SUNY Cortland, 3
credits, PS course
Dr. Mecke Nagel,
Instructor
Office: Old Main
138a, Office Hours: W 11-1pm and by appt.
Course
Description:
(B)
Discussion of various existential approaches to the problem and meaning of
human existence. Focus on existentialist themes, such as self-consciousness,
freedom, absurdity, responsibility, being and nothingness. (3 cr. hr.)
Evaluation:
This class is
not only discussion centered but it will also satisfy a Presentation Skills
requirement. Therefore, participation is essential for everybody. We will bring ÒmotivatedÓ questions,
i.e. questions and critiques we have about the text(s) and we will attempt to
answer our question as well (e.g. Ôwhat the author could mean is the
following:...Õ). The purpose of
this exercise is to Òhave a stakeÓ in the interpretations of a text and
perspective and importantly that we invite other class participants to offer
their viewpoints. I will
occasionally collect your questions.
To fulfill the
requirements, in addition to regular attendance, you will give one formal class
presentation, and write 3
papers (each: 4-5 pages,
1.5 spaced, 12pt font Times Roman) on the assignments (to be handed out). You will attempt a philosophical textual
analysis where you summarize the main points of the argument, do a
compare/contrast analysis and give a critique (i.e. taking a stand on the
issue). NOTE to Philosophy majors: If you want to write a research paper
instead of the 3 paper requirement, see me by week 3.
Also write 2 reflective one page papers on a social-political event and hand them in within one week of the event.
Class
Presentation criteria:
Note that this class is a Presentation Skills (PS) course. In your presentation you will discuss
an assigned and scheduled topic (see syllabus). You will hand in a typed outline of your presentation and a source-list, for secondary literature on the topic one
week before your
presentation. After your
presentation, you will complete and hand in a self-evaluation form to me during the following class. Your peers will also complete a presentation peer critique form
during your presentation. Both
forms can be downloaded from my website. Your presentation should amount to 10 minutes with an
additional 5 minutes allocated for question and answers. You will sign up for your presentation
in Week 2.
Attendance
policy:
More than 3
absences will adversely affect your grade. It is important that you come to all class sessions and to
keep yourself informed in case you will have to miss a class. Incompletes are strongly discouraged.
Instances of
plagiarism will be treated in accordance with SUNY Cortland's policies.
Evaluation
(at a glance):
3 papers (4-5 pages
each): 60
pts
class
presentation: 20
pts
Participation 10
pts
Political Event
papers (2) 10
pts
A+ = 97-100; A =
94-96; A- = 90-93; B+ =
87-89; B = 84-86;
B- = 80-83;
C+ = 77-79; C =
74-76; C- = 70-73; D+ =
67-69; D = 64-66; D- =
60-63; E = 0-59
Required
Books:
Frantz Fanon, Black
Skin, White Masks
Viktor Frankl, ManÕs
Search for Meaning
Zora Neale
Hurston, Their Eyes were Watching God
David Barash, Ideas
of Human Nature
Friedrich
Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra
(optional)
SUNY
Cortland is committed to upholding and maintaining all aspects of the federal
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973. If you are student with a disability and wish to
request accommodations, please contact the office of Disability Services
located in B-40 Van Hoesen Hall or call 753-2066 for an appointment. Any
information regarding your disability will remain confidential. Because many
accommodations require early planning, requests for accommodations should be
made as early as possible. Any requests for accommodations will be reviewed in
a timely manner to determine their appropriateness to this setting.
The Syllabus:
T 8/28 Course
concepts, presentation skill requirements
handouts on
the Presentation Skill requirement will be distributed and explained
Week 2:
Religious Views on Human Nature
T 9/4: Barash
pp. 1-16
Read Study
questions (p.15) & be prepared to discuss especially questions 2 and 3.
Sign up
for class presentation
Week 3:
Body/Soul Debate and Rationality
T 9/11: Barash pp.17-20 (Plato); 50-66 (Plato, Aristotle,
Smith, Doyle)
Week 4: Human
Nature from an ethical/social perspective—Humans are Bad? Or Good?
T 9/18: Barash, 127-141 (especially: Plato, Hobbes, Kafka)
142-158
(Rousseau, Kropotkin)
Week 5: Human
Nature from a social science perspective—Products of Environment?
(handout of
first paper questions)
Week 6: Is
there a gendered nature?
T 10/2: Barash, Chapter 15, pp.215-236 (Wollstonecraft,
Mill, Stanton, Woolf, Beauvoir, Gilligan)
First Paper
due
Week
7: Questions of Reason, Consciousness, and Power
Week 9: Existentialism
T 10/23: Barash, 201-214
T 10/30: Frankl,
Part I: Life in Concentration Camps
(handout of
second paper questions)
Week 11: The
Meaning of Life
Second Paper
due
Week 12: Existence in Black- The Postcolonial
Imagination
Week 13:
Contesting Whiteness/White Supremacy in Philosophy and Psychiatry
T 11/20: Fanon,
Chapter 5-8
Week 14: Refracting the Odyssey-A Black WomanÕs
Journey
(handout of
third paper questions)
Third paper
due