This three-credit course offers a multicultural introduction to World Philosophy, in a teleweb format. Every culture has a worldview -- a way of looking at reality, human nature, knowledge, truth, aesthetic experience, the individual in relation to the state, justice, and ethics. As we explore the big questions of meaning, knowing, and valuing, we will be able to consider cultural similarities and differences, as well as look into worldviews quite different from our own.

The word "philosophy" literally means "love of wisdom."  I fell in love with philosophy when I was a college freshman and later wrote the text and reader that you'll be using in this course. Several years ago, I created and hosted the telecourse "For the Love of Wisdom" that will provide the video content for this course. The text Roots of Wisdom and the reader Readings from the Roots of Wisdom are used by students all across this country and even around the world, as the text has been translated into Spanish and Chinese.  The video lessons in "For the Love of Wisdom" are being distributed throughout the U.S. by Dallas TeleLearning.

Credits 3
Prerequisites Eligible to enroll in ENGL121

Instructor Dr. Helen B. Mitchell

Phone 443 518-4980

Email hmitchell@howardcc.edu

Objectives | Course Format | Texts and Materials

Objectives

Once you have completed this course, you should be able to:

1. Define philosophy, its purposes and methods.
2. Ask/answer philosophical questions.
3. Compare and contrast deductive and inductive logic.
4. Determine validity/invalidity of arguments.
5. Interpret the philosophical issues that underlie personal and social problems.
6. Define and describe the three major branches of philosophy.
7. Analyze the contributions of major philosophers to the history of ideas.
8. Identify and discuss philosophical issues expressed in current events and in literature.
9. Compare and contrast the methods and focuses of psychology, theology, and science with those of philosophy.
10. Discuss similarities and dissimilarities between western and non-western approaches to philosophy.
11. Analyze philosophy’s role in shaping and being shaped by other cultural forces (politics, economics, religion, and the arts).
12. Develop and defend a personal philosophy.

Course Format

Tests, Papers, and Discussions:

 Now for some information about how the course will unfold.  We will meet four times. Look for dates, times, and location in the Schedule Plus listing of scheduled courses for each semester. At the first meeting, we'll explore the field of philosophy and review the course requirements. As soon as you enroll and have access to the course website, be sure to read the Course Syllabus and preview the Course Modules on Writing Test Essays, Writing an Analytic Paper, and Writing a Reflective Paper before our first class meeting. Test essays (representing 60% of each unit test) are due at the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th class meetings.  The first test will cover chapters 1-4 in Roots of Wisdom and lessons 1-10 in "For the Love of Wisdom." The second test will cover chapters 5-7 and lessons 11-17.  The third test will cover chapters 8-10 and lessons 18-25.  Each student will also write one Analytic Paper (due at the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th class meeting, depending on the focus you have chosen -- Metaphysics, Epistemology, or Axiology).  Reflective Papers are due at the 4th class meeting. See Course Modules for specific requirements for these core course assignments.

 The remaining 40% of each of the three unit tests and the comprehensive Final Exam will all be taken in the HCC Test Center (L-154).  You will need a photo ID and you must complete each test/exam by the Wednesday following our class meeting. All tests are open book/open notebook. Pick up a schedule of the Test Center hours next time you are on campus.

In addition to the three Unit Tests, the comprehensive Final Exam, the Analytic and Reflective Papers, a final 10% of your course grade will be based on Discussion. Half of that grade (or 25 points) will reflect your comments on the test essays you bring to our 2nd, 3rd, and 4th class meetings.  These essays provide the focus for our in-class discussions and, therefore, cannot be accepted late. The remaining 25 points will be awarded for your participation in on-line threaded discussions. There will be five of these discussions, worth a maximum of 5 points each. The first must be completed before our 2nd class meeting.  The second and third must be completed before our 3rd class meeting.  And, the fourth and fifth must be completed by our 4th and last class meeting.  Three of these discussions are reflections on "dramas" from the "For the Love of Wisdom" telecourse; one is based on viewing a streamed videotape on "Critiqueing Feminisms;" and the final one elicits your response to the "zen way" expressed in beautiful Zen Gardens, found at a weblink.

Course Grading:

The course grade will be based on 500 points, as follows:

 Since this course covers several thousand years in the history of philosophy, it is essential not to fall behind in viewing the series or reading the text.  Early programs/chapters provide the foundation for later ones, and the course is sequential in its development. Because there are only four class meetings, the burden is on you, the learner, to keep up with your reading, viewing, and thinking about philosophy. If you want to be successful, you must manage your time and commit to staying on pace with the course as well as attending all four class meetings. Neither Socrates nor the Buddha ever wrote anything down.  Both believed that wisdom is discovered and truth is refined in face-to-face exchanges.  Philosophy is not a spectator sport. In fact, it's something we "do" rather than something we "receive."