SYL
LAB
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Welcome! Step 1: Forget whatever you thought was going to happen in a Philosophy course. This will be different, I promise. We are going to explore life's big questions -- Who am I? What do I want? What do I need? What is love? What is justice? What is fair? What is virtue? -- and we’ll study some classic philosophers’ answers to those questions, but our focus will be on our own big questions (and our own big answers). Most uniquely perhaps, you’ll be exploring these questions with the people in your life -- family, friends, strangers, lovers, enemies...Philosophy will deepen your bonds with these people, and those bonds in turn will deepen your appreciation of philosophy. You’ll read and write, yes, but you’ll also play, experiment, make movies, eavesdrop on humanity, write letters you never send, and, well, you’ll see...
Dr. Ken Burak
burakk@moravian.edu
Office Hours: BY APPT
Office Location: Comenius 108B
ASSIGNMENTS
You will complete a total of 9 assignments. Some assignments will be games -- just read the instructions and (usually) go play with someone. Others will be conversations: go find someone to have a deep talk with. Some will just be observations. Some will be readings. Some will be writings. And after each assignment, you'll produce something -- maybe a video recording, maybe an audio recording, maybe a reflection. Each assignment will be worth either 5, 10 or 15 points. Note that you'll do the "The And" exercises five times. The final paper due at the end of the course will be worth 15 points. All assignments should be submitted through Canvas. Here's the breakdown:
1. The AND I 10 points
2. Plato's Cave 15 points
3. Lars and the Real Girl 10 points
4. The AND II 10 points
5. Descartes 10 points
6. The AND III 10 points
7. The AND IV 10 points
8. Writing the UnSaid 10 points
9. Finl 15 points
Total = 100 points​​
DAYS WE WILL NOT MEET:
We will not meet on the following days:
Monday 10/7 (Fall Break)
Wednesday 10/9 (I'm out of town)
Monday 12/2 (Our last class session will be Tuesday 11/26)
Wednesday 12/4 (Our last class session will be Tuesday 11/26)
WHEN ARE ASSIGNMENTS DUE?
WEEK 1: NO ASSIGNMENT
WEEK 2: THE AND I DUE Friday SEPT 6
WEEK 3: Plato's Cave DUE Friday SEPTEMBER 13
WEEK 4: Lars and the Real Girl DUE Friday SEPTEMBER 20
WEEK 5: NO ASSIGNMENT
WEEK 6: The AND II DUE Friday OCTOBER 4
WEEK 7: NO ASSIGNMENT
WEEK 8: Descartes DUE Friday OCTOBER 18
WEEK 9: NO ASSIGNMENT
WEEK 10: THE AND III DUE Friday NOVEMBER 1
WEEK 11: NO ASSIGNMENT
WEEK 12: The AND IV DUE Friday NOVEMBER 15
WEEK 13: Writing the UnSaid DUE Friday NOVEMBER 22
WEEK 16: FINAL DUE Friday DECEMBER 13
Official Course Description: Tasks and the subject matters of philosophy, including the major theories of reality, knowledge, religion, morality and social justice. Attention to several classic philosophical texts as primary source readings.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
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A. To acquaint the student with a variety of philosophies and ideas both historical and recent that influence contemporary understandings and values.
B. To broaden one’s philosophical perspectives by studying contrasting views.
C. To develop the habit of considering philosophically, in agreement for or against, a solution to a problem.
D. To develop the ability to think critically and logically, and to evaluate ideas.
E. To formulate an argument and support it with reasonable justification.
F. To ability to reflect and philosophize concerning life and its meaning.
G. To relate the discipline of philosophy to other academic disciplines and to see how these disciplines impact philosophical thinking.
attitude
try your best, when going through this course, to go as deep as you possibly can. then go deeper. in the process, reflect on what it meant that you just "went deeper" -- what do the words "deep" (or "deeper," or "deepest" (if there is such a thing...) mean to you? the deeper you go, the better your chances of figuring that out.
Try to avoid, the best you can, taking a"get 'er done" attitude. don't worry about just getting these assignment done so you can get on with your life. have you ever noticed that pretty much everything we do we do with a "get 'er done" mentality? get school done. get work done. we're all hurrying to get things done. sometimes i feel like we're hurrying to get life itself done already. take this class as an opportunity to get out of that mode. you're deepening your relationships in this class, and as a bonus, you're creating artifacts of memoranda -- recordings of deep conversations with loved ones that you'll be able to look back on in ten or twenty (or fifty) years, perhaps when some of these people will be gone. don't rush this. you'll thank me later when you have all this to listen to. you're also making, in these reflections, a kind of photograph of your own mind that you'll be able to look back on in the future.
grades.
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most assignments are worth 5 points. For those that are worth more, double or triple these values (e.g. For an assignment worth 10 points, a 5 becomes a 10, a 4 becomes an 8, etc.).
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Here's a rough rubric:
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5: Your reflection demonstrates that you took the assignment seriously. This could mean a few things. You made connections between your concrete personal life and abstract principles and ideas. Beyond this, the process sparked new ideas. Perhaps you made connections between this assignment and other assignments in the class, or topics you’ve learned in other classes. It was not written with the spirit of trying to get a good grade or to “get ‘er done,” but rather in that of a genuine inquiry into, and curiosity about, the subject matter. You considered alternative points of view. Perhaps your reflection takes us on a journey from not understanding to understanding, or perhaps it takes us on one from certainty about your beliefs to curiosity, mystery, and lack of certainty. Perhaps you change your mind part way through upon giving due consideration to opposing points of view. Perhaps a new question emerges. Perhaps an entirely different approach. Perhaps a proposal for a new assignment…
4: Your reflection demonstrates that you followed the instructions and worked hard on the assignment. You understood what was at stake and what it meant to your personal life.
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3: Your reflection demonstrates that you basically followed the instructions, but it’s not clear that you really understood what the point of it was, how it connects to your personal life, or to the overall trajectory of the course. It’s written in the spirit of “get ‘er done,” not in that of genuine inquiry into the mysteries of existence. You did it, moved on, and didn’t look back. It’s “fine.”
2: Your reflection demonstrates that you did not follow the material or the instructions for assignment. It’s likely too short, but it might have met the length-requirement with words that ring hollow, hurried, and incurious. You “got ‘er done.”
1: You submitted something vaguely connected to the intent of the assignment.
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e-mail me at burakk@moravian.edu if you're ever not sure what to do
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Moravian University is committed to ensuring the full participation of all students in its programs. If you have a documented disability (or you think you may have a disability) and, as a result, you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this class, complete course requirements, or benefit from the institution’s programs or services, contact the Accessibility Services Center (ASC) as soon as possible. To receive any academic accommodation, you must be appropriately registered with ASC. The ASC works with students confidentially and only discloses disability-related information on a need to know basis or with the student’s permission. To contact the Accessibility Services Center (ASC), located in the lower level of the HUB call 610-861-1401, or email asc@moravian.edu.
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