PHILOSOPHY 104 (FALL 2012) – PHILOSOPHY OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY: CHALLENGE AND
CHANGE (TTH)
Instructor: Dr. Ted Stolze
Office: SS-132
Office Phone: 562-860-2451, extension 2774
Office Hours: MTWTh 9-9:30am, M 11am-12pm
E-mail: tstolze@cerritos.edu
Webpage: www.cerritos.edu/tstolze
"We make our own collective history. There are no answers at the back of the book.”
—William Tabb, The Restructuring of Capitalism in Our Time
“Let us call…people, who are present in the world but absent from its meaning and decisions about its future, the
inexistent of the world. We shall then say that a change of world is real when an inexistent of the world starts to
exist in this same world with maximum intensity. This is exactly what people in the popular rallies in Egypt were
saying and are still saying: we used not to exist, but now we exist, and we can determine the history of the
country. This subjective fact is endowed with an extraordinary power. The inexistent has arisen. That is why we
refer to uprising: people were lying down, submissive; they are getting up, picking themselves up, rising up. This
rising is the rising of existence itself: the poor have not become rich; people who were unarmed are not now
armed, and so forth. Basically, nothing has changed. What has occurred is restitution of the existence of the
inexistent, conditional upon what I call an event. In the knowledge that, unlike the restitution of the inexistent,
the event itself is invariably elusive.”
—Alain Badiou, The Rebirth of History
Transfer Credit:
CSU, UC
Prerequisite:
Satisfactory completion of the English Placement Process or ENGL 52 or equivalent with a grade of Credit or "C"
or higher
Course Description:
This introductory level course is designed to create understanding, appreciation, and tolerance of diverse
cultures, particularly those of non-Western civilizations that are ethnic minority groups in American culture. Topics
covered will include the nature of culture, the epistemology of cultural diversity, worldviews, religion, traditional
values, ethnocentrism, cultural relativism, cultural pluralism, and the philosophy of liberation.
Texts:
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Heather Widdows, Global Ethics (McGill-Queen’s Univ. Press, 2011) = GE
Matthew Restall and Amara Solari, 2012 and the End of the World: The Western Roots of the Maya
Apocalypse (Rowman and Littlefield, 2011) = EOW
Student Learning Outcomes:
At the completion of this course students will be able to:
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Demonstrate an understanding and appreciation about what philosophy of cultural diversity is by: a)
exhibiting basic literacy in the areas of cultural relativism, ethnocentrism, cultural diversity, the universal
moral community, human rights, citizenship, global justice, and worldviews; and, b) displaying an
awareness of social changes and challenges as they are viewed from the perspective of others who are
culturally different from the student.
Differentiate between cultural relativism, ethnocentrism, and a universal moral community.
Understand and engage in the practice of philosophical inquiry relevant to global issues.
Demonstrate basic philosophical concepts, philosophers, and their contributions to world philosophy.
Read and analyze Eastern and Western philosophical texts, recognize philosophical claims, and assess the
merit of the evidence.
Understand and write about critical issues concerning cultural influences and philosophical questions in
the areas of metaphysics, ethics, and epistemology.
Use philosophical methods, assumptions, and principles to analyze philosophical ideas and positions,
including contemporary problems and issues relevant to the global community.
Evaluate their own philosophical presuppositions, as well as the philosophical presuppositions of others in
order to assess the merits of these assumptions.
Course Requirements:
1.
Show up regularly, on time, and prepared to discuss the readings. You should carefully read the
assignment before class, noting difficult passages and writing down any questions you’d like to pose in
class. You should also briefly reread the assignment after class to confirm that you now understand the
author’s main points. NOTE: you must turn off all electronic devices before class begins (unless you
have a demonstrable need).
NOTE: I reserve the right to drop any student who is absent for more than six class sessions
during the semester. Also, if you leave class early without permission, you will be
considered absent for that session.
2.
Take seven surprise quizzes, of which I’ll keep the highest five scores and drop the lowest two. The
remaining quizzes add up to 20 points.
3.
Take three exams: the first counts for 30 points, the second for 20 points, and the third for 30 points.
The second exam should be done as a take-home essay and is due on November 13.
4.
Final grades will be based on the following scale:
90-100 points
80-89 points
70-79 points
60-69 points
0-59 points
A
B
C
D
F
NOTE: You should hold on to all graded work until the end of the course in case there turns
out to be a dispute over your final grade.
5.
Plagiarism is ethically unacceptable and will result in automatic failure for a particular assignment. For
the official Cerritos College Academic Honesty/ Dishonesty Policy, see http://cms.cerritos.edu/academicaffairs/academic-honesty.
6.
If you have a disability for which you would like to request an accommodation, you are encouraged to
contact both me and the Disabled Student Programs and Services at (562) 860-2451 ext. 2335, as early
as possible in the term.
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Standards for Classroom Behavior and Discussion:
Our goal in this course is to achieve respectful philosophical dialogue in which everyone feels affirmed in the
value of his or her ideas and contributions to the class. This means not only that we should speak in certain
ways, but also that we should listen in certain ways. Respectful philosophical dialogue demands that even if we
strongly disagree with others, we should be very careful not to speak in a way that demeans them or their
ideas. We should instead engage in active listening—a technique that helps us to be less defensive in responding
to criticism or disagreement. Mindful, active listening requires each of us to focus on the words of the person
speaking rather than on what we ourselves might want to say, and to reserve judgment until he or she has
finished speaking and we are sure that we really understand his or her perspective. At the very least, active
listening requires the following respectful behavior:
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No side conversations, note-passing, or fiddling with your cell phone
Body language that indicates supportive attention (e.g., eye contact with the speaker)
No body language that is derisive (e.g., sighs, eye-rolling, muttering under your breath, throw-away
comments after the speaker is finished).
(I have adapted these standards from those developed by Johanna and Mark Brenner.)
Weekly Topics and Reading Assignments:
8/21
8/23
8/28
8/30
9/6
9/11
9/13
9/18
9/20
9/25
9/27
10/2
10/4
10/9
10/11
10/16
10/18
10/23
10/25
10/30
11/1
11/6
11/8
11/13
11/15
11/20
11/22-25
11/27
11/29
12/4
12/6
12/11
12/13
12/18
Introduction
GE, pp. 1-12
GE, pp. 13-29
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GE, pp. 30-67
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EOW, pp. 1-26
EOW, pp. 27-47
EOW, pp. 49-66
EOW, pp. 67-111
EOW, pp. 113-32
Review
Exam #1
GE, pp. 68-97
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GE, pp. 98-129
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Review
Library Assignment (Take-Home Exam #2) – Stolze in London
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GE, pp. 149-72
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GE, pp. 173-99
No Class - Thanksgiving Break
GE, pp. 173-99
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VIDEO: Earth: The Operators’ Manual
GE, pp. 228-49
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James Garvey, “Climate Change and Moral Outrage” (available online)
Exam #3