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READ THE SYLLABUS, DO NOT JUST SKIM IT. IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS
ABOUT WHAT IT SAYS ASK THE INSTRUCTOR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IF YOU DO
NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE EXPECTED TO DO, WAITING TO INQUIRE
UNTIL LATER IN THE SEMESTER PUTS YOU SERIOUSLY BEHIND.
FALL, 2005
Thinking About Religion [with Huston Smith]
http://pgcconline.blackboard.com
The reason you are taking this course is to ultimately hone your mastery of the greatest
tool that humans have: your mind.
ATo the degree that he masters his tools, he can invest the world with his meaning; to the
extent that he has been mastered by his tools, the shape of the tool determines his own
self-image.@ Ivan Illich, Tools for Conviviality, Marion Boyars, London, 1990: pg. 21.
Thus, if you let your Acommon sense@ or your beliefs or the computer or the television set
or the books or the ideas you simply assume to be true master you rather than you
mastering them, you have become a function of the tool rather than making those lesser
tools a function of your mind.
=============================================================
=======
THREE ADVISORIES:
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1) This is a course which requires you to manage your time well. You need to schedule
doing the lessons and replying to the weekly questions with the same rigor as you would
for an on-campus course. You will save commuting time, but it is likely that the on-line
course will take more time than a face-to-face course would. It also seems to work best if
you schedule the same time every week for doing your work in the course.
2) The college must report those who are not Ain class@ to state and federal funding
agencies. In this course, not being Ain class@ means that you have not turned in the work
that had been due by the reporting date (usually four to five weeks into the semester), so
do not procrastinate on those first lessons. If you have not done the work required in
those early weeks, you will be dropped from the class and assigned a AQ@ grade. The
AQ@ does not impact on your grade point average, but it does remove you from the class
and may then impact on your enrollment status.
3) As an electronically delivered course, there is always a danger that a computer virus
could infect your machine. Be sure that your virus protection is up to date (I know that
both McAfee and Norton update their virus protection files every week) and turned on. It
also helps to be sure that Word=s AMacro Virus Protection@ is turned on (checked) - go
to ATools, 0ptions, General@. If my virus checker rejects (refuses to open) a file from you
because of a virus I cannot read your answer, and as a result I cannot give you a grade
for that work.
=============================================================
=======
This is a completely on-line course. You are never required to come to campus after the
initial orientation. Any tests or quizzes will be on-line, and all of your essays will be sent
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to me on-line. You are welcome to come to my office for face-to-face discussions or
consultations.
To get credit, you must complete all of the work on time (please read this syllabus
carefully for additional conditions on submitting your work).
To succeed in it you will need at least average college reading, comprehension, writing,
and file management skills. If you are taking developmental writing or reading, this course
will prove to be a major headache for you and you would be advised to wait until you
have successfully completed several college level reading and writing courses . If you are
taking an introductory course in computer literacy, or just starting to get familiar with your
computer and software, you may find it easier to wait until your feel comfortable using a
computer and the internet before trying this class.
You will need access to a computer, full scale word-processing software (WordPerfect or
Microsoft Word: any version). [Microsoft Works is not acceptable - its files are often
corrupted in the Blackboard system.] and an ISP with a standard browser (AOL does not
work very well with its supplied browser. If you are using AOL, sign on but then open
Microsoft=s Internet Explorer rather than go with AOL=s default).
All of the lessons will be posted at http://pgcconline.blackboard.com
Note: there is no
Awww@ in the URL, and trying to get to the course from Ablackboard.com@ by itself may
give you a course taught by me some years ago, but it is not the one that we are using
now. You will be given access to the site on or about August 24th, I strongly
recommended that you take some time exploring the site.
INSTRUCTOR
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Clyde Ebenreck
Office: Malboro 3023
(Campus Mail Box: Malboro 3072)
Distance learning office hours will be posted on the course web site, or set
up an appointment for a face-to-face or on-line consultation.
