Introduction to Philosophy: The Syllabus. Course Number: GSU Professor: Paul Maxwell

Transcription

1 Introduction to Philosophy: The Syllabus Course Number: GSU Professor: Paul Maxwell Semester: Spring 2015 Office: Sweeting 331 (On campus Monday) Class Time: 5:30 8:20, Mondays Classroom: Sweeting 229 Phone: Corporate Sponsor: Moody Bible Institute (Texting is easiest. This is 2015.) (All required elements in yellow) I. Course Description Introductory study partly historical and partly topical examining methods and assumptions of philosophical systems, theories of knowledge, metaphysics, values, ethics, philosophy of religion, and the worldviews of leading philosophers in these areas. Considers some trends in contemporary philosophy. Emphasizes the development of a Christian philosophy of life. II. Course Objectives III. Texts A. The student will have a working knowledge of the major questions and issues involved in the history of philosophy (Translation: We will read a bunch of dead guys). B. The student will be equipped to engage in apologetic debate with unbelieving/liberal Christian worldviews/philosophical positions. C. The student will gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between philosophy and theology. D. The student will increase their repertoire of critical thinking skills so that, whatever their professional goal or disciplinary interest, they will know how to ask the right questions, and to ask them well. A. Required Texts 1. Craig G. Bartholomew and Michael W. Goheen, Christian Philosophy: A Systematic and Narrative Introduction (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2013). a. This is a recently published introduction to philosophy, which navigates the beginning philosopher through the major ideas and figures in philosophy with both depth and clarity. This book will be helpful, beyond completing assignments, as a book to reference when ideas and figures remain unclear or confusing. B. Recommended Texts a. Greg L. Bahnsen, Van Til s Apologetic: Readings & Analysis 1

2 (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 1998), i. Bahnsen provides excerpts from Cornelius Van Til s work, and guides the readers through Van Til s ideas in the footnotes (Bahnsen is much easier to read than Van Til). The portion I recommend (part of chapter 5) is a lengthy portion of text in which Van Til surveys and explains the entire history of philosophy. If you have the patience, it is worth the effort to read. This is one of the most profound sections of philosophical writing that I continue to come back to again and again. b. Mark W. Foreman, Prelude to Philosophy: An Introduction for Christians (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2014), chs i. In recommended chapters, Foreman provides an introduction to the basic categories of Philosophy (metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and logic). His writing is simple, and will serve as a good reference book for those having difficulty getting a clear answer to the question What exactly is philosophy? c. William Lawhead, The Voyage of Discovery: A historical Introduction to Philosophy (Independence, KY: Cengage, 2006). i. Lawhead s book is the best intermediary philosophy text which gives a historical survey of the philosophers it traces the history of ideas at a level that requires some previous knowledge of philosophy. Throughout the semester, I may post chapters which correspond to the philosopher or idea we cover on a certain day, for those who would like something deeper than the Bartholomew/Goheen text. d. K. Scott Oliphint, Reasons for Faith: Philosophy in the Service of Theology (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2006). i. Oliphint s book is an advanced book, and is helpful for those who feel very comfortable working with philosophical categories. I first read this book during my M.Div., and found it difficult to understand. But once I did understand it, it became profoundly helpful to me. He deals with issues such as the relationship between God and logic (chs. 5 and 15), Christianity and the problem of evil (ch. 13), divine sovereignty and human responsibility (ch. 16), and other issues relevant to Christian apologetics (chs. 4 and 8). e. K. Scott Oliphint and Lane G. Tipton (eds.), Revelation and Reason: New Essays in Reformed Apologetics (Phillipsurg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2007), chs i. For interested biblical scholars, this book contains exegetical essays on passages in Scripture relevant to Christian philosophy. Biblical scholars who contribute include Moisés Silva and Richard Gaffin, with exceptional articles on the use of proof (pistin) and philosophy (philosophia) in the New Testament. f. Vern Poythress, Redeeming Philosophy: A God-Centered Approach 2

