WVC Philosophy 6

Philosophy of the Person

Catalog Description
This course explores modern and contemporary philosophical views on human nature and institutions. It is particularly concerned with philosophical questions arising as a result of modern movements such as Marxism, psychoanalysis, behaviorism, sociobiology, feminism, national liberation movements, environmentalism, the sexual revolution, and the "global village" phenomenon. Writings by mostly modern and contemporary philosophers on freedom, gender, the family, self-respect, work, spirituality, sexuality, love, commitment, and community will be examined. An interdisciplinary and multicultural approach will be used.

Prerequisite
Recommend eligibility for English 1A; recommend Philosophy 1 or Philosophy 3

Text
No department requirement. Works such as the following might be read and discussed (this list is not exhaustive):

• Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex
• Valentino Braitenberg, Vehicles
• Buddhist scriptures
• Daniel Dennett, Darwin's Dangerous Idea
• Daniel Dennett, "Where Am I?"
• Rene Descartes, derivation of the cogito and subsequent discussion of identity in Meditations I and II
• Barbara Ehrenreich, The Hearts of Men
• Friedrich Engels, The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and the State
• Frantz Fanon, The Wretched of the Earth
• Ann Ferguson, "Androgyny As an Ideal for Human Development"
• Shulamith Firestone, The Dialectic of Sex
• Sigmund Freud, Civilization and Its Discontents
• Sigmund Freud, "Femininity"
• Sigmund Freud, "Repression"
• Sigmind Freud, "The Unconscious"
• Carol Gilligan, In a Different Voice
• Goldberg, "The Inevitability of Patriarchy"
• Thomas Hill, "Servility and Self-Respect"
• Hindu Scriptures
• David Hume, section on personal identity from the Treatise
• Leiber, Can Animals and Machines Be Persons?
• Herbert Marcuse, Eros and Civilization
• Karl Marx, "Alienated Labor"
• Minsky, The Society of Mind
• Peirce, "The Fixation of Belief"
• John Perry, ed., A Dialog Concerning Personal Identity and Immortality
• Plato, selections
• Bertrand Russell, The Conquest of Happiness
• Bertrand Russell, "A Free Man's Worship"
• Bertrand Russell, Marriage and Morals
• Gilbert Ryle, The Concept of Mind
• Jean-Paul Sartre, The Transcendence of the Ego
• John Searle, selections
• Peter Singer, Animal Liberation
• Peter Singer, "Famine, Affluence, and Morality"
• B. F. Skinner, Beyond Freedom and Dignity
• B. F. Skinner, Walden Two
• Leslie Stevenson, Seven Theories of Human Nature
• Richard Taylor, Having Love Affairs
• Mary Ann Warren, "On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion"

Course Objectives

1. The student should be able to recognize and explicate the major views of philosophers on a variety of contemporary philosophical problems. The student should be able to relate these theories to the philosophical traditions of the past, where appropriate.

2. The student should be able to apply the moral and logical problem-solving techniques proposed by various philosophers to his own thinking about personal identity and the problems of life.

Course Content

I. HUMAN NATURE  			3 weeks 
Standard Western philosophical views: 
    Plato, Aristotle, Christianity, Hobbes, 
    Descartes, Kant
Modern views: Nietzsche, Marx, feminism, 
    psychoanalysis, behaviorism, ethology, 
    sociobiology, existentialism
Is there such a thing as "human nature"? 
Deconstructionism

2. PERSONAL IDENTITY: 
Who do I know when I know myself?	1 week
 
3. CONCEPTIONS OF THE SELF IN NON-WESTERN 
PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGION			3 weeks

The Hindu view of Brahman/Atman
Chinese conceptions of human nature 
    (Confucius and Mencius vs HsŸn-Tzu) 
Problems associated with personal 
    identity and reincarnation
Buddhist views
An African (Akan) view of the self

4. FREEDOM				2 weeks
The challenge of behaviorism, Freudianism, 
    ethology, and sociobiology

5. PERSONS AND ANIMALS			1 week
"Human chauvinism" and environmentalism
 
6. GENDER				1 week
To what extent do gender distinctions inhibit 
    or foster the full development of 
    human potential?
Do people develop most fully within 
    a framework of definite sex roles?
Is androgyny the ideal?
Why is it important to develop 
    human potential?
 
7. MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY		1 week   
The Marxist view
The Freudian view
Feminist views
The rights of children

8. LOVE					1 week
Nature, kinds of love
Romance - pernicious myth?
Can a person love too much?

9. WORK, SELF-ACTUALIZATION, AND 
OPPRESSION				1 week
What is oppression? 
Can a person be oppressed and not know it?
Oppression and self-respect
Marx's concept of alienated labor
"Women's work"
 
10. NEW MORAL OBLIGATIONS?		1 week
Traditional Western ethical theories do not 
consider the moral situation of the modern 
affluent person exposed by the media to 
enormous human suffering in other parts 
of the world. What are our moral obligations 
towards persons in need in other 
communities or countries?  What are our moral
obligations to the planet?
Singer's view and the controversy surrounding it

11. NEW SEXUAL ETHICS?			1 week    
Traditional Western theories about sexual 
ethics do not discuss modern phenomena 
such as effective and widespread birth control, 
overpopulation, and women's rights. Should 
sexual ethics change as a result of these factors?
Is abortion a major or even a minor wrong?
What is responsible sexual behavior 
   in the context of a committed relationship? 
   (Russell, Taylor) 

12. NEW APPROACHES TO RELIGION?		1 week    
In general, in an age of information overload, 
   how should we choose our beliefs? 
Is science the answer? (Peirce, James)
Are organized religions essentially 
   oppressive institutions?
Do people have "spiritual" needs? Does life 
   have a "spiritual" dimension? If these 
   questions have answers, what ought we to do?
Alternative conceptions of the divine: 
   feminist, liberal Protestant, non-Western  

General Requirements
Completion of required reading and final exam. Other requirements are determined by instructor; these may include completion of one or more papers, other written exams, journal assignments, participation in class discussion, class attendance, etc.

Evaluation
In accordance with Title V regulations, there must be at least one substantial (greater than one paragraph) writing assignment. Generally, evaluation is based primarily on written papers and essay examinations.

Suggested Instructional Methods and Materials
Primarily lecture and discussion. This can be supplemented by films, videos, oral reports, guest speakers, class debates, etc., as deemed appropriate and desirable by the individual instructor. Readings should include primary source material.