Course Schedule for Spring Term 2 Students (subject to change as needed):

Week 1

Unit Alpha: Introduction to Course. What Is Philosophy? The Role of the Philosopher. Branches of Philosophy. Connections Between Philosophy and Culture. Cultural Divergences: How the Questions One Asks Influence the Answers One Gets. The Three Themes: Reality, Reason, and Expression. List of Threaded Discussion Questions for MyHeritage Posts.

Week 2

Unit IA: Preliminary Discussions on the Three Themes. What Is Real? Read Taylor and Berkeley on Reality. Watch Reality Videos in Online Media. Reading/Study Questions. What Others Said (Starters in Case You Do Not Know What to Say!)

Unit IB: Begin Descartes, Meditations & Discourse. Reading/Study Questions

Week 3

Unit IB, Continued: More Descartes. Assignment for Paper #1. Draft of Paper #1 for Workshop. Review for In-Class Writing #1.Paper #1 Due. In-Class Writing #1.

SP2 2019: Paper #1 and In-Class #1 by Mar. 29.

Week 4

Unit IIA: Being Reasonable—Reason and the Alternatives. Introduction to Ethical Theory—The Right and the Good. Ethical Issues in Real Life. Begin Ethics Videos in Online Media. Read Stace on Ethical Absolutism. Reading/Study Questions.

Unit IIB: Different Realities, Different Ethics? Continue with Ethics Videos in Online Media. Read excerpts from Dancing with a Ghost. Reading/Study Questions.

Week 5

Unit IIC: Finish Ethics Videos in Online Media. Ethical Theories Worksheet. Assignment for Paper #2. Draft of Paper #2 for Workshop. Review for In-Class Writing #2. Watch Culture Day Videos in Online Media. Culture Day #1—Presentations in Person, via Video/Powerpoint, or Online.

SP2 2019: Culture Day #1, Paper #2, and In-Class #2 by Apr. 12.

Week 6

Paper #2 Due. In-Class Writing #2.

Unit IIIA: Expressing Yourself. Read Sartre, The Words. Reading/Study Questions.

Unit IIIB: Begin Expressing Yourself Through Language, Music, and Art. Watch Expression Videos in Online Media. Expression Assignment.

Week 7

Unit IIIB: Finish Expressing Yourself Through Language, Music, and Art. Watch Expression Videos in Online Media. Expression Assignment.

Unit IIIC: Begin Expressing Yourself Through Literature. Read LeGuin, The Dispossessed. Reading/Study Questions. Assignment for Paper #3. Draft of Paper #3 for Workshop.

Week 8

Unit IIIC: Finish Expressing Yourself Through Literature. Read LeGuin, The Dispossessed. Reading/Study Questions. Assignment for Paper #3. Draft of Paper #3 for Workshop. Review for Take-Home Writing #3.

Culture Day #2—Presentations in Person, via Video/Powerpoint, or Online. Take-Home Writing #3. Paper #3 Due. Evaluations.

SP2 2019: Culture Day #2, In-Class #3, and Paper #3 by Apr. 26. ALL Forums and Reading Responses by Apr. 28.

© Dr. Loren R. Schmidt, 1999-2019
No part of this syllabus may be used or reproduced
in any manner whatsoever without written permission.