PHIL 120: Introduction to Philosophy: LOVE and PHILOSOPHY

Earlham College, Spring Semester 2011-2012
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 11:00-11:50, Carpenter 320
Instructor: Ferit Güven
Office: Carpenter 328
Office Hours: By Appointment
Office Phone:  983-1399
e-mail: guvenfe@earlham.edu
web page: http://www.earlham.edu/~guvenfe
Moodle Page: https://moodle.earlham.edu/course/view.php?id=2187

Course Description: What is love? Is it even possible to understand the concept of love? In this course, we will approach these and related questions in order to understand how love is represented in philosophy. We will investigate various conceptions of love in order to problematize the Judeo-Christian understanding of love as a unifying force among other things. Since the concept of love is included in the very word "philosophy," (love-philia of wisdom-sophia), this would be an ideal introduction to philosophy. We will also raise questions as to whether philosophy as a specific Western discourse can uniformly define love in the multicultural world that we live in.

Required Texts: All requiredt texts for the course are available on Moodle:

Course Requirements and Evaluations:
You are expected to write three papers (5-6 page). Your papers must be double-spaced and typed in 12 point font (There should be approximately 250-300 words per page).
In order to be fair to students who pass in their papers on time, late papers will be graded down one notch (e.g. B to B-) for each day late (including weekends). You are responsible for making copies of your essays.
For every Monday one student will prepare a two-paged protocol. A protocol is a carefully edited summary/notes of the previous three class sessions written in full sentences. Protocols will be photocopied by the student who wrote it and handed out to all students at the beginning of each week (Monday) to be read aloud.  The protocol will serve as a cumulative record of the course. In addition to reviewing the material covered in the previous week, it should include announcements made and questions not addressed in class. The best protocols will be those that do not simply reproduce word for word everything that was said during class, but that rearrange the material thematically, editing out what was unimportant and emphasizing what was significant. One of the advantages of the protocols is to allow you to think during class and not just take notes; because someone will be taking notes for you, you can concentrate on the ideas being presented, and participate without having to write constantly. Also, you will have a summary of every class which will help you with writing papers. 

Since you will be writing your papers on the texts we read in this course, there is no need to do additional research beyond these texts, that is, you do not need to use secondary sources.  Plagiarism, [i.e., copying or paraphrasing the ideas and language of others (without acknowledging the source) from a book, from an article, from the Internet, etc., and thus implicitly presenting them as one's own] will not be tolerated. You will receive an F for that assignment, and may be subject to academic disciplinary action. For further clarifications on plagiarism, read The Student Handbook under "Procedures and Penalties for Academic Violations." Plagiarism can be deliberate or accidental. It is your responsibility to know what plagiarism is and avoid it. If you are not clear about plagiarism you should discuss it with me.

There will be no final exam.  However, there will be quizzes either at the beginning or at the end of the sessions in order to make sure that all students complete their reading on time.  There will be no make-up for these quizzes.

Your grade will be calculated according to the following distribution: 1st Paper: 20%; 2nd Paper: 20%; 3rd Paper: 20%; Protocol: 15%; Class Participation, Quizzes: 15%; Attendance 10%.

Any student with a documented disability (e.g., physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing., etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the instructor and Disability Services Office (Academic Support Services) at the beginning of the semester. Accommodation arrangements must be made during the first-two weeks of the semester.

Class Participation:
This is primarily a discussion/seminar course.  The success of the course depends on your contribution.  Participation is not equal to “just speaking” in class.  Your remarks have to contribute to our understanding of the meaning, or of the implications, or of the importance of the text. In order to be an effective participant you need do the following:
In preparing for class: Complete the reading assignments for the day; Mark important passages in the text so that you can refer to them; Bring questions to class.
In discussion: Listen to what classmates say carefully so that you can rephrase their ideas; Challenge ideas that you think are incorrect; Demonstrate a thoughtful engagement with the texts; Take notes.
In speaking: Respond to the question under consideration; Connect your remarks to what others have said; Support what you say through textual evidence; Vary your style of participation, sometimes lead, sometimes hold back, sometimes push your ideas, sometimes help others to develop their ideas.

If you miss more than three classes you will lose 10% of your grade (i.e., your entire attendance grade). If you miss more than six classes you will fail this course regardless of your grade. You must bring your texts to every class.
Our sessions will start at 11:00 am. Students are expected to come on time. Walking into (and out of) the classroom while the session is in progress is very disruptive for everybody. For every two late attendance (or early exit) you will be marked as absent for one class session.

Calendar: On Moodle
Paper Dates:
February 17: 1st Paper due
March 30: 2nd Paper due
April 30: Final Paper due