Continental Philosophy 1

PHM 6265: Spring, 2004                                                            
Charles Guignon

Office: FAO 213                       
Office Hours: Thurs. 12:00-2:00 & by appointment
Phone: 974-9839

E-mail: guignon@chuma1.cas.usf.edu                           

 

Texts:  Kearney and Rainwater, eds., THE CONTINENTAL PHILOSOPHY READER (CP)

                  Gadamer, TRUTH AND METHOD, 2nd revised edition (TM)

                  Essays by Ricoeur and Habermas to be made available during the semester

 

 

Seminar Objectives:

 

We will try to get an overview of developments in phenomenology and hermeneutics over the past century, with special attention to the work of Hans-Georg Gadamer and to the theme of history.   Our aim, however, is not just to read and absorb information about these developments.  Our primary goal is to discover the truth about the issues discussed by these philosophers in order to expand and enrich our own philosophical views.   That means that, in reading and discussing the texts, we will always ask, What is right about this author’s claims?  What problems emerge for these views, and how may they be resolved?  How is it possible to synthesize the best points in these works to get a view that is genuinely tenable?  So we are not interested in puzzle-solving or scoring points, and we are not interested in having a lot of information about what philosophers have said.  We are interested in becoming – or, rather, being – philosophers.  And that means gaining a deep insight into what the great minds who come before us have said, and drawing on their work in order to formulate our own philosophies. 

 

 

Tentative schedule:

 

Jan. 5               Introduction

Jan. 12             Husserl (CP, pp. 3-26)

Jan.  26-Feb. 2 Heidegger (CP, pp. 23-47)

Feb. 9              Merleau-Ponty (CP, pp. 77-92)

Feb. 16                        Sartre and Beauvoir (CP, pp. 62-76 and 93-108)

Feb. 23                        Levinas (CP, pp. 122-135)

Mar. 1              TM, pp. xxi-42

Mar. 15                        TM, pp. 42-169

Mar. 22                        TM, pp. 173-231, 254-309

Mar. 29                        TM, pp. 341-379; CP, pp. 109-122               

                        Topics and bibliographies for seminar papers due

Apr. 5              Habermas, “Review of Gadamer’s Truth and Method”

Apr. 12                        Ricoeur, “The Human Experience of Time” and “”Narrative Time”

                        A 100 word abstract of the seminar paper is due

Apr. 19                        Foucault, “Nietzsche, Genealogy, History”

 

 

Requirements:

 

Regular attendance!  It is extremely important that you hear the seminar presentations and contribute to the discussions.

 

Read the assigned passages prior to class, bring your book with you to class, and be prepared to discuss the ideas in the text.  There will be two short (3 page) papers during the semester on topics to be handed out in class.  Late papers will be marked down one increment of a grade (a “+” or a

“-”) for each class day late. 

 

A major seminar paper of 12 - 15 pages due at the end of the semester.  Topics for the seminar paper will be decided in consultation with the instructor.

 

Grading:                      Short papers                 30%

                                    Final paper                   50%

                                    Class participation        20%

 

 

Students who miss class due to religious observance should inform the instructor in advance and plan to make up for missed work.  Students who are absent more than two days must present a medical excuse.  Papers turned in late will be penalized one increment of a grade (a “+” or a “-”) for each class day the paper is late.