SAMPLE 1:

BUTLER UNIVERSITY

FYS 101 Section 09

Faith, Doubt and Reason I

Fall 2011

 

Instructor: Dr. James F. McGrath                                                         Email: jfmcgrat@butler.edu

Office: Jordan Hall 202                                                                                    Office phone: x9364

 

Introduction to the Course

 

In this course we will be examining the relationship between faith, doubt and reason using a variety of biblical, theological, philosophical, and literary texts to guide our conversation and deliberations on these universal concepts. All faiths and doubts are welcome in this course, and students are expected to treat one another and each other’s viewpoints with respect, while treating disagreements as an opportunity to learn.

 

 

The Liberal Arts

 

This course is also intended to serve as an introduction to the liberal arts, an approach to education that is derived from the curriculum of the great medieval universities. While the content of the liberal arts has changed over time, its primary purpose remains the same: to train persons to think and act creatively, critically, freely and responsibly in their own lives and in their communities. In order to accomplish these objectives, in this course students will read and discuss some of the great texts of the Western intellectual tradition, paying special attention to the themes of faith, doubt and reason. Specifically, students will come to appreciate and embrace five hallmarks of a liberal arts education:

 

• The opportunity to immerse oneself in the study of the great figures, movements, questions and ideas of the past and present
• The challenge to expand one’s horizons and experiences beyond the familiar
• The responsibility to enrich and enhance the lives of individuals and communities
• The demand for clear and effective communication of ideas
• The invitation to find joy and inspiration in the pursuit of knowledge and understanding

 

 

Course Objectives

 

In this course, students will begin their journey toward becoming liberally educated women and men. To that end, the following crafts will be practiced and honed in this seminar:

 

• Thinking: In his famous essay, “What Is Enlightenment?” the German philosopher, Immanuel Kant, issued a radical call to modern persons: Sapere aude! (Roughly translated, “Dare to know!”). The liberal arts train and encourage persons to think, to reason, to weigh evidence, to construct arguments, and to take personal responsibility for informed leadership in the global community. In this course, students will learn how to find meaning and value in ideas and questions, how to think more creatively and critically, how to weigh and present evidence more carefully, and how to construct and make arguments more effectively.

 

• Reading: The written word is the foundation of Western intellectual life, and there is evidence that inventions such as writing and printing have had an effect on human cognition itself. This course is designed around several classic texts in the Western intellectual tradition and a large portion of the course will involve reading and understanding texts from a variety of perspectives in a wide range of genres, including biblical texts, fiction, poetry, philosophy, and theology. The liberal arts train and encourage persons to read texts critically and creatively and to engage texts on a variety of levels, including cognitively, emotionally and existentially. In this course, students will learn how to read texts more critically and creatively and to understand more fully the texts and their authors, contexts, and influences on the past and the present.

 

• Writing: Developing skills in effective communication is an essential component of a liberal arts education. One primary means of communication is writing, which can take several different stylistic forms. In this course students will learn how to write more clearly, concisely, and appropriately in an academic style.

 

• Speaking: Speaking is another primary means of communication, and in this course students will learn how to present their ideas more clearly, concisely, and appropriately and to engage one another in thoughtful, respectful, fruitful conversation on a number of important and challenging topics in the context of seminar discussions.

 

• Faith, Doubt and Reason: Finally, in this course students will be asked to think deeply about some of the most fundamental and enduring questions in the Western intellectual tradition: Who or what is God? How and why do human beings search for God? What is faith? What is reason? What is doubt? What are the relationships between them? Are they contradictory or can they coexist? How have faith, doubt and reason shaped our lives and our world? How should faith, doubt and reason shape our lives and our world?

 

 

Student Learning Objectives

 

This course will also address the following Student Learning Objectives for the First Year Seminar program:

 

• To reflect on “big questions” about themselves, their community and their world.
• To develop the capacity to read and think critically.
• To develop the capacity to write clear and persuasive expository and argumentative essays, with an emphasis on thesis formation and development.
• To gain an understanding of basic principles of oral communication as they apply to discussion.
• To understand the liberal arts as a vital and evolving tradition and to see themselves as agents within that tradition.
• To develop capacities for careful and open reflection on questions of values and norms.
• To develop the ability to carry out research for the purpose of inquiry and to support claims.

