PHI 435: Contemporary Philosophy
Dr. Erin C. Tarver
Erin_Tarver@georgetowncollege.edu
502-863-8214
Spring 2012, CAA Flag, Writing Flag [Proposed]
Course Catalog Description: A survey of leading 20th century philosophers. Russell,
Wittgenstein, Heidegger, Husserl, Moore, Davidson, Merleau-Ponty, and Derrida
represent some of the figures to be considered.
Class Description: This class is thematically interested in the rise of post-structuralist
and post-colonial theory in (and in response to) 20th-century philosophy. As such,
its trajectory will diverge from traditional surveys of 20th century philosophy,
shifting its attention from Europe and North America to related thinkers in Africana,
Indian and Latin American philosophies. While these non-western thinkers share
some methodological commonalities with philosophers of continental Europe and
North America (particularly in their emphasis on language), their significant
criticism of conventional Western philosophical and political projects offers a
marked point of divergence and incisive critique to which mainstream European
and American philosophies must find a way to respond.
Required Texts
COURSE PACK
Austin, J.L. Selections from How to Do Things with Words.
Butler, Judith. Selections from Gender Trouble and Excitable Speech.
Davidson, Donald. “On the Very Idea of a Conceptual Scheme.”
Dussel, Enrique. Selections from Philosophy of Liberation
Heidegger, Martin. Selections from Being and Time.
Merleau-Ponty, Maurice. Preface to Phenomenology of Perception.
Said, Edward. Selections from Orientalism.
Spivak, Gayatri Chakravorty. “Can the Subaltern Speak?”
Wittgenstein, Ludwig. Selections from Philosophical Investigations.
Anzaldúa, Gloria. Borderlands/La Frontera.
Fanon, Frantz. Black Skin, White Masks.
Foucault, Michel. History of Sexuality, vol. 1
Learning Outcomes
- Students will understand and be able to articulate the significance and development
of the major movements of philosophical approaches to language, meaning and
identity in both Western and non-Western thought in the 20th century.
- Students will develop their skills in analyzing and critiquing complex philosophical
arguments and texts, particularly those marginalized from the traditional Western
philosophical canon.
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Students will develop their skills in verbally communicating philosophical positions
and in using collaborative discussions to advance philosophical knowledge.
Students will learn to effectively and constructively critique their own and others’
philosophical writing.
Grading
Term Paper (12-15 pgs)
Paper Workshop Participation
Reading Reflection Papers (10)
Presentation/Seminar Facilitation
Discussion Participation
Final Exam
30%
5%
20%
10%
15%
20%
Grading Scale
92 – 100 = A
87 – 92 = A/B
82 – 87 = B
77 – 82 = B/C
70 – 77 = C
60 – 70 = D
< 60 = F
‘W’ Credit Information
Students must complete their Essential Proficiency writing requirements before they can receive
credit for a Flagged Writing class. Students may receive writing credit for no more than one
Writing Flag in any one semester.
Because the ability to write carefully reasoned, analytical, and critical essays is indispensible both
for the practice of philosophy and for the completion of a well-rounded liberal arts education, the
assignments in this class are specifically designed to cultivate and improve upon students’ writing
skills.
Assignments
Term Paper
You will write an argumentative philosophical paper on a topic of your choice (though
topics must be concerned with one or more of the major texts we read in this class, and all
papers must, at minimum, respond to one of the non-Western thinkers we encounter). A
topic proposal (including a paragraph abstract and a detailed outline) must be submitted
before the Thanksgiving break, which I will return with written feedback. I strongly
encourage you to come chat with me about your topic before writing the proposal—while I
want you to feel free to think creatively and independently about your topic, I may be able
to provide guidance on potential outside sources to consider, or offer advice on fine-tuning
an argument. Your final paper should make use of (and properly cite) at least 3 secondary
sources (beyond the primary text that is your topic). Term papers will be graded both on
the quality of writing they use and the quality of their philosophical content.
Paper Workshop Participation
One of the most valuable philosophical skills to learn is the ability to read and comment
critically upon others’ work, while likewise accepting and learning from criticism of one’s
own work. We’ll practice both in this workshop. To participate fully in the workshop,
you’ll need to bring a substantial working draft of your final paper. This doesn’t need to be
a full-length draft, but it should at least include your revised, detailed outline, a clear
statement of your thesis, and at least three pages of text.
Reading Reflection Papers (RR)
You’ll have reading assigned for each class, which you’ll need to have completed prior to
coming to our seminar. Additionally, 10 different times during the semester, you’ll write a
short (approximately 2 pages) reflection paper on the assigned reading—usually guided by
a question I pose in advance.
Presentation/Seminar Facilitation
Each student in the course will be responsible for giving a short (approx. 15 minute)
presentation and taking a leadership role in that day’s seminar discussion. To ensure that
this runs smoothly, you’ll need to create a Moodle forum post at least one day prior to your
presentation day that indicates 1) the guiding questions you’d like us all to think about for
your presentation day and 2) some analytical and/or critical comments of your own that
you’d like us to discuss together (does the author or text you’re discussing have a more or
less satisfactory answer to some question we’ve seen before during the semester? Is there
an unresolved philosophical tension in some central claims of the text? Does the text throw
some particularly interesting or useful light on an external or real-world concern?)
Discussion Participation
As you no doubt know by now, Philosophy is best done conversationally—so it’s incredibly
important that everyone in this class think of themselves as semester-long conversation
partners, rather than simply as students who come to sit in (or, heaven forbid, hide in the
back of) class. It’s also important to note that the best conversations happen when we all
take care to prepare for them—which means that your job in this class is not just to speak
up, but to come prepared (i.e., having done the reading) to contribute helpfully to our
general classroom experience. Thus, to get good marks in this component, you’ll need to do
the following things:
- Come to class regularly, and do not miss more than 3 classes.
- Contribute positively to the general class discussion in a way that demonstrates
critical philosophical engagement
- Abide by the Classroom Conduct policy (see below)
Final Exam
The exam for this course will take an essay format, and will be cumulative over the entirety
of the course material.
Schedule
Week 1: Heidegger
Week 2: Merleau-Ponty
Week 3: Wittgenstein and Austin
Week 5-6: Fanon
Week 7: Davidson and Said
Week 8-9: Foucault
Week 10-11: Anzaldúa
Week 12: Spivak
Week 13: Butler
Week 14: Dussel
Week 15: Spivak/Butler/Dussel contd.
Classroom Conduct: We’re going to talk quite a bit about arguments in this class—and
we’ll definitely have a few of our own!—but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have ground
rules. In fact, being respectful of one another, even when we disagree, is absolutely crucial
to making this an environment in which everyone can learn. There are several ways we
can show one another respect; the following are the ones I insist upon:
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We may attack ideas, but never people.
Listen to others when they’re talking.
Never use cell phones or computers in the classroom.
Any other ground rules we agree upon as a group
Academic Honesty
Academic Honesty is extremely important, and so violations of the Georgetown College
Honor System will not be tolerated. I will not hesitate to fail a student for the course for
such violations. Infractions of the Honor System include plagiarism, cheating, stealing, and
lying related to academic matters. Definitions of these infractions are available in the
Georgetown College Student Handbook.
Disability Access
I encourage any students with disabilities that may impact their access to or performance
in any component of this course to talk with me or Disability Support Services as soon as
possible. Disability Support Services is located in the Student Wellness Center.