Combined Syllabus for

PHL 230 GH1: Ancient & Medieval Philosophy &

HUM 120-GH1: Western Culture and the Arts:

Beginnings to the Middle Ages
 

Instructors: Thomas Bowen and Holly Graff

For PHL 230-GH1:

Prerequisites

None

Course (Catalogue) Description

 This course gives historical overview of philosophical inquiry from pre-Socratic philosophers, through classic works of Plato and Aristotle, and on to works of medieval philosophers such as Averroes, Avicenna, Maimonides, and Aquinas.

Learning Objectives

a. Students will develop an understanding of the beginnings of western philosophy and the classic works of philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle.

B. Students will develop their critical thinking skills.  They will examine criticisms of all the philosophical theories they study and will debate the alternative solutions offered by these theories to enduring philosophical questions. 

C.    They will study the development of Western philosophy and the ways in which philosophers uncover and critique the hidden assumptions of their predecessors.  
D. Students will understand the centrality of the Islamic and Jewish philosophy to the continuity of the Western tradition.   Students will understand the historical contexts within which these theories arose.  
E. Students will learn how these philosophers applied ethical principles to the enduring questions of human life.

For HUM 120-GH1:

Prerequisites

None

Course (Catalog) Description:

 Course surveys cultural accomplishments of Western civilization from its beginnings in Mesopotamia through the Middle Ages. Content includes visual arts, music, literature, theater, architecture, and     philosophy studied in historical context.

 Learning Objectives:

a.           The student will understand and demonstrate knowledge of the important stylistic eras covered.

b.           Representative works of art (painting, sculpture, architecture, music, etc.) will be recognized by the student and critically evaluated.  Representative works of philosophy and theology will also be critically evaluated.

c.           The cultural and intellectual works studied will be understood in relation to the social, political, and economic contexts of their eras.

d.           The student will develop an appreciation for the rich cultural diversity that underlies Western civilization.  Islam will be covered in this class.

e.            The values expressed in the religious, philosophical, and literary texts of these eras will be studied, and their current relevance will be discussed.


 

For both PHL 230-GH1 and HUM 120-GH1:
 

Academic Integrity

 
Students and employees at Oakton Community College are required to demonstrate academic integrity and follow Oakton’s Code of Academic Conduct. This code prohibits:

·              cheating,

·              plagiarism (turning in work not written by you, or lacking proper citation),

·              falsification and fabrication (lying or distorting the truth),

·              helping others to cheat,

·              unauthorized changes on official documents,

·              pretending to be someone else or having someone else pretend to be you,

·              making or accepting bribes, special favors, or threats, and

·              any other behavior that violates academic integrity.
 

There are serious consequences to violations of the academic integrity policy. Oakton’s policies and procedures provide students a fair hearing if a complaint is made against you.  If you are found to have violated the policy, the minimum penalty is failure on the assignment and, a disciplinary record will be established and kept on file in the office of the Vice President for Student Affairs for a period of 3 years.

Details of the Code of Academic Conduct can be found in the Student Handbook.

Outline of Topics
 

            (Please refer to the schedule of readings for a more detailed list of readings and dates for the exams)

      A.     Ancient Mesopotamia & Egyptian Civilizations

B.     Ancient Greece

a.       Archaic Greece

b.      Hellenic Greece

c.       Hellenistic Greece

C.     Roman Civilization

D.     Judaism & the Rise of Christianity

E.      The World of Islam

F.      High Middle Ages

G.     Late Middle Ages

 

Requirements

A. Attendance

This class will function primarily as a seminar. This requires that students take an active part in beginning, shaping and developing the content of the course. Thus, student participation is a significant component of this class. The main emphasis of this course is to raise and discuss questions and issues related to the formation and self-understanding of the “Western World” and to interrogate how these issues continue to influence our lives today. Discussion and conversation are very important for the learning and development of philosophy and philosophical reasoning, as well as the discussion of the arts and culture. Useful discussion requires at least two things: first, students must be present in class, and second, students must be conversant with the material. Students are expected to have completed all of the readings on the day they are due and be ready to discuss them.

            Attendance will be graded in this course in the following manner:

Students will earn one AP (attendance and participation) point for merely attending class, coming to class late or leaving early means that the student will only earn half a point for that day. Missing class, obviously, means that no points are awarded for that day. Please note: There are no excused absences for this class. Whatever the reason you miss class; you will not receive credit for attending, since you did not. However it is possible to account for missing AP points through extra-credit assignments (see below).

Since there are 32 days in this class there are a possible 32 AP points to be gained merely by attending all the class sessions.

B. Participation

Students will also be graded on their participation in class. Each class students are expected to come to class having done the reading. They should also bring their texts and notes on the reading. Each student should be able to answer questions, posed by the instructors or other students, about the reading. Those students that do so will receive 1 (one) AP point for their participation.