Phone: (office) 301-322-0947 (on-campus office hours are announced on the
phone, and I am often on-campus at other times, but try my home number also)
301-855-1064 (home, no calls before 8 am or after 8 pm, has answering
machine)
The best way to reach me is by e-mail: cebenreck@pgcc.edu
On an e-mail message, clearly indicate PHL 127 in the subject or topic
area, otherwise I may not recognize your name and delete the message
unread and unanswered. I usually check my mail daily during the week and
once on the weekend, so you can expect a reply within 24 to 48 hours.
Leaving the Asubject@ blank guarantees that I will not see your message
(my filters trash any ANo Subject@ message).
NO FAX
Mailing address: Clyde Ebenreck
Philosophy Department
Prince George's Community College
301 Largo Road
Largo, MD 20774-2199
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But since all of your assignments will be sent to me through the Blackboard site,
you would use regular mail only in extreme cases when you have no access to the
internet. If you send me something through the postal service I will be mailing back to
you the same way (I will not scan it into an electronic versions to send it back to you via
Blackboard). This means that you might have up to a week=s delay in receiving feedback
from me.
A) objectives for the college=s course (including this section) in Thinking about Religion
AUpon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to
1) distinguish between faith and reason
2) identify three central concepts in the major world religions
3) compare the different concepts of God in three different religions
(at least one Asian and one Western)
4) relate the teachings of a religion to the culture in which those
teachings originated.
5) demonstrate the ability to think critically@
B) additional objectives of this section:
1) to examine highlights of the major world religions not as theological claims
based on faith, but to see what philosophical claims are being made and to what
extent the truth of these claims can be established.
Philosophy is not opposed to religion, but it approaches religious topics from
the standpoint of reason and not faith. Theology is also a rational approach, but
the bottom line for theology is the faith commitment of the believing community. A
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good theologian must be a good philosopher, but a good philosopher need not have
any theological stand, and a good preacher need not be either a good theologian or
a good philosopher (although he or she cannot really be a good preacher or pastor
if the theology and philosophy that guides them is bad). And if the philosopher
takes an anti-theological stance, that stance has to be rationally defended. For
example, a philosopher can reasonably argue that a sacred text is not historically
true but that philosopher has to show where the text departs from history and truth.
2) to engage in a dialogue with the absent speaker, Huston Smith, professor
emeritus of philosophy and religion at the University of California, Berkeley. His
Ph.D. is from the University of Chicago and he has also taught at MIT and
Syracuse. Dr. Smith was featured in the 1996 PBS-TV series moderated by Bill
Moyers: The Wisdom of Faith and you can frequently find the tapes and/or
DVD=s for that series in places like Blockbusters.
3) to clarify some of your own questions about religion and to work out how
to think about them
4) to stimulate additional questions about religion, philosophy and life
C) Some means to those goals:
C.1) Required books and audio tapes (available in the College Bookstore: 301322-0912):
1) Huston Smith, Religions of the World, Audio Cassettes, 1995, Sounds
True Audio, 735 Walnut Street. Boulder CO, 1-56455-350-7
6
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placed my copies of these tapes on reserve in the college library, they can
be used there, but they cannot be taken out.
2) Huston Smith, The World's Religions, 2nd edition, 1991, Harper Collins,
0-06-250811-3
3) Anthony Weston, A Rulebook for Arguments (third edition), Hackett,
2000, 0-87220-552-5
This is a brief introduction to rational arguments and how to build them. If it
is not with the PHL 127 books look elsewhere in the philosophy section: I
use the book in all of my classes: on-line and on campus.
C.2) Required web access.
You will not need to have your own computer to do
this - you can use any computer with web access to access the
Blackboard site, just remember to bring your own disks to download the
lessons and to upload your responses. Access to college and library labs
may not be available at all times (especially when the College is closed for
a holiday), thus it is a lot more convenient if you have regular access to a
computer and the WEB at home or work.
If you are using multiple computers (home, work, school, friends) one of the
easiest ways to keep your work with you is to store (upload) it on the
Blackboard web site in your ADigital Drop Box@
Only you have access to
that location, and you can put the files you are working on there, download
them to the computer you happen to be using to continue the work, and
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upload them back to the drop box. The files do not move out of your
control and your drop box until you send the file to me.
