PHIL 4300-01W: Senior Seminar
University of West Georgia
Fall 2010
Instructions for Synopsis and Leading Class Discussion
Each student will be required to lead discussion of a portion of a reading assignment once during the course of the semester. The student who is leading a given day’s class will begin by presenting a synopsis of that text to the class:
· The synopsis is a detailed summary of the ideas, claims and arguments that Peirce gives in the relevant reading assignment.
· Before you begin writing your synopsis, you should read through the material carefully at least once and pick out the claim(s) that you think are the most important, as well as the reasons that Peirce gives for believing them. Once you’ve done this initial reading, reflect on the reading as a whole. Ask yourself: What is Peirce trying to do in this reading, and how does he go about doing it? Get clear on how you answer these questions before you begin writing the synopsis itself.
· Your synopsis should summarize the reading, emphasizing what you take to be its most important claims and arguments, using your own words as much as possible and quoting Peirce sparingly. It should be clearly written and organized, so that even someone who is very unfamiliar with Peirce’s work can understand it.
· Your class presentation should take between 15 and 20 minutes. You may use the white board and/or a PowerPoint presentation, if you wish.
· Together, the presentation and the synopsis will count for 15% of your total course grade. I will grade the synopsis using the same standards I normally apply to formal writing (organization, clarity, grammar, punctuation and spelling will all count).
· You must turn in one printed copy of the synopsis to me at the beginning of class.
· Synopsis length: 1500-2000 words.
· I encourage you to meet with me to discuss your synopsis before you present it to the class.
On the first day of class, I will assign specific dates for leading class discussion based on a random draw. Once your date as been assigned, you may negotiate an exchange of dates with another student; but you must let me know as soon as possible after you have negotiated that exchange.
Schedule
(note that there will be no student presentation
on the dates when other class materials are due):
|
|
topic and student |
reading |
materials due |
|
8/23 M |
Theory of Cognition: Introspection & Intuition Student:__L. Waits________________
|
EP 1:29-38 |
-- |
|
8/25 W |
Theory of Cognition: Thought-Signs Student:__A. Barker________________
|
EP 1:38-51 |
-- |
|
8/30 M |
Theory of Cognition: Cognitionism & Reality |
EP 1:51-55 |
intellectual autobiography due |
|
9/1 W |
Inquiry: Belief and Doubt Student:___J, Morse_______________
|
EP 1:109-115 |
-- |
|
9/6 M |
LABOR DAY – no classes |
-- |
-- |
|
9/8 W |
Inquiry: Four Methods of Fixing Belief Student:____K. Murphy____________
|
EP 1:115-20 |
resume due |
|
9/13 M |
Inquiry: Realism & the Method of Science
|
EP 1:120-23 |
-- |
|
9/15 W |
Pragmatism: The Pragmatic Maxim Student: _____P. Yu_______________
|
EP 1:124-32 |
-- |
|
9/20 M |
Class does not meet; Dr. Lane out of town. |
||
|
9/22 W |
Pragmatism: Truth & Reality Student:______T. Garcia____________
|
EP 1:132-39 |
-- |
|
9/27 M |
Pragmatism: Truth & Reality |
EP 1:139-41 |
abstract due [peer editing] |
|
9/29 W |
Scientific Metaphysics Student: ____R. Smith______________
|
EP 2:331-339; EP 2:42-50 |
-- |
|
10/4 M |
Scholastic Realism Student:____D. Vinson____________
|
EP 1:87-92 |
-- |
|
10/6 W |
Extreme Scholastic Realism: Generals Student:_____P. Avery_____________
|
EP 2:179-83 |
-- |
|
10/11 M |
Extreme Scholastic Realism: Possibility |
EP 2:183-86 |
prospectus & annotated bibliography due [peer editing] |
|
10/13 W |
From Pragmatism to Pragmaticism
|
EP 2:331-38 |
-- |
|
10/18 M |
Pragmaticism and Generals Student:_______B. Victor___________
|
EP 2:338-45 |
-- |