3 to the Big Questions (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2014). i. Poythress writes in terms that the average reader can understand, but only when read from beginning to end. If one tries to jump into Poythress mid-book, it will only be confusing. But if you have the time to read an entire book (about 280 pages) on philosophy that will bring your philosophical knowledge from beginning to intermediate, I recommend this one. g. Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Is There a Meaning in This Text?: The Bible, The Reader, and the Morality of Literary Knowledge (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1988). i. This is the finest direct, Christian, academic treatment of postmodernism to date. Ever hear of James K. A. Smith? Vanhoozer pretty much writes all of Smith s books a decade before Smith does. And he does it better. If you are interested at all in the conversation about postmodernism and Christianity, Vanhoozer is the authority and this book is a must-know and must-read. It has become a primary source in the development of postmodern philosophy and Christian theology. h. Cornelius Van Til, A Survey of Christian Epistemology (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 1969). i. Van Til is almost impossible to understand without help. But I feel compelled to recommend him, because I started reading him at Moody, and have not stopped since. I still read him over and over. By God s grace, I will never stop reading Van Til. The value of his writings is in synthesizing the entire history of philosophy in clear, Christian terms he had his Ph.D. in philosophy from Princeton, and taught philosophy at Princeton until founding Westminster Theological Seminary. He has clear interest in Christian apologetics, and is known as the founder of the apologetic approach called presuppositionalism defending the faith by interpreting unbelieving philosophy in terms of Christian theology; or, refusing to grant for the sake of argument that the unbelieving position might be true, since such a hypothetical position would be logically impossible to grant. More on this later on in the course. IV. Procedures and Methods I have made this course fairly easy. That means it will be easy for you to work hard. That doesn t make sense, you say. Well. This is philosophy class. Let me explain. I have taken classes in which the professor assigns an unbearable load of busywork (tedious work for the sake of work), and that somehow passes for hard. Lots of work 3

4 does not necessarily facilitate maximal content retention. In this class, it is my goal to serve you in your preparation for ministry whether that is academic, educational, pastoral, or professional. Look at it as a support for the reason you came to Moody. Read, listen, and interact with your motivation to study and enter into ministry in mind. Busywork doesn t help that, so we won t have it. Because the workload is a bit light, I expect you to be prepared, to reflect, and to participate. Class days will include lecture, questions, and discussion. It is my expectation that students will have read the assigned material by the time they get to class, prepared to ask questions and answer mine. V. Academic Honesty A. Plagiarism will not be accepted. Any such work will receive an immediate course of action, either full loss of credit for the assignment or request for resubmission. In extreme cases, it can result in automatic failure of the class. The option in question will be left to the instructor s discretion, depending upon the nature of the offense. Plagiarism includes but is not limited to use of another s work without due credit/citation provided. B. Each student is expected to submit work on time and in respectable format. Only such excused reasons as allowed by the Moody Bible Institute (e.g., death in the family, legitimized sickness, depression) will be allowed for work handed in late. No excuse will be accepted for poorly proofed papers or sloppy presentation. The instructor reserves the right to reject assignments that demonstrate inexcusable deficiency in basic skills (e.g., grammar, spelling) that are generally expected at the college level. VI. Course Requirements You must complete every quiz and the paper in order to pass this course. A. Paper (50%) a. You will write an 8 12 page research paper on a topic, philosopher, or worldview of your choice. b. We will spend a day in class before Spring break talking about how to write a research paper. c. This paper can be a critique, explanation, exposition, etc. Because this paper is such a large portion of your grade, I want it to be something you are excited writing about. So, the parameters of this assignment are very broad. I want it to be philosophical and academic, but it can cover the intersection of philosophy and almost any terrain. I will give you the tools to write this paper in class. This may seem intimidating. Don t let it be. It s a hard, but simple assignment. I will guide you through it, and make myself available to anyone who needs or wants help. I consider my two tasks in this class (1) lecturing, and (2) helping each student to achieve an A on this paper. I 4