 

Required Texts

Available for purchase in the Butler Bookstore:

 

The New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha.[1] New Revised Standard Version. Augmented 3^rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. ISBN: 9780195288803

 

Cervantes, Miguel de. Don Quixote. Translated by Walter Starkie. Complete and unabridged ed. Signet Classic. New York: Penguin, 2001. ISBN: 9780451527868

 

Descartes, René. Meditations on First Philosophy. Translated by Donald Cress. 3^rd ed. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett, 1993. ISBN: 9780872201927

 

Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von. Faust: Part One. Translated by David Luke. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008. ISBN: 9780199536214

 

Hacker, Diana. A Pocket Style Manual. 5^th ed. with 2009 MLA and 2010 APA Updates. Boston/New York: Bedford/St Martin’s, 2010. ISBN: 031266480X

 

Hume, David. Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion. Edited by Richard H. Popkin. 2^nd ed. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett, 1998. ISBN: 0872204022

 

Plato. The Trial and Death of Socrates. Translated by G. M. A. Grube. 3^rd ed. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett, 2001. ISBN: 9780872205543

 

Tillich, Paul. Dynamics of Faith. Perennial Classics. New York: HarperCollins, 2001. ISBN: 9780060937133

 

 

Additional Readings

 

The following required texts are available in the Course Documents section of Blackboard in the folder labeled “Course Texts”:

 

• Immanuel Kant, “What is Enlightenment?”
• William Clifford, “The Ethics of Belief”
• J. L. Mackie, “Evil and Omnipotence”
• Fyodor Dostoyevsky, “Rebellion” (from The Brothers Karamazov)

 

 

Course Requirements

 

• E-mails to a friend (10% of course grade). Students are to write 1-2 e-mails each week addressed to a friend at home, which will be sent to the professor. These should highlight some aspect of that week’s course reading and/or discussion which was felt to be interesting/significant. The e-mail need not actually be sent to a friend. They should not contain plagiarized material and should be free from spelling and grammatical errors, although in all other respects they are to be informal. A total of 20 such e-mails should be written over the course of the semester.

 

• Formal papers (2 x 15% = 30% of course grade). Two formal papers (5-7 pp. each) on assigned topics are required. In each case a first draft is to be submitted to the instructor for comment before the final draft is due. Also, the first draft of each formal paper will be submitted to a classmate for peer review (see below). The formal paper assignments are as follows:

 

FYS Formal Paper #1: What makes actions moral?

Adopting the persona of Abraham in the story in Genesis of his being called upon to sacrifice his son Isaac, ponder the Euthyphro dilemma – i.e. the question whether morality is objective (and thus potentially something that transcends even God) or is whatever God declares to be good. Try to decide whether you believe you should go through with the sacrifice, based on your deliberations and any conclusion you draw. If the dialogue format of Plato’s work is more conducive to exploring the subject, you may imagine Abraham conversing with someone – whether God, an angel, or his son Isaac.

 

FYS Formal Paper #2: Why do bad things happen to good people?

The question posed in this paper is often summarized under the heading of theodicy, which means the attempt to defend God from charges of injustice in light of the problem of undeserved suffering. Explicitly place the perspectives of the Book of Job, Mackie and Dostoyevsky into “conversation” with one another, and explicitly consider what faith, doubt and reason offer as perspectives on this topic.

 

• Creative writing (15% of course grade). Students will write an updating of Hume’s Dialogues under the title “Hume’s Internet Discussion Board Concerning Natural Religion.”

 

• Peer review (10% of course grade): Any student who fails to provide a colleague with the required peer review feedback will lose this part of their grade.

 

• Final paper (15% of course grade). The final paper is an opportunity for thinking about the “big picture.” It will be 8-10 pages long. The final paper assignment will be posted in the “Assignments” section of Blackboard.

 

• Class participation (20% of course grade). Developing your oral communication skills is an important objective of the course, and discussion is an important means of engaging in critical thinking, by opening our views to the critical scrutiny of others. You will be graded on your oral performance, including the quality of your participation in regular class meetings. Quality participation means contributing to the discussion in a meaningful, insightful, and informed way on a consistent basis. In addition to general class presentation, students will also be evaluated separately for participation in two class activities. Note that the final paper presentation will evaluate students’ effective communication in an oral presentation of the topic of their paper and not the content, which will be evaluated separately as a written assignment. Rubrics for determining the participation grade are listed below.