C.3) Recommended book and sources:
1) Huston Smith, Forgotten Truth, Harper Collins, 1992, Harper SF,
0_06_250787_7
This book gives an overview of Smith=s philosophy of
religion without going into the details of the individual religions that will be
covered this semester. Students who have a reasonable background in
science have found his chapters on the dialogue between religion and
science to be particularly helpful.
2) access to (the indicated web locations are only suggestions, you may
well find sites more to your taste by doing a web search using any standard
search engine):
The Torah (Old Testament, The First Testament The Hebrew
Scriptures) ( http://unbound.biola.edu/)
The New Testament, The Second Testament The Christian
Scriptures ( http://www.ntgateway.com/)
The Koran (Qur'an) ( http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/)
The Gita ( http://eawc.evansville.edu/anthology/gita.htm)
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The Upanishads ( http://www.hindunet.org/upanishads/)
The Pali Canon ( http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/index.html)
Zen Koans (http://www.chinapage.com/zen/koan1.html )
The primary purpose here is to be able to read the texts that Smith mentions
in their larger context. However, it is tremendously valuable if you can set
aside time each day during the semester to read at least a section from one
or more of these traditional Sacred Texts. I would suggest for those of you
raised in a Western religion that you will find a great deal of profit in
spending time with the sacred texts of one of the other Western religions: A
Christian will find much to admire in the Qur=an and the Torah; a Muslim
will see many of Islam=s themes of justice and service to the poor contained
in the Gospels and the Torah; and a Jew will hear echoes of the Torah in
both the Gospels and the Qur=an.
D) An overview of the semester:
1) Lessons (study guides on-line) will follow the order of the chapters in Smith's
book, The World's Religions, plus a final study guide to guide you through your final
paper (you may want to download this [ALesson 11"] at the start of the semester).
2) Each lesson's STUDY GUIDE is posted on the Blackboard site as a Word
document. Normally you will have access to three lessons at a time (the current lesson,
and the lessons immediately prior to and following it).
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The work I expect from you this semester is that for each lesson you will
+ first answer the ten preliminary questions for yourself - they are thought
starters for the lesson.
I will not collect these answers, but in any consultation with you I may
ask how you answered one or the other of them. Accordingly, keep a
reliable notebook (electronic or physical) in which your answers and
questions are kept in an accessible order
+ then read the study guide,
+ read the corresponding chapter in Smith's book,
+ take notes on any issues in the reading that seem unclear to you,
+ listen to the audio-tape (also noting any unclear areas for yourself).
+ if there are unclear items, go on-line to the Blackboard site, ask me, your
fellow students, or your knowledgeable friends about those areas (post your
questions on the class discussion board under the AQuestions about the course@
topic - private e-mails to me about the content of the course will be returned to
you and you will be requested to re-post to the public forum where it will be
answered).
+ Once the material feels clear enough to you, write out an answer to the
lesson's STUDY QUESTION (always at the end of the STUDY GUIDE for that
lesson): these answers would not normally need to be longer than three pages, but
I do not object to longer essays as long as they are focused on the question itself.
+ do not use the word processor=s footnote/endnote function (those are
macro driven and thus do not show up on my screen since I disable macros to
block the more common Microsoft viruses): make any such notations within the
text itself.
+ on your disk, store the file as a Word document * (using the
following file naming convention: ARxxxx-127yy@ where Axxxx@ is your user ID
on Blackboard, and Ayy@ is the lesson number - 01,02 etc. )
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*The Blackboard site almost always messes up Works files. If you are
using Works, be sure to always chose the ASave as@ option and select the
A.doc@ or AWord for Windows@ file type. It makes great academic sense
to invest in a full scale word processor instead of sticking with the cheaper
AWorks@ that may have been bundled with your computer.
+ then send it to me using the site=s ADigital Drop Box@. I will grade and respond to your
answer and send it back to your Drop Box (usually within 24 hours), changing the
first letter of the file name from an AR@ to a AC@. Do not encode your files, if I
can=t open your file, I cannot grade it or count it as turned in.