5 want to give everybody an A on this project. Don t be intimidated. This project will be the hardest portion of the class, but will be your greatest opportunity for growth. i. Example topics: 1. A critique of a certain philosophy of education (pedagogical philosophy; epistemology; philosophical psychology) 2. A proposal of a certain philosophy of music (aesthetics; axiology; cognitive functioning) 3. Explaining the similarities and differences of the transcendental argument for God in Islam and Christianity (apologetics; epistemology; logic; proof; presupposition; Kant). d. Format. i. 1 inch margins ii. 12 pt. Times New Roman e. Outline of Paper i. Introduction (1 2 pages) 1. Context (Brief): Brief summary of relevant historical data that sets up the thesis. This makes the thesis a part of a conversation, and guards it from being a floating, noncontextual (and therefore fairly useless) idea. a. It s acceptable for this to be fairly short, since the body of the paper will contain a longer, detailed, footnoted version of this information. 2. Statement: Thesis in propositional form. a. Examples: Musical preference is a subjective phenomenon, while musical excellence is an objective, albeit culturally constructed reality. Nietzsche s philosophy of education is not compatible with the classical virtues which make an educated student valuable to society. Kant attempted to synthesize the rationalism of Leibniz and the empiricism of Hume in a way that was unprecedented. Thomas modified the Muslim Aristotelianism which he learns through his tutor in order to synthesize Aristotle with Christianity. The ontological argument for the existence of God is not sound. 3. Methodology: A statement of how you will prove your thesis. 5

6 ii. Argument (5 6 pages) 1. Your Premises a. Context (Detailed): Present the context of the person you are researching, or sides of the debate into which you are entering, which provide the terms/categories necessary for understanding your thesis. b. Need: Explain where ambiguity, tension, or incoherence exists. In this section, disagree with someone. 1. If you re writing on a philosopher, either disagree with your philosopher, or disagree with one of his critics. 2. If you re writing on an idea, either claim that the idea is coherent, incoherent, or requires further investiagation. The point of this section is essentially to explain why what you re writing needs to be written. 2. Your Thesis a. Explain: State your thesis in the terms of the context out of which it emerges. Take space to elaborate. b. Significance: Explain how your thesis resolves a particular tension, or why the philosopher you chose is particularly significant or interesting in the history of philosophy. iii. Conclusion (1 page or less) 1. Restate your thesis in one sentence. 2. Restate why your reader should accept your thesis in a few sentences. B. Tests and Examinations (0%) a. We will have no final exam in this class. I m not a fan of exams. I m a fan of papers. We will spend part of a class day (TBD) learning to craft a thesis. But it won t be boring. Okay, it might be a little boring. But I will do my best to make it helpful and useful. Remember, I want to serve you as a class, not waste your time or hinder you. I want this class to make you a better student, scholar, teacher, communicator a better whatever you want to be. Part of doing that is writing well. If you can present complex ideas clearly and in propositional form (which we will practice by writing a philosophy paper), you will be a valuable asset no matter where you go after you graduate. C. Quizzes (20%) a. We will have one quiz each week, beginning the second week of class. b. These quizzes will cover the reading and lecture material from the 6

7 previous week. c. Each week, I will give you a clear picture of what you will need to know for the following week s quiz. d. If you just pay attention and do your reading, you ll be fine. e. Your two lowest quiz grades will be dropped. A cut counts as a 0 on the quiz. D. Journals (20%) a. You are expected to write one page in your journal each week, corresponding to the reading due for that week. You can also feel free to reflect on the lecture material in your journal. You will hand this journal in every class, and I will return it to your CPO the next day. b. Your journal is for the purpose of recording your thoughts, questions, doubts, confusions, and even emotions (bored, frustrated, etc.). c. The content of these will not be graded. d. The length will be graded; only the length. This is so that you feel free to express doubts and confusion. That s okay. Just write a page. e. I will also write in your journals, in response to what you write. I will sometimes interact quite a bit with your entry. Other times, I will merely check that you have written and record that fact for your grade. f. I am the only person who will see your journals. I will not share them with anyone. They are yours. E. Class Participation (10%) a. Participation is expected and graded, as noted in Procedures and Methods. b. Having said that, don t feel the need to ask a question or make a comment every class. I won t even mind if you don t speak for a few classes. I m looking for an excuse to make this an easy part of your grade. Just give me some clues that you re not zoned out in imessage group chat with the rest of the class. c. If you miss a quiz or journal due to an excused absence. F. Reading (Part of journal grade) a. You are expected to read all of the assigned material for this class. Luckily for you, that s just one book. One moderate-sized book on philosophy that has a cool cover. That is unbelievably doable. b. Your reading grade will be part of you journal grade (explained above). You will indicate how much of the reading you completed next to the title on the page. i. E.g.: Bartholomew/Goheen, Christian Philosophy, ch. 1 (100% completed) c. When referring to the book in your journal, take the liberty of abbreviating the book s title to CP (Christian Philosophy), so that you don t have to write Bartholomew/Goheen are confusing here i. E.g. CP is unclear here VII. Grading A. The way to get an A. a. Follow the instructions. 7