Any student who has not done the reading for that class period can “opt out” of the discussion. By opting out students forego their participation points and their ability to participate in the discussion.

C. Rules for Class Discussion

What follows are some simple rules that we will use to help foster strong and meaningful discussion in the class. Every student must agree to abide by these rules. So, read them carefully and make sure you understand them fully.

Students must bring a copy of the reading to class in order to participate in the discussion.

a.       Since discussion is text-based, it is essential that students come with the text.

b.      If a student comes to class without their text they will be asked to leave and will not be allowed to return until they have the text.

Students must prepare (read and think carefully about) the reading in order to participate in the discussion.

c.       Students who have not prepared adequately will be unable to offer textual support for their ideas and interpretations, and their responses to other students’ ideas and interpretations.

d.      Remember that a great deal of this class is about how to read carefully and critically, and how to think about what you have read.

e.       The schedule of readings may change over the course of the semester –so you should make sure that you keep abreast of the changes.

Students must be able to support their ideas, interpretations, criticisms, and questions with evidence from the text.

f.        It is permissible to make reference to evidence outside of the text –personal experience, contemporary events, etc.—but, only in support of ideas which themselves have originated or respond in some way to the text itself.

g.       If you are responding to a comment or idea from another student, again, you must be able to make reference to the text for support.

Students must be respectful to one another during the discussion.

h.       In interacting with one another it is essential to be respectful and considerate.

i.         Do not use racial, sexual or ethnic slurs.

j.        Students who are disrespectful or inconsiderate to others will be asked to leave the classroom, and may not be permitted to return.

While there are a number of possible interpretations, some interpretations are stronger or better than others.

k.      The idea here is to learn together (and this includes the professors) –you should try not to “wed” yourself to a particular position, but be willing to change your mind if the evidence suggests that your interpretation is not as strong as an alternative interpretation.

l.         Those interpretations that are more strongly supported by the text are stronger than other interpretations.

m.    Part of our job here is to discover the best interpretation and understanding of the material that is possible.

D. Attending Outside Events

Students must also attend 6 events outside of class that relate to the themes and topics of the course. Each attendance at an outside event is worth 1 AP point

There are two qualifications here. First, each student must make a point to attend Oakton’s production of The Trojan Women this semester. If you absolutely cannot make this let us know right away so we can work something out. Second, at least one of the outside events must relate to ways in which the West’s interaction with Middle Eastern, African, or Asian cultures helped to define its self-understanding.

E. Grading Attendance & Participation

Attendance (32 days x 1 point) 32 pts

Participation (32 days x 1 point)            32 pts

Outside Events (6 x 1 point)                  6 pts

Total points possible                             40 pts

F. Writing Assignments

Analysis and Response Papers. These are a series of short (1-3 page) essay papers written in response to specific questions or issues raised by the instructors over the course of the semester. Generally speaking there will be one ARP per week (for a total of 16). Each ARP must be an essay (that is, it should have a developed and defended thesis) and must be text based (again, must make specific reference to the material under discussion –I am including art and architecture as forms of texts here). Each ARP will be graded on a scale of 0-10. An excellent ARP (a “10” as it were) is one that shows a solid understanding of the material, an ability to think creatively and reflectively about the material, and an ability to articulate that understanding clearly and concisely. While these are short papers, you should not treat them lightly. First, these are excellent preparation for writing the essay exams (see below) and second, these papers will help us track your understanding of the material throughout the course. There are a total of 160 points possible here.

G. Exams

There will be a total of 4 exams given throughout the semester. Each exam will combine both components of the course (philosophy and humanities). Generally, the exams will include a portion that deals specifically with the “humanities” (art identification, etc), and an essay question that asks the students to relate the philosophy portion of the class to the humanities portion of the class.

H. Final exam

There will be a “final exam” given at the end of the semester. This is a comprehensive essay exam that will ask the student to reflect upon the whole content of the semester.

I. Portfolio

Each student is required to maintain a “course portfolio” in which they preserve all of the work that they do for the course. The portfolio will be turned in at the end of the semester. It should include evidence from the 6 outside events attended by the student (ticket stubs, etc), each ARP (written assignment) with grade and instructors comments, and each of the exams, with grade and comments.
 

 Methods of Evaluation

Attendance and Participation                 20%

ARPs                                                   30%

Exams                                                  30%

Final Exam                                           20%

Grading Scale.  91% - 100% = A // 81% - 90% = B // 71% - 80% = C // 61% - 70% = D // below 61 = F

Students will receive the same final grades for HUM 121 and PHL 231 since we are fully integrating these two classes.

 Instructional Materials

Western Humanities, Vol 1.

Readings in Western Humanities, Vol 1.

