260.

216 Humanities Seminar

Writing and Research Methods: Great Texts in Philosophy

Spring 2019

Time: T 7:00 a.m. – 9:20 a.m.

Location: Centre Street Conference Room

Oliver Thorndike, Ph.D.

Office: 204C
Office Hours: T/TH 8:00 a.m. - 9.00 a.m.
& by appointment
oliverthorndike@jhu.edu

I. Course Description:

Introduction to the basics of writing a research paper. Pre-requisite: Core I or approved placement.

This class is an Introduction to Western Philosophy. Topics include: epistemology, moral philosophy, and
aesthetics. We begin with the origins of Western Philosophy in Ancient Greece: Hesiod, Thales,
Anaximander, Anaximenes, Xenophanes, Heraclitus, Pythagoras, and the nomos/phusis debate. In this
context, we’ll look at Plato’s reasons for censoring the arts and Aristotle’s response to it. Subsequently,
we move on to Early Modern Philosophy and its discussion of external world skepticism, various proofs
of God’s existence, the problem of free will, and personal identity. We’ll continue our path through the
history of great philosophical texts to modernity: Nietzsche and Kundera. Finally, we’ll look into the
neurological basis of music perception, and close the semester by discussing current trends in artificial
intelligence and how it affects and will affect our lives. Whenever possible, we’ll look into how any of
these topics have been picked up in the arts. If there is any specific topic you would like to discuss, please
email me over the break or bring it up in week 1 so we can build it into the syllabus!

II. Course Objectives:

Among the chief goals of this introductory course are:
(1) Ensuring competence in academic research and writing. You will select a research topic, find source
materials, and complete a formal academic research paper (10-20 pages), with appropriate references
properly documented.
(2) to acquaint you with some of the great texts, views, and central problems in the Western intellectual
tradition;
(3) to equip you with the tools and skills needed for critical engagement with those ideas; i.e., to assist
you in your development of problem-solving techniques;
(4) to help you develop the ability to present and defend or challenge a position in a clear and precise
essay;
(5) and to confront you with foundational questions about our understanding of the world and ourselves in
it;
(6) to improve your reading and writing skills for all future classes at Peabody and the John Hopkins
University Community.

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III. Course Requirements:

In order to pass the course you must fulfill three requirements.

(1) Attendance, Participation, Discussion Board, Presentation, Quizzes: 25%

The best way to make sure you master an idea is to articulate it in your own words and probe its
assumptions and implications. That’s why asking your questions in class, and participating in classroom
exercises is an important learning tool. For this reason, attendance is mandatory and will be taken at
lecture. Students will be excused without penalty up to 2 absences. After 2 absences, your grade will be
lowered. Absences from more than 4 of the meetings will result in a failing grade for the course. No
distinctions are made between excused and unexcused absences. Classroom participation is an essential
component of your learning experience in this course. For this reason, every student will present on her
research at the end of the semester.

(2) Two In-class Exams: 50%

(3) Final Paper: 25%

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

The strength of the university depends on academic and personal integrity. In this course, you must be
honest and truthful. Ethical violations include cheating on exams, facilitating academic dishonesty, unfair
competition, and lying. Academic dishonesty is an offense against the University and I am obligated to
report any incident to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
Each academic discipline has specific and appropriate means for students to cite or acknowledge sources
and the ideas and material of others used in their own work. Students have the responsibility to become
familiar with such processes and to carefully follow their use in developing original work.

Two sources that define plagiarism and how to avoid it can be found at:
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/.

Peabody Conservatory will not tolerate plagiarism, which is defined as claiming authorship of, or using
someone else's ideas or work without proper acknowledgment. Without proper attribution, a student may
NOT replicate another's work, paraphrase another's ideas, or appropriate images in a manner that violates
the specific rules against plagiarism at Peabody Conservatory. In addition, students may not submit the
same work for credit in more than one course without the explicit approval of all of the instructors of the
courses involved.

DIVERSITY AND DISABILITY STATEMENT

The Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University values diversity and inclusion. We are committed
to a climate of mutual respect and civility among members of our community. Peabody recognizes that
disability is an aspect of diversity. Our goal is to create learning environments that are usable, equitable,

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inclusive and welcoming. If there are aspects of the instruction or design of this course related to your
disability that result in barriers to your inclusion or to accurate assessment or achievement, please notify
the instructor as soon as possible. Students are also welcome to contact the associate dean for student
affairs and disability resources coordinator in the Student Affairs Office for further information about
academic adjustments or accommodations.

MUTUAL TOLERANCE AND RESPECT

The Humanities deal with controversial issues from multiple perspectives. Consideration of these issues
may cause disagreements among us or may evoke strong personal feelings, depending on our individual
experience, histories, identities, and worldviews. Therefore, in all of our interactions and
communications, it is important that we strive to have mutual respect and tolerance for one another and
for any course guests and members of the community with whom we come into contact.

CLASSROOM COURTESY
Cell phones, tablets, laptops may be used for class related purposes only.

GRADE DETERMINATION

Attendance, Participation, Presentation, Quizzes 25%

Two Take-Home Exams 50%
Research Paper 25%

YOU MUST SUBMIT ALL GRADED WORK VIA BLACKBOARD

IV. Required Texts:

1. Texts posted on Blackboard
2. Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, translated from the Czech by Michael Henry Heim,
London: Faber and Faber, 1995.

V. Schedule and Reading

Week 1
T Jan 15 Welcome, Course Expectations, Student Information

Topic 1: The Beginnings of Western Philosophy and the Censorship of Arts

Read: Presocratics 1

Week 2
T Jan 22
Read: Presocratics 2-4

Read: Plato “Ion”

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Week 3
T Jan 29 Topic 2: Descartes and External World Skepticism

Read: Descartes Meditations 1

Read: Descartes Meditations 2

Week 4
T Feb 5 First Take-Home Exam

Week 5
T Feb 12

Topic 3: Music and the Brain

Watch: Clive Wearing https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=ipD_G7U2FcM&t=294s
Read: Sacks Chapter 15

Week 6
T Feb 19 Audition Week

Week 7
T Feb 26 Topic 4: Emotions

Read: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/emotion/

Week 8
T Mar 5 Topic 5: Problems of Modernity

Read: Dostoevsky Grand Inquisitor

Week 9
T Mar 12 Dostoevsky Grand Inquisitor

Week 10
T Mar 19 Topic 6: Comedy, Laughter, and the Unconscious

Excerpts from Freud and Bergson (Blackboard)

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Week 10
T Mar 26 Spring Break

Week 12
T Apr 2 Topic 7: Happiness

Read: Aristotle

Read: Nietzsche Zarathustra

Week 13
T Apr 9 Second Take-Home Exam

Week 14
T Apr 16 Richard Strauss: Thus Spoke Zarathustra (tone poem, 1896)
The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Week 15
T Apr 23 The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Read: Critical Essays on Milan Kundera (Blackboard)

Week 16
T Apr 30 Work on Papers and Research Presentations

05/14 FINAL PAPER DUE AT NOON VIA EMAIL

Please note that any portion of the syllabus may be altered at any time, pending the judgment of the
instructor.