8 i. This is an extremely easy way to get a good grade. Do what I tell you to do. It s so simple. The A. Just sitting there. Like an innocent, unassuming little puppy. Sieze it! Take it home. Make it yours. ii. Follow the assigned format. Don t try to hand in a Georgia-font size 13 paper with 2-inch margins. I m going to be looking at it beside all of the other correctly formatted papers, and it will be obvious and embarrassing (for you). So, just format the paper correctly without trying to cut corners to make it shorter. You re in college. You can do it. I believe in you! b. Write well. i. Have a trusted friend read your paper, and take to heart their constructive criticism. ii. (Maybe) Look over your paper with a writing professor at Moody either one of your writing professors you ve already had, or a professor you have heard is helpful, or one who is breathing. 1. (This is not a requirement. You don t have to get your paper edited to receive an A. It s just a piece of personal advice for writing in general. I still make sure to send my personal writing to others before I submit it anywhere. Having others look over your work is a great habit to develop for yourself personally as a writer.) c. Ask me for help. i. I am so here for you guys. I will be at Moody in person all day on Mondays. Besides that, please me. I d love to help, meet and discuss your topic of interest and/or any difficulties you may have in the course. Seeking my help is a great way to get an A. ii. If you don t ask for my help, I promise I won t be offended. That means you re a self-sufficient go-getter, and will likely get an A anyway. iii. My only point is: I m here if you need help. Please ask. It s not a bother (I am getting paid, after all ). B. Grade percentages: a. Paper (50%) b. Journal (20%) c. Quizzes (20%) d. Discussion and Participation (10%) C. Grading scale: A (100-94) (outstanding) C (76-73) A- (93-90) (superior) C- (72-70) B+ (89-87) (good) D+ (69-67) (almost adequate) B (86-83) D (66-63) (inadequate) B- (82-80) (average) F (62 and below) C+ (79-77) 8

9 VIII. Course Schedule Date Class Topic Reading Due Jan 12: Introduction to Deep Thinking Jan 19: MLK Holiday (No Class) Jan 25: The Origin of Philosophical Problems Christian Philosophy, chs. 1 2 Feb 1: Founders Week (No Class) Premodernism Feb 8: Early Naturalism: The Pre-Socratics Christian Philosophy, ch. 3 Feb 15: Early Idealism: Socrates, Plato, and Christian Philosophy, ch. 4 Aristotle Feb 22: Christian Philosophy?: (Plotinus) Christian Philosophy, ch. 6 Augustine, Anselm, and Aquinas Mar 1: Logic: Laws and Fallacies, Deduction Christian Philosophy, ch. 7 and Induction Mar 8: Spring Break (No Class) Mar 15: Spring Break (No Class) Modernism Mar 22: Mar 29: Apr 5: Modernist Rationalism: Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Modernist Empiricism: Hobbes, Locke, Berkley, Hume, Modernist Dialecticism: Kant, Hegel, Feuerbach, Kierkegaard, Freud Christian Philosophy, ch. 8 Christian Philosophy, ch. 9 Christian Philosophy, ch. 10 Postmodernism Apr 12: Apr 19: Apr 26: May 3: May 10: May 12: Resolving Philosophical Problems: Idealism, Personalism, and Cornelius Van Til Poststructuralism and Phenomenology: Heidegger, Foucault, Lyotard, Sartre, and Derrida Realism, Positivism, and Analytic Philosophy: Reid, Wittgenstein, Plantinga Philosophy and Psychology: Positivism, Behaviorism, and Soul Care Study/Reading Day (No Class) Final Exam Christian Philosophy, ch. 11 Christian Philosophy, ch. 12 Christian Philosophy, chs Christian Philosophy, ch. 15 9