Protagoras, Plato

Gorgias, Plato

Politics, Aristotle

Three Greek Plays, ed. Hamilton

The Golden Ass, Apulieus

Other texts will be ordered later in the semester, and the students will be expected to purchase them from the bookstore or some other venue. Some material may be either handed out to the students by the instructors or found on line. Remember; under all circumstances make sure you bring the reading material to class
 

Other Course Information

A. General Writing Guidelines for the Course

1. All writing work for this class, unless it is done in class, must be typed. No writing assignments that are not typed will be accepted.
2. You cannot email us your writing assignments without prior approval. Any emailed assignments without prior approval will not be credited.
3. The following points are required for any written work you turn in to us:

                                                               i.      All writing should be college level—few to no grammatical mistakes. (Use spell-check, use the grammar-check. Watch out for run-on sentences. Each paragraph should have a point or thesis. If you don’t know this stuff, go to the Writing Center or talk to me.)

                                                             ii.      All writing should be double-spaced with one inch margins. Your name should appear in the top left hand corner with the course name, date, etc.

                                                            iii.      The essay should begin with a thesis statement—and the body of the essay should establish or work out the thesis.

                                                           iv.      Avoid flowery language and filler. Don’t start anything you write for me with something like: “Plato was an important philosopher” or “Aristotle was a really important philosopher.” These kinds of sentences merely take up space. They do nothing to advance your ideas or your thesis. Remember your primary audience.

                                                             v.      All quotes and paraphrases should be properly cited. DO NOT PLAGIARIZE!

B. Late Assignments

1.      It is important to remember that there are no excused absences from this class. Whatever the reason for missing the class, if you are not in class, then you cannot earn the credit. However, it is possible to make up attendance points for missed classes through some extra-credit assignments (see below).

2.      Writing Assignments may not be turned in late. However, some make up writing assignments will be offered as extra-credit over the course of the semester (see below). Please note: as extra-credit assignments these writing assignments require more effort and work from the student. They will be longer, and will ask the student to go beyond the material of the course to some extent.

3.      Exams can be taken late—so long as they are taken before the next class period after they are given in class. Please note: it is the student’s responsibility to make sure that there is an exam in the testing center for you to take if you miss the exam during regular class time. You must contact one of the instructors and ask them to place a make-up exam in the testing center.

C. Extra-credit Assignments

There will be opportunities for students to make up attendance and participation points that they missed by reason of an absence—particularly if this was for a major religious observance. All other forms of extra-credit will be offered only at the instructors’ discretion. Please note: extra credit assignments ask you to do more work than normal assignments.

Any student suffering from a prolonged medical emergency or military service or other major event that hinders their ability to complete the course should speak with us as soon as possible so that arrangements can be made for them to complete the course. We will do what we can to work something out with the student.

D. Basic Classroom Deportment

You are all adults and should act as such. Thus, please refrain from the following behavior:

·        Do not talk with your neighbors when either the professor or another student is talking;

·        Turn off your cell-phone before you come to class (if you must leave it on for emergency reasons, just let me know);

·        Do not come to class late or leave during the middle of class—particularly when someone else is in the middle of saying something (this is very rude);

·        Please do not wander in and out of class—you may leave to use the restroom, but it makes a lot more sense and is far more respectful to use the restroom before class begins or after it ends (as a combined class we will offer a break during the period);

·        Do not show disdain for another student’s ideas—and certainly not the professors’! You may, of course, disagree. Just do so respectfully;

·        Do not, under any circumstances, come to class and do course work for another class;

·        Do not, under any circumstances, come to class and sleep. Go home and take a nap.

The instructors (Holly and Tom), and the other students, appreciate your presence in class and your contribution to class discussion—and your willingness to behave reasonably. Please note that failure to follow these simple requests may result in your being asked to leave the class.

E. A Brief note on Grading

You can expect that we will return your work to you within at most one-week of your turning it in to us. If it takes longer than that, we will let you know before hand. Further, we will be as clear as possible about why you received the grade you did for any assignment (including your participation and discussion grade). If at any time you are unsure of why you received the grade you did, please do not hesitate to consult with us.

F. Disabilities

If you have a documented learning, psychological, or physical disability you may be entitled to reasonable academic accommodations or services. To request accommodations or services, contact the ASSIST office in the Learning Center. All students are expected to fulfill essential course requirements. The College will not waive any essential skill or requirement of a course or degree program.

G. Discrimination

The Oakton Community College Catalog states:

Oakton Community College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, disability, age, sex, sexual orientation, or marital status in admission to and participation in its educational programs, activities and services, or employment practices.  The College does not tolerate sexual harassment or sexual assault by or of its students or employees.

In keeping with this policy of tolerance and non-discrimination, in this class all of us (myself included) should strive to listen and give careful consideration to all ideas expressed in class, especially those that are different from our own, without attacking or demeaning the people who have those views.  We should also strive to avoid using insulting terms or telling offensive jokes when talking to or about individuals or groups.

H. Important Dates