In the rare case when you somehow cannot get access to the Digital Drop
Box, but can still send e-mails, I would accept an e-mail attachment in
place of the Drop Box. (Use the same file naming conventions)
3.2) There are on-line assignments (discussions and collaborative work) that are integral
to the course. If the class is large I will set up smaller groups to facilitate such
discussions and collaboration. These discussions and collaborations need to be
done within the scheduled days for the assignment (usually at least a week): trying
to get credit for them by entering your contribution after the deadline will not
work.
3.3) The deadlines for each assignment are in the Calendar on the last pages of this
syllabus. Your work is due within the structure of this schedule: some of the work
involves interaction with your fellow students and cannot be either anticipated or
caught up with. Set your schedule so that you work both steadily and diligently
through the semester (the lessons are posted and then removed according to this
set of dates)
4) Grading:
-
4.1) Each lesson is worth up to ten points. I will be looking for several things:
all parts of the question are answered;
accuracy in understanding Huston Smith;
clarity in your own formulation of your answer;
details with which you support your claims in the answer.
I would suggest that you write out your answer, let it sit overnight, re-read to be
sure it covers all the issues contained in the question and that you are satisfied
with your answer, and revise if necessary before sending it on to me.
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4.2) each instructor-posted on-line discussion will run about three weeks.
You will receive 5 points for each of two substantive (something more than AI
agree@) contributions to a posted discussion topic which would include your
reasoned reaction/response to the topic or to a fellow student=s reaction/response,
up to a total of 10 points. You would need to spread these responses out over the
time of the discussion: no points would be awarded for responding twice in the
same day.
4.3) I do not plan any exams, but reserve the right to set up an on-line QUIZ (pretty
simple matching and multiple choice [including some vocabulary words]) to give
both of us a sense of how well you understand the material you are hearing and
reading. If I do, then you will have a week after it is posted to respond and you
would be notified of the quiz through the course site=s AAnnouncement@ feature.
4.4) The FINAL PAPER is on any topic in the philosophy of religion and is worth up to fifty
points. This paper would be a good place for you to extend the argument from
one of your lesson responses, or an occasion to pick up on an idea that you would
like to have seen developed at more length during the semester. My suggested
length for such a paper would be 12 to 15 pages not counting the bibliography and yes, such a bibliography of sources used and accurate citations (end notes or
body notes: footnotes occasionally get lost in an electronic transmission) would be
expected. I am willing to consult with you about your topic as well as look at
rough drafts up to two weeks before the paper is due.
4.5) the scoring of the introductory on-line project and the mid-term collaboration will be
explained in those assignments themselves.
4.6) Your possible points then would include: an introductory on-line project for 10 points, an
on-line collaboration for 20 points, 10 answers at 10 points each; one final paper,
50 points; 10 discussion points per discussion for a total of 20.
Total 200 possible points for the semester (if quizzes are given, their total will be
added to the possible points, and the scale below will be modified):
A = 180 - 200 B = 160 - 179 C = 140 - 159 D = 120 - 139.
4.7) Possible penalty points: A plagiarized paper (weekly or final) not only will you get a
zero on that assignment, but your end of the semester total will be reduced by ten
percent.
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Plagiarism is using the direct words or close paraphrase of another without
properly crediting that source (name, title, publisher, year, page; Internet citations
need URL, in addition to author, date, title, page).
Any time you take the text directly from someone else either in a book or on-line
you must set those words between quotation marks or as an indented paragraph
and appropriately credit the source immediately after the citation - the easiest way
to do so is to include in your text a reference to the source (e.g. ASmith, 124)
and give the full reference in your bibliography. A paraphrase would not be set in
quotes or indented, but B like a direct quote - would still need the reference
immediately after it.
A paper which does cite the appropriate sources, but in fact is substantially from
those sources and does not contain your own thinking - expressed in your own
words - is also plagiarism. Cut and paste is a good method for editing your own
work. But it is a disaster if you use it in place of your own words (it is easy to use
the various search engines, highlight a text and paste it into your paper, but that is
plagiarism and not college level work, much less philosophy). See the three
pages at the end of this syllabus: AAvoiding Plagiarism@
Plagiarism is academically dishonest because it makes the words you hand in
appear to be your own work: it is always better to put your answer in your own
words in order to avoid even the suspicion of dishonesty. Philosophy is thinking,
not copying.