 

• General participation 10%
• Faust skit participation 5%
• Final paper presentation  5%

 

 

 

 

More about Participation

 

Seminars are dependent on active participation from all students for their success. This is crucial not only in order to develop your oral communication skills, but also to develop the level of critical thinking that only dialogue can accomplish. To that end, students will have read all of the assigned texts before each class and will come to class prepared to discuss the material. Active participation is an integral part of students’ learning experience and is reflected in the participation portion of the final grade. The rubrics for the participation grade are as follows:

 

• Missing class and rarely participating in the discussion will earn a participation grade of D.
• Coming to class and rarely participating in discussions will earn a participation grade of C.
• Quality participation in most classes will earn a participation grade of B.
• Frequent excellent participation in each class which shows evidence of having read and understood assigned reading will earn a participation grade of A.

 

More about Writing

 

The First Year Seminar is designed to improve your skills as a writer. Much of your grade this semester will depend on your written work. In this course we will work on how to identify and develop topics and theses, how to write clearly and persuasively using evidence, and how to develop your own style. We will pay attention to the mechanics of good writing, such as grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

 

Your formal papers should be free of grammatical, spelling, punctuation and typographical errors already in the first draft. You will receive a “mechanics” grade on first drafts which will be counted as part of your short writing grade.

 

Each student will submit a copy of the first draft of each formal paper to a classmate for review. The reviews will be short (1-2 pp.) critiques of the first draft of the formal paper. Critiques should focus on substantive issues such as the thesis statement, development of arguments, use of evidence, and organization rather than issues of mechanics and grammar. You will receive a grade on your critique. Papers will be assigned to reviewers in class on the due date of the first draft. The critiques will be submitted to the instructor and to the author of the paper by the beginning of the next class meeting.

 

Hacker’s Pocket Style Manual is an indispensable resource for this course. Keep it with you for easy reference when you write your papers.

 

All written work, including short writing assignments, must be double spaced in 12-pt Times New Roman font (or a similar font) with 1” margins.

 

In order to practice good environmental stewardship, all papers will be submitted, evaluated and returned digitally. All written work will be submitted to the instructor via e-mail (or in the case of final drafts, via Blackboard) before the class meeting on the due date.

 

 

Penalties for Lateness

 

Students are expected to submit their assignments on time. This means that assignments will be submitted to the instructor before the class meeting on the due date. Assignments submitted late without prior permission of the instructor will be penalized 1/3 of a letter grade for every 24 hours they are late. For example, an assignment that would have earned a B will earn a B- if submitted one day late, a C+ if submitted two days late, a C if submitted three days late, etc. Assignments submitted more than 7 days late will receive a failing grade. The 24-hour period begins at the beginning of the class meeting on the due date for the assignment.

 

 

Plagiarism

 

Plagiarism is the use of another person’s words or ideas without proper acknowledgment. It is a very serious ethical matter and will be handled accordingly. In this course the minimum penalty for plagiarism is failure of the assignment while egregious plagiarism can result in failure of the course or worse, so it is important to understand what counts as plagiarism and to avoid it at all costs. Learning to avoid plagiarism is one of the skills students will acquire in this class. For further information on plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty, please consult the BU Student Handbook, p. 13. Also, each student will complete the tutorial and quiz entitled “Understanding Plagiarism,” both available on Blackboard.

 

 

A Note about Wikipedia

 

Wikipedia, the enormously popular and successful online encyclopedia, is not a scholarly, peer-reviewed source; it is a conglomeration of posts and redactions produced and edited by anyone with an internet connection, and no expertise is required to contribute to it. As such, it may not be used for research or as a source for any work in this course. Nevertheless, it can at times lead you to appropriate primary and secondary sources that are useful and can be used for assignments.

 

 

Requests for Academic Accommodations

 

It is the policy and practice of Butler University to make reasonable accommodations for students with properly documented disabilities.  Written notification from Student Disability Services is required.  If you are eligible to receive an accommodation and would like to request it for this course, please discuss it with me and allow one week advance notice.  Otherwise, it is not guaranteed that the accommodation can be received on a timely basis.  Students who have questions about Student Disability Services or who have, or think they may have, a disability (psychiatric, attentional, learning, vision, hearing, physical, medical, etc.) are invited to contact Student Disability Services for a confidential discussion in Jordan Hall 136 or by phone at extension 9308.

 

Tips for Success

 

• Although attendance will not be taken after the first few class meetings, regular class attendance is strongly encouraged. Regular attendance generally translates into better performance in the course. If you must miss class for any reason, please let me know by email before class.

