Phil 110 Syllabus Fall 2018 PDF

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Philosophy 110 Syllabus...

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Phil 110: Philosophy of Love and Sex Tue/Thur 3:30-4:45     2TH   207 Ms. Lacy                           l [email protected] 1410 UH   (box   in   the   lounge)          Office   Hours:  T   12:30-2:30   or   by   appt. What is it to love someone as a lover rather than, say, a parent or a sibling or a friend?  Does    behind?   When  sexual desire have a legitimate place in the former?  Or does true  l ove  leave sex can sexual   activity   be   wrong?   Who does society view as sexual? What   is   the point of marriage?  Is divorce immoral? What about friendship? WARNING:  Issues to be discussed in this class may offend some students. Among the topics  that may   be   discussed   are sexual intercourse of various sorts, perversion, masturbation,  trans-gender identity, homosexuality, prostitution, pornography, pedophilia, incest, bestiality,  and rape.  If frank and explicit discussions of such issues will offend or otherwise bother you, do  not take this course. Trigger warnings: We’ll   be   discussing   a lot   of   sensitive and challenging material in   this   class. I won’t use trigger warnings for individual classes or assignments, because it’s difficult for me to  know which topics might be especially sensitive to  y ou .  (That depends on the specifics of what  you’ve been through, and that’s not something I know.) But if you have questions or concerns  about the content we’ll be covering, or if you’d like advance notification   about any particular  topics, please speak with me (via email or in person). Course Reader: All the readings on the syllabus are in the course reader. Any additional  readings that   are   added   will be on blackboard and/or emailed out   to   you. Components of Final Grade: 10% Attendance/Participation.  Based on attendance and participation in class. You are  expected to   come   prepared,   to ask questions, and to answer questions. Coming   prepared  involves (1) having a quote from the reading highlighted with a comment, and (2) having a  question about the reading written down. 90% Final grade on “Levels” assignment. More information on the “levels” assignment  below. This will require you to write papers until you achieve a B on a high level 5-6 page  paper. Grading:  Hard copies of all papers are due by the beginning of class, except for the final paper  which is due at the time of the final exam. Penalties for late papers are stiff. In general, the best  thing to   do   if   a paper   is   late   is to talk to me about it ASAP.  Assignments will   be docked 1/3  grade if handed in the day that they are due but not  i n  c lass,  and will be docked a f ull grade for  the first day they are late, and then dropped an additional grade for   each   subsequent week they  are late. FAILURE TO HAND IN ANY PART OF THE REQUIRED WORK IS GROUNDS FOR FAILURE.