E.1) To help you understand the lessons and to assist you with your final paper, there will be
scheduled ON-LINE CHATS - these sessions are optional but are strongly encouraged.
Additional Chat Room/office hour sessions can be set up if you wish. E-mail me to set up the
time.
E.2) If, for some reason, you hand deliver a hard copy to my office be sure that you put my name
and the class (PHL 127, 9446) on the front of your paper and place your paper in the wall box
next to my door. If the outside office door is locked, slide your paper with my name on it under
the door. Papers slid under a door without my name on it have disappeared before I got them.
KEEP A COPY of each of everything you send: electronic files can also vanish into
cyberspace.
KEEP ALL GRADED MATERIAL UNTIL THE END OF THE SEMESTER IN CASE I
FORGET TO RECORD YOUR SCORE. (You can always check your current grades by
using the ACheck My Grade@ function on the Blackboard site - let me know immediately
if I have failed to accurately record your score.)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A few quotes worth thinking about:
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[T]he clue to the nature of a passionate mind: You have to think as somebody,
not as anybody or nobody.
Sam Keen, Hymns to an Unknown God, Bantam Books, 1994, pg 101
AFrom this climate of suspicion emerges a new quality of specialization, one
which feels more at home with questions that with answers, committed more to
seeking rather than finding, engaging with the big picture of open horizons rather
than the closed system of official boundaries. . . .
ABeyond the climate of suspicion, is the call to a new sense of participation.
Every human being has a right and a duty to that wisdom and learning which
formerly was deemed to be the reserve of the specialist.@
Diarmuid O=Murchu, Religion in Exile, Crossroads Publishing, 2000, p
14.
AThe Whiteheadian version of naturalistic theism, according to which a Divine
Actuality acts variably but never supernaturally in the world. This doctrine - the
centrality of which is signaled by the phrase without supernaturalism in the
book=s title - says that although there is a divine actuality that influences human
experience and, in fact, all finite beings, this divine influence never involves an
interruption of the normal pattern of causal relations, being instead a natural
dimension of this normal pattern. . . .
AIn light of this discussion, we can now provide a preliminary definition of a fullfledged religion: a complex set of beliefs, stories, traditions, emotions, attitudes,
dispositions, institutions, artistic creations, and practices - both cultic and ethical,
both communal and individual - oriented around the desire to be in harmony with
an ultimate reality that is understood to be holy and thereby to provide life with
meaning.@
David Ray Griffin, Re-enchantment without Supernaturalism: A Process
Philosophy of Religion, Cornell Studies in the Philosophy of Religion, Cornell
University Press, 2001: p 6, 12.
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Calendar of due dates:
Page 15
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(Noon of the day listed is the deadline):
NOTE - look ahead to see what tasks are coming up (particularly the midterm group
project and the final paper), you will have some Adown time@ when readings and
essays are not required (the weeks of the on-line discussions) but it would be very
wise to use those times to work ahead.
Lesson
Due Date
Score
On-campus orientation session, time and place: see the distance learning website,
August
25
Start of the semester, get familiar with the on-line system, meet your classmates and
teacher, be sure that your sign-in ID and password work
On line exercises
09/02
________ (10)
First instructor posted topic for discussion:
09/09
( ) (5) ( ) (5)
Lesson 1,
Holy People, Holy Ideas
09/16
________ (10)
Lesson 2,
Hinduism
09/23
________ (10)
Lesson 3,
Buddhism
09/30
________ (10)
Second instructor posted topic for discussion:
10/07
( ) (5) ( ) (5)
Lesson 4,
Confucianism
10/14
________ (10)
Lesson 5,
Taoism
10/21
________ (10)
10/28
________ (20)
Mid-term group collaborative project:
God and evolution
Lesson 6,. Islam
11/04
________ (10)
Lesson 7, Judaism
11/11
________ (10)
Lesson 8, Christianity
11/18
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________ (10)
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[Nov 22: last day to withdraw from the class to get a W - after this date I will need to assign
you the grade you have earned in the semester. The W does not count against your grade point
average, although if you accumulate enough w's it can injure your academic standing: check
with your counselor if you think you might be subject to this regulation. You do not need my
signature (although I would appreciate knowing the reasons for your decision), but you do need
to fill out an official form at the registrar=s desk.