 

• This course is a seminar, which means that discussion forms the basis of the class meetings. Quality participation in class discussions requires coming to class prepared to discuss the assigned material. Remember: regular class participation counts for 10% of the final grade. Without regular quality participation it may be impossible to get an A.

 

• Learning requires the proper environment. Please be respectful of your classmates, your instructor, and yourself by giving your full attention to the discussion. Please silence or turn off your cell phones before class and do not turn them on again until after class has been dismissed. Also, if you bring a computer with you to class, it should not be used for any activity not directly related to the course. Violations of this policy will negatively affect the student’s participation grade and may result in the student being asked not to use their laptop in class.

 

• Practice good study habits. Take notes on your reading, supplement them during class discussions, and review them regularly. Cramming for papers and exams is a very inefficient and ineffective way to succeed in your coursework. The most effective way to learn material is to review and consolidate it regularly. The Learning Resource Center is a wonderful resource for assistance in developing good study habits.

 

• Ask questions! The old cliché is true: the only stupid question is the unasked question. There is a very good chance that others have the same question you do. Don’t be afraid to ask!

 

 

 

 

Schedule of Class Meetings and Assignments

 

R 8/25                          Introduction to the course and review of the syllabus

 

T 8/30                         Kant, “What Is Enlightenment?” (On Blackboard)

Clifford, “The Ethics of Belief” (On Blackboard)

 

R 9/1                            Tillich, Dynamics of Faith, pp. 1-46

 

T 9/6                           Genesis ch. 1-14

 

R 9/8                            Genesis ch. 15-33

R 9/15                          Paper day – discussion of formal paper #1

First draft of formal paper #1 due by end of day

 

T 9/20                         Tillich, Dynamics of Faith, pp. 47-62

                                    Peer review of formal paper #1 due

R 9/22                          Job ch. 1-19

 

T 9/27                         Job ch. 27-31, 38-42

Dostoyevsky, “Rebellion” (On Blackboard)

Final draft of formal paper #1 due

 

R  9/29                         Mackie, “Evil and Omnipotence” (On Blackboard)

Discussion of theodicy

First draft of formal paper #2 due

 

T 10/4                         Paper day – in-class discussion of first drafts

Peer review of formal paper #2 due

 

R 10/6                          Cervantes, Don Quixote, pp. 41-110

 

T 10/11                                   Cervantes, Don Quixote, pp. 111-197

Final draft of formal paper #2 due

 

R 10/13                                    READING BREAK: NO CLASS

 

T 10/18                                   Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy, pp. 1-35

 

R 10/20                                    Hume, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, Introduction and pp.1-43

 

T 10/25                                   Hume, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion pp. 44-89

 

R 10/27                                    Paper day – in-class discussion of third formal paper

First draft of formal paper #3 due

 

T 11/1                        Hume, “Of Miracles” (pp.107ff)

Tillich, Dynamics of Faith, 85-113

Peer review of formal paper #3 due

 

 

T 11/8                         Goethe, Faust, pp. 37-102

Final draft of formal paper #3 due

 

R 11/10                                    Goethe, Faust, 102-148

Skit-preparation: add a scene to Faust     

 

T 11/15                                   FOCUS ON FINAL PAPER

R 11/17                                    FOCUS ON FINAL PAPER

 

Thanksgiving Break

 

T 11/29                                   Skit Performances

 

R 12/1                          Student Presentations on Final Papers                

Final Paper Due

                       

T 12/6                         Student Presentations on Final Papers                            

 

R 12/8                          Wrap-Up and Discussion of Spring Semester

 

 

 

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SAMPLE 2:

BUTLER UNIVERSITY, FALL, 2011

HN 110-01.  Honors First Year Seminar: Faith, Doubt and Reason

Professor Paul Valliere

 

Butler’s liberal arts core

HN 110 is your first course in Butler University’s liberal arts core curriculum.  The liberal arts are a set of educational practices deriving from the medieval universities and Renaissance colleges of Europe.  The mainspring of the liberal arts is the creative tension between three distinct but mutually relevant traditions of learning:

1) classical learning, based on the heritage of Greece and Rome;

2) biblical learning, based on the Hebrew and Greek scriptures;

3) scientific learning, based on the investigation of nature in modern times.

In HN 110 you will engage all three traditions and their interaction.