Plagiarism:  Getting a paper or any part of a paper from the Web, from a book, from a fellow student, from   your   parents, or copying an idea or sentence from any   source   without giving due  credit are all forms of an extremely serious academic crime known as plagiarism.  You can be  suspended or   even   expelled   from UIC for doing this, and in any case   you   will   FAIL this class.  Plagiarism is easy to detect, especially when it comes from the Web, and I have a policy of  pursuing every   case   of plagiarism before the Judicial Affairs Office.    It’s   really not worth it.  You  will not get away with it and you can ruin your entire academic career by trying.  Some further  guidance about what constitutes plagiarism can be found at: .://tigger.uic.edu/~edelberg/crediting_others/index.htm.  Information about Student Disciplinary  Procedures can be found at: h  ttp://www.uic.edu/depts/dos/studentconduct.html Decorum in Class:  No   laptops   or   tablets aloud during lecture or section.  Always bring   relevant  texts to   lecture   and   section   so   that   we can examine passages together. Come   on time to class.  Do not   talk   or   even whisper while anyone is addressing the class.  Do not sleep or put your  head down to rest.  All cell phones must be put away and on silent. In class, questions should  be phrased   in a polite tone, even when they are meant to be challenging.  Insulting   remarks to  fellow students are at all times unacceptable.  Be aware of the fact that we are a diverse group and that some of the issues discussed in this class may pertain to your fellow students.  Please be respectful at all times!  If I have to call you out more than once for  disruptive or disrespectful behavior (which includes talking or   texting),   I will ask you to leave the  class for the remainder of that lecture and you will not receive credit for attendance for that day.  Special needs:  The University of Illinois at Chicago is committed to maintaining a barrier-free environment so that students with disabilities can fully access programs, courses, services, and  activities at UIC. I am happy to make necessary accommodations for students with disabilities or  other special   needs   to   facilitate   access to and/or participation in   this   course.    Please talk to me  after class   or   in office hours.  It also helps if you are registered with   the   Disability Resource  Center (DRC). You may contact DRC at 312-413-2183 (v) or 312-413-0123 (TTY) and consult  the following: http://www.uic.edu/depts/oaa/disability_resources/faq/accommodations.html. Communication: Most problems students have with classes can be solved if lines of  communication between   student and teacher remain open.  If you are   having problems, come  talk to me about it.  Don’t hide.  My job is to help you learn the material and   succeed   in this  class.  Your job is to seek out the help you need and to be aware of when you need it.  In many  cases, I can’t help you unless you talk to me and let me know you are   having   difficulties.  If you  miss a class   or   an   assignment,   for whatever reason, come talk to me as soon as possible about  how to make it up, and don’t let that be a reason to miss more classes or more assignments out  of embarrassment.  In general, e-mail is the best way to get in touch. Use of Blackboard:  The papers due in class must be submitted as a hard copy at  the  beginning of   class   AND on Blackboard. I will also send out announcements and e-mails through 

Blackboard, so make sure that you check whatever address it sends messages to. If turning in  material as a hard copy or in electronic form presents a problem for you, come talk to me. There  are resources on campus you can use. Grievance Procedures UIC is committed to the most fundamental principles of academic freedom, equality of  opportunity, and human dignity involving students and employees.  Freedom   from discrimination  is a foundation   for all decision making at UIC. Students are encouraged to study the University's  “Nondiscrimination Statement”.  Students are also urged to read the document “ Public Formal Grievance Procedures”. Information on these policies and procedures is available on  the University web pages of the Office of Access and Equity:  www.uic.edu/depts/oae. Though  it is important to know that these procedures exist and you have every right to use them, many  problems can   be   solved more effectively and easily by open communication.  If you think I am  doing something   wrong,   please come talk to me about it.  I don’t claim   to   be perfect, but I make  every effort to listen to criticism and take it seriously.

SCHEDULE (Any changes will be announced in class and on Blackboard) Week 1 Aug 29: Intro Aug 31: Shelby Ain’t just ‘bout the booty & Plato Symposium Week 2 Sept 5: cont. Sept 7: Augustine City of God Week 3 Sept. 12: cont. (Group 1 paper 1 due) Sept. 14: Nagel Sexual Perversion Week 4 Sept. 19: Corvino Why Shouldn’t Tommy and Jimmy have sex (Group 2 paper 1 due) Sept. 21: cont. Week 5 Sept. 26:   Fausto-Sterling   The 5 sexes revisited (2) (Group 1 paper 2 due) Sept. 28: cont. Week 6 Oct. 3: Schriempf Disability (Group 2 paper 2 due) Oct. 5: cont. Week 7 Oct. 10: Dougherty Sex Lies and Consent  (Group 1 paper 3 due) Oct. 12: cont. Week 8 Oct. 17: Brison Surviving Sexual Violence (Group 2 paper 3 due)

Oct. 19: cont. Week 9 Oct. 24: Davis Rape, Racism, and the Myth of the Black Rapist (Group 1 paper 4 due) Oct. 26: cont. Week 10 Oct. 31:   Aristotle   Nicomachean   ethics book viii (Group 2 paper 4 due) Nov. 2: cont. Week 11 Nov. 7: Fox Paternalism and Friendship (Group 1 paper 5 due) Nov. 9: cont. Week 12 Nov. 14: Finnis Marriage (Group 2 paper 5 due) Nov. 16: cont. Week 13 Nov. 21: Brake Divorce (Group 1 paper 6 due) Nov. 23: Thanksgiving--No  c lass Week 14 Nov. 28: Mendus Faithfulness Nov. 30: cont. (Group 2 paper 6 due) Week 15 Dec. 5: Marino Union Dec. 7: Sappho If Not, Winter Fragments

