15 Du
Bois and de Beauvoir cont.; Omi and Winant, “Racial Formation in the
Topic: Is race biological or cultural?
M 10/18 Marilyn Frye, “Sexism”
Topic: How pervasive is sexual discrimination?
W 10/20 Iris M. Young, “Cultural Imperialism”; Kenneth Clatterbaugh, “The Oppression Debate in Sexual Politics”
Topic: The difference between oppression and mere discrimination
F 10/22 Clatterbaugh cont.; (Deadline to Withdraw)
M 10/25 Manuel G. Velasquez, “The Ethics of Job Discrimination”
Topic: The empirical evidence for job discrimination
W 10/27 Gregory Jay, “Who Invented White People?”
Topic: The invisibility of whiteness
F 10/29 No Class; Read Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye
M 11/1 Acceptance of Gays Rises Among New Generation”
Topic: Familiarity and sympathy
W 11/3 Paper Due Paper Guidelines
Topic: Have communities become globalized?
III. Responsibility for Others and Global Warming
F 11/5 Immanuel Kant, Grounding
for the Metaphysics of Morals,
7-12
Topic: Ethical egoism
and Kantian ethics
M 11/8 Kant cont. 12-17
W 11/10 Kant cont.
F 11/12 John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism, 6-17
Topic: Utilitarian ethics
M 11/15 Mill cont. 17-25
W 11/17 Mill cont.
F 11/19 Garrett Hardin, “The Tragedy of the Commons”
Topic: The social consequences of individualism
M 11/22 Hardin cont; Henry Shue, “Climate”
Topic: The ethical implications of global warming
W 11/24 Thanksgiving
F 11/26 Thanksgiving
M 11/29 Shue cont.
W 12/1 Ernest Partridge, “Future Generations”
Topic: What is our responsibility for future generations?
F 12/3 Partridge cont.; Alan Holland, “Sustainability”
Topic: What is environmental sustainability?
M 12/6 Holland cont.
W 12/8 Review for Final Exam
Final Exam M 12/13 12:45
– 2:45 pm Study Guide