 

Objectives of HN 110

In HN 110 you will be asked to challenge yourself and your classmates in several ways.  You will be asked to grapple with some of the best books and ideas in the world.  You will be challenged to develop your reading, writing and speaking skills far beyond the level you have already achieved.  You will be asked to think deeply about fundamental questions of human existence: Who or what is God?  How do human beings search for God?  What is faith?  What is reason?  How are faith and reason affected by doubt?  How do faith, doubt and reason shape our lives?  How should they shape our lives?

 

Honors Program

You are enrolled in a year-long honors section of First Year Seminar, HN 110-HN111, totaling eight hours of academic credit.

 

Instructor

Dr. Paul Valliere, McGregor Professor in the Humanities.

Department of Philosophy and Religion, 202B Jordan Hall.

pvallier@butler.edu; office tel. 940-9404; home tel. 844-7146.

 

Required course books (available for purchase in the Butler Bookstore)

Cervantes, Don Quixote, trans. Tom Lathrop. Signet Classics, NAL/Penguin.

Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy, trans. Donald Cress. 3d ed. Hackett.

Goethe, Faust. Part One, trans. David Luke. Oxford.

Hacker, Diana.  A Pocket Style Manual. 5th ed. Bedford-St. Martin’s.

Hume, David, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, ed. Richard H. Popkin.

2d ed.  Hackett.

The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha. New Revised Standard Version.  4th ed. Oxford.

Plato, The Trial and Death of Socrates, trans. G. M. A. Grube. 3d ed. Hackett.

Shakespeare, William, Hamlet. Signet Classics. NAL/Penguin.

Tillich, Paul. Dynamics of Faith. Perennial Classics, Harper and Row.

 

A few additional readings will be posted on the Blackboard site for this course.

Course requirements

 

Tutorial groups.  All students will be assigned to a tutorial group.  The group meets one hour a week outside of class to discuss papers, prepare oral reports or do other assigned tasks.  The tutorial group meetings are the way you earn the fourth hour of academic credit in this course each term.

 

Formal papers (50% of course grade).  Three formal papers (5-6 pp. each) on assigned topics are required.  In each case a first draft is to be submitted for evaluation one week before the final draft is due.

 

Short writing assignments (20% of course grade).  There will be occasional short writing assignments (1-2 pp. each).  Some of these are indicated on the syllabus.  There will be others as the occasion arises.

 

Oral performance (20% of course grade).  Developing oral communication skills is an important objective of this course.  You will be graded on your oral performance, first and foremost on the quality of your participation in regular class meetings.  There will also be some speaking assignments and group reports.

Final examination (10% of course grade).  A two-hour final examination will be given on Monday, Dec. 12, 2011, 8:00-10:00 a.m., in the classroom.

 

More about writing

 

The First Year Seminar is designed to improve your skills as a writer.  In this course we will work on how to identify and develop topics and theses to write about, how to write clearly and persuasively using evidence, and how to develop your own style.  We will pay attention to the mechanics of good writing, such as grammar, spelling and punctuation.  Working together as a community of writers, we will often comment on each other’s writing.

 

A Pocket Style Manual by Diana Hacker, 5th ed., is a required tool in this course.  Occasional assignments in this book will be discussed in class; otherwise, students need not bring the manual to class but should keep it handy for ready reference.

 

Mechanics grades:

Your three formal papers should be free of grammatical, spelling, punctuation and typographical errors already in the first draft.  You will receive a “mechanics grade” on first drafts which will be counted as part of your short writing grade.  The editing that takes place between the first and final draft of a paper should focus on substantive matters such as content, logic, organization, clarity and style.

 

All written work, including short writes, must be submitted in 2-space typescript.

 

 

Plagiarism

 

Plagiarism is the use of other people’s words or ideas without documentation.  Plagiarism is theft—the academic equivalent of shop-lifting.  Plagiarism commonly occurs in writing but can occur in other ways, such as using another person’s words in a speech without acknowledgment.  Penalties for deliberate plagiarism are severe, including failing an assignment, failing a course or expulsion from the university.  See the Butler University Student Handbook (available online on the Butler website) for a full discussion of student rights and responsibilities regarding “Academic Integrity.”

 

Inexperienced students sometimes plagiarize without meaning to do so.  Guarding against this is a skill we will work on in this course.  See Hacker’s Pocket Style Manual, sections 29, 35 and 40, for a brief discussion.

 

More about faith

 

Chances are, you are used to hearing about “reason” in the classroom.  Talking about “faith” in an academic setting may be new to you.  Clarifying what faith means is one of the tasks of our seminar.  For now, let’s just say that faith means your overall view of things, the big picture of the world that tells you where and how to find meaning in it.  Another way of putting it is to say that your personal faith is your answer to the question: What is the ground and goal of human existence and of my existence in particular?