Philosophy 110: Paper assignment One goal of this course is to have a thought worth   sharing and to share it.  The papers you   will  write this   semester   lead   you to   this   goal.    Along the   way, you need   to   pass   through   several   levels, each designed to give you practice at a skill you need to reach the final goal.  Everyone will start  at level   1.  You   will   only   be   allowed   to   move   on   to the next step when   you   have completed the  previous one with a B+ or   better grade.  During the term, you will have six chances to write papers and move through the levels. There are   three   levels,   each   one   of   which   consists   in   writing   a  different   kind   of   paper.    When   you  master one   kind,   you move to the next.  Once you have completed the third level to your satisfaction, you   need not complete any more papers.  As long as you remain at   the   first   or second steps,   you   need   to   continue   to turn in papers.  Each level asks   you   to   write   a  letter,   rather   than   a  “paper.”    The   idea   here   is   that   you   are  presenting something you   have   read or   thought   about to a particular other person,   and so you  need to   think   about   whether   you are   being   sufficiently   clear   to   that   person.  It   is   not   an   excuse   to pad your   paper with extraneous material.  The levels are   as   follows: 1) Write   a  one-page   letter   to   a  curious   friend   from   high   school   in   which   you   present   an   idea   or  concept from a reading from the course since your last paper was due.  The idea you present can  be a claim the author makes, or a distinction she draws to clarify something, or a definition of a term that   you found worth   sharing.    The key here is that you pick something you   genuinely found  interesting and   you   present   it   to   your   friend   in   a  way   that   will   make   it   apparent   what   it   is   you found interesting about it.  Success at this stage requires clear and accurate presentation of the idea from   the   reading that shows rather than   merely   states   interest.  2) Write   a  2-3   page   letter   to   a  curious   friend   from   high   school   that   presents   an   argument   made   by an author   you have read for class since your last paper was due.  The argument can be for a particular claim   or   conclusion,   or   against   a  view   that is being criticized.  It can be an argument for the   relevance or   importance of a distinction or example or definition.  Once again, pick  something you   found   interesting   and   illuminating.    Presenting   an   argument   involves   both laying  out the steps or elements of the argument, and showing why it is illuminating: why it sheds light  on the thing for which it argues.

3) Write a  4-5   page   letter   to   a  curious   friend   from   high   school   that presents a thought or idea of your own about an argument or an idea from a reading you have done for this course since your  last paper   was   due.    Your   idea   can   take   the   form   of   an   objection   to an argument or an observation  about the implications of a claim, or about how something one author says relates to something  we have read earlier.  What step 3  adds to steps 1  and 2  is that beyond presenting something to be found   in the   text   we   have   read,   you are presenting   a thought of yours about it. Nevertheless,  the aim is   to   present   a thought of yours about the reading, not about the topic that the reading is about. Your grade for this multi-step assignment will be based on your best grade on   the highest level paper you   write as   follows: A on a level 3  paper:  A  B on a level   3  paper:   A C on a level   3  paper:   B+  A on a level 2  paper: B+  B on a level   2  paper:  B  C on a level   2  paper:   B A on a level 1  paper: B B on a level   1  paper:   C+  C on a level   1  paper:  C  D on a level 1  paper: D  Failure to turn   in 6 papers without having written a level 3  paper: D Failure to turn   in 6 papers without having written a level 2  paper: F SOME FURTHER   POLICIES Papers should   be   submitted   as   a hard   copy   at   the   beginning   of   class   on Tuesday when you   have   a paper   due   as   well   as   on   blackboard.  Late papers will be penalized 1/3 of a grade a day, and this will be factored into the decision   to  proceed to the next level. ...