Trinity Western University
Course Syllabus
PSYCHOLOGY 490 (IDIS)
Personhood: An interdisciplinary look at the individual.
Prerequisites
Completion of a minimum of 70 semester hours.
Course Description and Objectives
Broadly speaking, this course is an examination of the person within a Christian
worldview. More specifically, we will consider the function of worldviews, the meaning of a
Christian worldview, and the implications of a Christian worldview for the understanding of
persons and their role in modern society. In as much as contemporary worldviews have been
shaped extensively by developments in science, as well as by historical influences from
philosophy, religion, and culture broadly defined, an interdisciplinary approach will be taken.
The belief that persons are more than simply physical bodies is ancient. Students in this
course will (1) examine ways this belief has been expressed in religious and philosophical
tradition, including exploration of the meaning of terms such as soul, mind, and consciousness,
(2) discuss relevant research in the physical and behavioral sciences, and (3) consider the
meaning of persons within a Christian worldview. In seeking these objectives we will review the
historical relationship between science and religion, and we will consider the ways that scientists
and philosophers have related the concepts of body, and mind, or consciousness, and soul. We
will consider cosmological issues including the “big bang” theory, the age of the earth, quantum
physics, evolution, and design. We will look at new developments in genetics and reproduction,
and their implications for our view of the person. And we will reflect on the way our view of
ourselves is affected by and reflected in media and the arts. In all of this students will be
encouraged to consider different perspectives taken by Christians, and to examine their own
worldview and the meaning of personhood, as well as the implications of these for practical
moral, ethical, and lifestyle decisions.
Textook
Colson, C., & Pearcey, N. (2004). How now shall we live? Wheaton, IL: Tyndale.
Course Procedures and Readings
The course contains 36 “Lessons” divided into 3 “Modules.” Most lessons are designed to follow
a reading in the Colson and Pearcey textbook. However, several lessons are built around a guest
lecture streamed online from the course website. These guests are experts in various disciplines.
Their contributions provide an important interdisciplinary perspective. Because you will be
working on your own, with no scheduled class time, you will need to be self-disciplined. The 36
lessons correspond to the number of 50-minute face-to-face classes usually scheduled 3 times per
week over 1 semester. Please pace yourself and plan accordingly. Deadlines for assignments
and forum closing are meant as "outside limits." They are not meant to be goals. Evenly pacing
your progress will mean you will finish before these cut-off points.
Assignments (40%)
Several lessons contain a section called “Assignment Possibility.” These are written assignments
from which you choose. A complete list for the first module is presented under the heading
"Assignment options for Module 1." You are expected to write two essay assignments for the
whole course. You should choose one assignment from the first module and one from either the
second or the third module. Each assignment will be marked out of 20. Your total mark on
these two assignments will comprise the 40 percent of your total grade given for assignments.
These can be submitted through the “Assignment dropbox” online. The suggested minimum
length for these assignments is 1500 words. Please put your name at the top of your paper, and
submit it in MS Word format.
Online Discussion (20%)
You are expected to participate in the online discussion in what is called a “Forum.” The forum
discussion takes the place of both in-class discussion and student class presentations in the more
traditional classroom setting. You can respond at any time. Forum participants don’t have to be
online at the same time. The online discussion is an important part of the course. Each lesson
contains online discussion questions to which you may respond. Equally valuable, you may
respond to other people’s responses in the forum. You don’t need to respond to every question
posed in the course materials. On the other hand, you may raise new questions relevant to the
lesson or course content. It is important that you keep up with the forum discussion so that other
people are more likely to read your comments, rather than waiting until everyone has moved
on. Some important criteria for forum grading are regular participation, thoughtful and concise
comments, and interaction with others’ comments.
Final research paper (40%)
The interdisciplinary research paper is designed to give you the opportunity to delve more deeply
into topics related to personhood and worldview. Since this is basically the goal of the course,
the research paper will also serve as the final exam. This means that you can filter each topic and
discussion for its relevance to the goals of the course. You can also raise pertinent issues as they
occur throughout the course, with the final research paper in mind. Special sections at the end of
each lesson called “Worldview Reflection/Application” will assist you in thinking along these
lines.
The research paper should articulate your worldview, giving special attention to the
“Who are we?” questions discussed in the course (e.g., “Who am I?” “Where am I?” “What’s
wrong?” “What is the remedy?” etc.). You should also deal with at least three of the topical
content areas covered in the course. That is, show how your position relates to at least three
different areas such as philosophy, biblical anthropology, biology, evolution, genetics,
neuropsychology, the new physics, technology, or some of the several cultural topics discussed.
For example, in discussing modern genetics the answers to the “Who are we?” questions might
be shown to determine one’s ethical and practical conclusions regarding genetic mapping,
cloning, etc.. And conversely, developments in these areas might influence your answers to the
basic questions about the person.