 

Faith positions vary.  The range extends from historic religious faiths such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam to secular faiths such as humanism, skepticism and atheism.  All faith positions are welcome in this class and will be subjected to careful scrutiny.

 

Requests for academic accommodations

 

It is the policy and practice of Butler University to make reasonable accommodations for students with properly documented disabilities.  Written notification from Student Disability Services is required.  If you are eligible to receive an accommodation and would like to request it for this course, please discuss it with the instructor and allow one week advance notice for each occasion in which the accommodation will be needed.  Otherwise, it is not guaranteed that the accommodation can be made in a timely manner.  If you have questions about Student Disability Services, contact Michele Atterson, JH 136, ext. 9308.

 

Schedule of class meetings and assignments

 

W 8/24              Introduction to the course.

 

F 8/26               William Clifford, “The Ethics of Belief” (on Blackboard).

Short write due.

 

M 8/29              Introduction to the Pentateuch and Genesis, New Oxford Annotated Bible,                                 pp. 3-11, and Genesis 1-11, pp. 11-28.

 

W 8/31              Genesis 12-22, New Oxford Annotated Bible, pp. 28-42.  Short write due.

 

F 9/2                 Genesis 23-36, New Oxford Annotated Bible, pp. 42-62.

 

M 9/5                Labor Day.  No class.

 

W 9/7               Tillich, Dynamics of Faith, pp. 1-46.

 

F 9/9                 Tillich, Dynamics of Faith, pp. 47-62.  Short write due.

M 9/12              Genesis 37-50, New Oxford Annotated Bible, pp. 62-80.

 

W 9/14              Plato, Euthyprho, in The Trial and Death of Socrates, pp. 1-19.

F 9/16               Euthyphro, continued.

First draft of formal paper #1 due in class.

 

M 9/19              Discussion of first drafts of paper #1.

 

W9/21               Euthyphro, concluded.

F 9/23               Introduction to the Poetical and Wisdom Books and Job, New Oxford

                        Annotated Bible, pp. 721-726.

Final draft of formal paper #1 due in class.

 

M 9/26              Job 1-14, New Oxford Annotated Bible, pp. 727-740.

 

W 9/28              Job 15-31, New Oxford Annotated Bible, pp. 740-758.

 

F 9/30               Job 38-42, New Oxford Annotated Bible, pp. 765-771.

 

M 10/3              Cervantes, Don Quixote, pp. 3-64.

W 10/5              Don Quixote, pp. 64-114.  Short write due.

 

F 10/7               Don Quixote, pp. 115-190.

 

M 10/10            Shakespeare, Hamlet, Acts 1-3.

 

W 10/12            Shakespeare, Hamlet, Acts 4-5.

 

F 10/14 Fall reading break.  No class meeting.

 

M 10/17            The ending of Don Quixote, Part One, pp. 430-493.

 

W 10/19            The ending of Hamlet.

 

F 10/21 Hamlet and Don Quixote.  First draft of formal paper #2 due in class.

 

M 10/24            Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy, pp. 1-17.

W 10/26            Meditations on First Philosophy, pp. 17-35.

 

F 10/28 Same.    Final draft of formal paper #2 due in class.

 

M 10/31            Hume, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, pp. 1-48.

 

W 11/2              Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, pp. 49-89.

 

F 11/4               Same.

 

M 11/7              Tillich, Dynamics of Faith, pp. 85-113.

 

W 11/9              Same.  Short write due.

 

F 11/11 Introduction to Faust.

Goethe, Faust, pp. 3-27.

 

M 11/14            Goethe, Faust, pp. 27-62.

 

W 11/16            Faust, pp. 62-96.

 

F 11/18 Faust,  pp. 97-121

 

Thanksgiving Vacation.

 

M 11/28            Faust, pp. 122-148.

W 11/30            Same.

 

F 12/2               Same.  First draft of formal paper #3 due in  class.

 

M 12/5              J. L. Mackie, “Evil and Omnipotence” (on Blackboard).

 

W 12/7              Same.

 

F 12/9               Last class meeting.  Final draft of formal paper #3 due in class.

 

Mon., Dec. 12, 8:00-10:00 p.m. – Final Examination in the classroom.
Tutorial Group Schedule for HN 110-01

 

Week of:

 

8/29      Group discussion/report on Genesis 23-36.