This is also the deadline for any catch up work (lessons missed during the semester).]
Happy Thanksgiving: but do not relax too much, there is a major paper coming up quickly, if you
want me to look at a draft you need to send that draft to me by 11/30.
Third instructor posted topic for discussion:
12/02
( ) (5) ( ) (5)
Note that the assignment for lesson 9 is also due today
12/02
________ (10)
12/09
________ (10)
Lesson 11, Major Paper B 12/16, THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE DEADLINE, no later than NOON
Thus, an introductory on-line project for 10 points, an on-line collaboration for 20 points, 10
answers at 10 points each; one final paper, 50 points; 10 discussion points per discussion for a
total of 20. Total 200 possible points for the semester (if quizzes are given, their total will be
added to the possible points, and the scale below will be modified):
A = 180 - 200 B = 160 - 179 C = 140 - 159 D = 120 - 139.
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Avoiding Plagiarism
Brought to you by the Purdue University Online Writing Lab at
http://owl.english.purdue.edu
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Academic writing in American institutions is filled with rules that
writers often don=t know how to follow. A working knowledge of these
rules, however, is critically important; inadvertent mistakes can lead
to charges of plagiarism or the unacknowledged use of somebody else=s
words or ideas. While other cultures may not insist so heavily on
documenting sources, American institutions do. A charge of plagiarism
can have severe consequences . . . .
Choosing When to Give Credit
Need to Document
*
When you are using or referring to somebody else=s words or ideas
from a magazine, book, newspaper, song, TV program, movie, Web
page, computer program, letter, advertisement, or any other medium
*
When you use information gained through interviewing another person
*
When you copy the exact words or a unique phrase from somewhere
*
When you reprint any diagrams, illustrations, charts, and pictures
*
When you use ideas that others have given you in conversations or
over email
No Need to Document
*
When you are writing your own experiences, your own observations,
your own insights, your own thoughts, your own conclusions about a
subject
*
When you are using common knowledge@, folklore, common
sense observations, shared information within your field of study
or cultural group
*
When you are compiling generally accepted facts
*
When you are writing up your own experimental results
==============================================================================
Making Sure You Are Safe
Action during the writing process
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Appearance on the finished product
When researching, note-taking, and interviewing
* Mark everything that is someone else=s words with a big Q (for
quote) or with big quotation marks
* Indicate in your notes which ideas are taken from sources (S) and
which are your own insights (ME)
* Record all of the relevant documentation information in your notes
Proofread and check with your notes (or photocopies of sources) to
make sure that anything taken from your notes is acknowledged in
some combination of the ways listed below:
*
*
*
*
In-text citation
Footnotes
Bibliography
Quotation marks
* Indirect quotations
When paraphrasing and summarizing
* First, write your paraphrase and summary without looking at the
original text, so you rely only on your memory.
* Next, check your version with the original for content, accuracy,
and mistakenly borrowed phrases
*
Begin your summary with a statement giving credit to the source:
According to Jonathan Kozol, ...
*
Put any unique words or phrases that you cannot change, or do not
want to change, in quotation marks: ... savage inequalities
exist throughout our educational system (Kozol).
When quoting directly
* Keep the person=s name near the quote in your notes, and in your paper
* Select those direct quotes that make the most impact in your paper
-- too many direct quotes may lessen your credibility and
interfere with your style
*
Mention the person=s name either at the beginning of the quote, in
the middle, or at the end
*
Put quotation marks around the text that you are quoting
*
Indicate added phrases in brackets ([ ]) and omitted text with
ellipses (. . .)
When quoting indirectly
* Keep the person=s name near the text in your notes, and in your paper
* Rewrite the key ideas using different words and sentence
structures than the original text
*
Mention the person=s name either at the beginning of the
information, or in the middle, or at that end
*
Double check to make sure that your words and sentence structures
are different than the original text
=========================================================================
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Deciding if something is Common Knowledge
Material is probably common knowledge if . . .
*
You find the same information undocumented in at least five other
sources
*
*
You think it is information that your readers will already know
You think a person could easily find the information with general
reference sources
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