You should expect to develop your position in at least 3,500 words (15-18 pages). Your
paper should contain references where appropriate (APA style is preferred but not mandatory),
and a complete list of references at the end. However, since this is primarily a personal
statement, references may not be necessary.
Evaluation Summary
Assignments
40%
Participation in online discussion
20%
Final exam/worldview paper
40%
100%
Academic Integrity and Avoiding Plagiarism at TWU
As Christian scholars pursuing higher education, academic integrity is a core value of the
entire TWU community. Students are invited into this scholarly culture and required to
abide by the principles of sound academic scholarship at TWU. This includes, but is not
limited to, avoiding all forms of plagiarism and cheating in scholarly work. TWU has a
strict policy on plagiarism (see academic calendar 2008-09, pp. 37-38). Learning what
constitutes plagiarism and avoiding it is the student's responsibility. An excellent resource
describing plagiarism and how to avoid it has been prepared by TWU Librarian William
Badke and is freely available for download (PPT file) or used as flash (self-running)
tutorials of varying lengths from:
http://www.acts.twu.ca/lbr/plagiarism.ppt
http://www.acts.twu.ca/lbr/Plagiarism.swf (14 minute flash tutorial)
http://www.acts.twu.ca/lbr/Plagiarism_Short.swf (8 minute flash tutorial)
__________________
Further Comments on the Research Paper
Some possible points to consider
Worldview: “What is a worldview?” “Why is it important?” “What is my worldview, and how is
it different from other worldviews?” “What is the role of tolerance, pluralism, and
multiculturalism in our society and in my worldview?”
The Person: “Who am I?” “Where am I?” “What’s wrong?” “What is the remedy?”
“What time is it?” etc. “What does the ‘image of God’ mean?”
Cosmology: “How old is the Earth/universe?” “Is Genesis 1 to be taken literally?” “How
long did God take to create?”
Human origins: “Did God create humans instantaneously or over a period of time?”
“What do ‘pre-human’ fossil remains indicate (e.g., Neanderthal man)?” “Who
were these creatures?”
Basis of the person: “What is the relationship between mind, soul, brain, body, etc.?”
“Where is the person?” “What happens to the person at death, after death, and at
the resurrection?”
The person and scientific advances: “How does ones view of the person affect the role
they see for science in advancing human welfare, what are the ethical issues, and
what principles would you use to resolve these?”
- “Is the body sacred, or should we do all we can to improve it through surgery,
medicine, and genetic intervention?” “Are all types of genetic intervention
acceptable?” “Are all goals of genetic intervention acceptable? Why or
why not?”
- “Should advances in modern medicine be used to alleviate all suffering, to the
point of hastening death?” “If ‘extreme measures’ to save life, especially
in the terminally ill, should have limits placed on them, what should those
limits be? Isn’t it euthanasia to withhold help when you could give it?”
- “How far should couples (or singles) go to achieve pregnancy?” “What about
surrogate mothers, test-tube babies, artificial wombs, etc.?”
Science and technology: “How does, or could modern physics change the way we see the
world?” “How has the technological age affected our worldview and/or our view
of ourselves, and how could it affect it in the future?”
Gender and sexuality: “What is the role of our gender and our sexuality in our
personhood?” “Are sexuality and gender part of the image of God, or part of our
fallen nature?”
The arts, media, and culture: “What worldview and view of the person are reflected in
contemporary art, media, and culture generally?” “What does your worldview
suggest would be an appropriate response to culture, or appropriate use of culture
(including the arts and media)?”
Guidelines for grading research papers:
F – Does none of the following.
D – Shows minimal grasp of worldview concept and its application to the person
and controversial issues of science and culture.
C – Presents information on worldviews and the person in well-organized format,
with adequate application to issues in science and culture.
B – In a well-organized and logical format, presents information on worldviews and the person
with carefully thought-out application to several areas of controversy in science and culture,
revealing in the process a good understanding of the relevant scientific or cultural background.
A – As above, plus, argument and expression must be of the highest quality plus the student’s
creative insights and supporting evidence are clearly expressed.
Points will be deducted for spelling, grammatical, or typographical errors.
As this is a research paper, “supporting evidence” and “revealing a good understanding of
the relevant scientific and cultural background” means that your chosen position should be based
on factual information. A lot of information has been provided in the guest lectures, group
presentations, and assigned readings. Of course you may also cite other reading you have done,
including popular media where appropriate. Not everything needs to be documented (e.g.,
scientists’ claim that the Earth is very old). However, where the claims are controversial (e.g.,
“Garden of Eden found!”), or particularly significant (e.g., the biblical basis of your position),
documentation should be given. Indicate your full sources in the reference section at the end of
your paper.
I will assign your work a letter grade first, and then in order to combine it with your other
marks and reach a final grade, I will give it a numerical percentage according to the following
scheme:
94-100 A+
70-73 C+
90-93 A
66-69 C
86-89 A-
62-65 C-
82-85 B+
58-61 D+
78-81 B
54-57 D
74-77 B-
50-53 D0-49 F