9/5        Discuss reading and short writing assignment in Tillich.

 

9/12      Share and criticize page(s) of first draft, formal paper #1.

 

9/19      Group discussion of “piety” (Plato’s Euthyphro).

 

9/26      Group discussion/report on Job.

 

10/3      Group discussion/report on Don Quixote.

 

10/10    No tutorial group meeting (Fall reading break).

 

Rotation of discussion-group membership.

 

10/17    Share and criticize pages(s) of first draft, formal paper #2.

 

10/24    Group discussion/report on Descartes.

 

10/31    Group discussion/report on Hume.

 

11/7      Discuss first reading assignment in Faust.

 

11/14    Group discussion/report on Faust.

 

Thanksgiving Vacation

 

11/28    Share and criticize page(s) of first draft, formal paper #3.

 

12/5      Discuss final examination questions.

SAMPLE 3:

 

His – their/theirs, one/one’s

Himself – themselves, oneself

 

To enforce this practice of using inclusive language, writing assignments containing excessive exclusive language will be penalized one-third of a letter grade. Please proofread your papers to ensure that no exclusive language remains. If a student consistently fails to use inclusive language, the instructor will send a reminder to that student, including a reference to this portion of the syllabus.

 

 

More about Participation

 

Seminars are dependent on active participation from all students for their success. To that end, students will have read all of the assigned texts before each class and will come to class prepared to discuss the material. Active participation is an integral part of students’ learning experience and is reflected in the participation portion of the final grade. The rubrics for the participation grade are as follows:

 

• Missing classes and rarely participating in the discussion will earn a participation grade of D.
• Coming to class and occasionally participating in discussions will earn a participation grade of C.
• Quality participation in most classes will earn a participation grade of B.
• Frequent excellent participation in each class will earn a participation grade of A.

 

 

The Faith, Doubt and Reason “Big Brother/Big Sister” Program

 

The First Year Seminar is your introduction to collegiate academics and it will be an intense, challenging, immensely rewarding and enjoyable experience. As in so many other areas of our lives, it is often helpful to seek direction from those who have already been where we would like to go. A number of veterans of Faith, Doubt and Reason from last year have volunteered to serve as “Big Brothers/Big Sisters” to this year’s group of students, to offer advice and encouragement and to be a peer resource for you as you embark on your journey toward becoming liberally educated women and men. You will be randomly assigned to a “Big” at the beginning of the semester. Your level of involvement is entirely up to you and you are not required to participate. However, I urge you to seek out your Big at the beginning of the semester for coffee or lunch, as you will find them to be fun and wise beyond their years!

 

 

Requests for Academic Accommodations

 

It is the policy and practice of Butler University to make reasonable accommodations for students with properly documented disabilities. Written notification from Student Disability Services is required. If you are eligible to receive an accommodation and would like to request it for this course, please discuss it with the instructor and allow one week advance notice for each occasion in which the accommodation will be needed. Otherwise, it is not guaranteed that the accommodation can be received on a timely basis. If you have questions about Student Disability Services, you may wish to contact Michele Atterson, JH136, ext. 9308.

 

 

Tips for Success

 

• Although attendance will not be taken after the first few class meetings, regular class attendance is strongly encouraged. Regular attendance generally translates into better performance in the course. If you must miss class for any reason, please let me know by email before class.

 

• This course is a seminar, which means that discussion forms the basis of the class meetings. Quality participation in class discussions requires coming to class prepared to discuss the assigned material. Remember: class participation counts for 30% of the final grade. Please come to class prepared to discuss the material.

 

• Learning requires the proper environment. Please be respectful of your classmates, your instructor, and yourself by giving your full attention to the discussion. The use of cell phones in this course is strictly prohibited. Please silence or turn off your cell phones before class and do not turn them on again until after class has been dismissed. Also, please refrain from emailing, tweeting, shopping, visiting Facebook, YouTube, your favorite blog, or any other website during class. It is disrespectful to your classmates, your instructor, and the learning process. Repeated violations of this policy will result in the student being asked not to bring their laptop or cell phone to class and will negatively affect the student’s participation grade.

 

• Practice good study habits. Take notes on your reading, supplement them during class discussions, and review them regularly. Cramming for papers and exams is a very inefficient and ineffective way to succeed in your coursework. The most effective way to learn material is to review and consolidate it regularly. The Learning Resource Center is a wonderful resource for assistance in developing good study habits.

 

• Ask questions! The old cliché is true: the only stupid question is the unasked question. There is a very good chance that others have the same question you do. Don’t be afraid to ask!

 

• Take advantage of my office hours – I am here to help you and I love meeting with students!

 

Schedule of Class Meetings and Assignments

 

W 8/24                                    Introduction to the course and review of the syllabus

 

F 8/26                          Kant, “An Answer to the Question: What Is Enlightenment?” (On Blackboard)

 

M 8/29                         Caputo, Theology and Philosophy, 1-20

 

W 8/31                                    Caputo, Theology and Philosophy, 21-43

 

F 9/2                            Caputo, Theology and Philosophy, 43-58; 68-84

 

M 9/5                           Labor Day – No Class

 

W 9/7                          Tillich, Dynamics of Faith, pp. 1-46

F 9/9                            Clifford, “The Ethics of Belief” (On Blackboard)

 

M 9/12                         “The Interpretation of the Bible from the Nineteenth to the Mid-Twentieth Centuries,” New Oxford Annotated Bible, Essays 2221-2226

“Contemporary Methods in Biblical Study,” New Oxford Annotated Bible, Essays 2227-2234

“Introduction to the Pentateuch,” New Oxford Annotated Bible, Hebrew Bible 3-6

“Genesis,” New Oxford Annotated Bible, Hebrew Bible 7-11

Short Write #1 Due

 

W 9/14                                    Genesis chps. 1-11

 

F 9/16                          Genesis chps. 12-22

 

M 9/19                         Genesis chps. 23-33

 

W 9/21                                    Paper day – in-class discussion of issues from first short write

 

F 9/23                          Paper day – in-class discussion of first formal paper

 

M 9/26                         Tillich, Dynamics of Faith, pp. 47-62

First draft of formal paper #1 due

W 9/28                        Plato, Euthyphro, pp. 1-19

 

F 9/30                          “Introduction to the Poetical and Wisdom Books,” New Oxford Annotated Bible, Hebrew Bible 721-725

“Job,” New Oxford Annotated Bible, Hebrew Bible 726

Job chps. 1-14

 

M 10/3                         Job chps. 15-19, 27-31, 38-42

 

W 10/5                                    Dostoyevsky, “Rebellion” (On Blackboard)

Final draft of formal paper #1 due

 

F 10/7                          Mackie, “Evil and Omnipotence” (On Blackboard)

 

M 10/10                       Concluding discussion of theodicy

Short write #2 due

 

W 10/12                      Research Workshop in Irwin Library computer lab, Room 119

 

F 10/14                                    Reading Day – No Class

M 10/17                       Cervantes, Don Quixote, pp. 41-105               

W 10/19                      Cervantes, Don Quixote, pp. 106-145

 

F 10/21                                    Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy, pp. 1-24

M 10/24                       Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy, pp. 24-35

 

W 10/26                      Paper day – in-class discussion of second formal paper

 

F 10/28                        Tillich, Dynamics of Faith, 85-113

First draft of formal paper #2 due

 

M 10/31                       Montaigne, “On Experience,” pp. 343-406

 

W 11/2                                    Montaigne, “On Cannibals,” “On the Custom of Wearing Clothes, “On

Repentance,” pp. 105-123, 235-250

F 11/4                          Goethe, Faust, pp. 3-62

Final draft of formal paper #2 due

M 11/7                         Goethe, Faust, pp. 62-107

 

W 11/9                        Goethe, Faust, pp. 107-148

 

F 11/11                                    Nagel, “Death” (On Blackboard)

Short Write #3 due

M 11/14                       Nagel “The Absurd” (On Blackboard)

W 11/16                      Tillich, Sermons (On Blackboard)

 

F 11/18                        Paper Day – in-class discussion of final papers

Short Write #4 due

 

M 11/21 – F 11/25       Thanksgiving Break

 

M 11/28                       In-class film: Doubt

 

W 11/30                      In-class film: Doubt                

                       

F 12/2                          In-class film: Doubt

 

M 12/5                         Student Discussion of Final Papers

Final Paper Due                   

 

W 12/7                                    Final Exam Review     

 

F 12/9                          Wrap-Up, Discussion of Spring Semester, Pictures, Evaluations

Doubt Extra Credit Due

 

Final Exam

 

9am Section:   Monday, December 12^th, 8-10am

11am Section: Thursday, December 15^th, 1-3pm