Phenomenology: An Introduction Philosophy 500  Spring 2000 9:30 - 11:50 TR, Plumb Hall 412 Instructor: Dr. Ted Toadvine Office Hours: 8:30-9:30 TR (or by appointment) in Plumb Hall 411 Phone: 341-5566 (office); 341-5462 (Social Sciences Secretary) Email: toadvint@emporia.edu

REQUIRED TEXTS

Robert Sokolowski, Introduction to Phenomenology (Cambridge University Press, 2000)
Dermot Moran & Timothy Mooney, eds., The Phenomenology Reader (Routledge, 2002)

On Reserve:
Husserl, "Philosophy and the Crisis of European Man" ( Phenomenology & The Crisis of Philosophy, 149-192 )
Heidegger, "Memorial Address" ( Discourse on Thinking, 43-57)
Heidegger, "The End of Philosophy and the Task of Thinking" ( Basic Writings, 431-449 )
Sartre, "The Look" ( Being & Nothingness, 252-275)
Merleau-Ponty, "Sense Experience" ( Phenomenology of Perception, 207-242)
Levinas, "The Face," "Responsibility for the Other" ( Ethics & Infinity, 85-101)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Considered by many to be the most important theoretical movement of the 20th Century, phenomenology has gained adherents around the globe and in dozens of disciplines after its first expression in the writings of German philosopher Edmund Husserl. Recent intellectual movements such as existentialism, hermeneutics, and deconstruction have their roots in phenomenology, and such prominent theorists as Heidegger, Sartre, Derrida, Levinas, Arne Naess, Judith Butler, Michel Foucault, and Edward Said began their careers as students of phenomenology. What is phenomenology and how is it practiced? What distinguishes this method from other past and current approaches to philosophical problems? Who are the major figures of this movement, and what are their key contributions? As an introduction to phenomenology, this course aims to answer these questions and to provide the student with the tools necessary to continue the study of phenomenology independently. Specifically, this course has the following aims: 

• to convey a working knowledge of the fundamental concepts and methodology of "classical" Husserlian phenomenology and its relation to other philosophical methods, past and present;
• to introduce the key writings of major figures in the phenomenological movement;
• to begin comparative analysis of the treatment of key concepts and methods by these major figures with a view to understanding the transformation of phenomenology during its first century; 
• to begin an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of phenomenology as a philosophical method.

 

Class Participation/Attendance: You are expected to participate actively in this class, which includes attending class, reading all assigned material prior to class, and participating productively and professionally in class discussions. The reading assignments in this class will often be long and dense, at times requiring more than one reading. If you cannot commit yourself to the time required for this reading preparation, this class is not for you. Missing FOUR classes FOR ANY REASON will result in a full grade reduction. An additional full grade reduction will be made for each additional missed class after the fourth. Three late arrivals for class will count as one absence. Makeup work is at my discretion. I do not accept last-minute "extra-credit" work from those whose failure to attend has resulted in a poor grade at the end of the semester.

Class Presentation : Early in the semester, I will circulate a sign-up sheet on which you will select a chapter from Sokolowski's Introduction to Phenomenology for class presentation. During the appropriate class period, you will give a 10-minute presentation of the key concepts from this chapter and lead a brief discussion about their significance. Presentations will be graded on the basis of the accuracy of your presentation (your own understanding of the concepts in question), the clarity of your expression (how well you convey this understanding to others), and your ability to lead discussion and field questions about the concepts presented (your ability to think "on your feet" about these issues). The use of an overhead and the distribution of (short!) photocopies can be arranged if you let me know your needs in advance.

Weekly Response Papers: Response papers are short (about 2 pages), informal reactions to material assigned for a particular class session. These papers may develop questions about the assigned readings, explore implications, draw comparisons with other works from within or outside the class, etc. Papers will be graded on the basis of the depth and originality of your thoughtful engagement with the assigned material. You have the opportunity to turn in one response paper each week, on either Tuesday or Thursday (but NOT both). Papers must discuss the material assigned for the class period on which they are submitted--late response papers will not be graded. Your best 10 response paper grades will be averaged in calculating your final grade (and you may choose to turn in the minimum of ten) .

Exams : The course will include three exams: two take-home exams and an in-class final exam. Both take-home examinations will consist of a set of questions from which you will choose five to answer in one-page typed responses. These exams are due on the dates specified on the course schedule. Exam responses must be submitted in hard-copy, not by email , and exams will lose one letter grade for each calendar day that they are late. The format of the final exam will be similar to that of the take-home exams, except that it will held in-class on the scheduled date. The final is non-cumulative; it will only address material covered after the penultimate exam.

Final Term Paper: Final papers will explore a specific independently-chosen topic or theme from the course in detail and must include (a) detailed examination of primary source texts, and (b) the development of your own critical response. A brief proposal of your paper topic (including a half-page description of the topic and a bibliography of texts to be consulted) must be submitted for my approval by the date indicated on the course schedule. Final papers are due on the date specified on the course schedule, and extensions will be granted only in the case of genuine, documented emergencies. Late papers will lose one letter grade for each calendar day that they are late.

The plus/minus grading system will NOT be used in this course. Grades will be determined as follows, out of 100 possible points: (A) = 100-90; (B) = 89-80; (C) = 79-70; (D) = 69-60; (F) = 59-0.

PLEASE NOTE

• Academic dishonesty of any kind will not be tolerated. This includes plagiarism, the paraphrase or quotation of any published or unpublished source--including the class texts--without full and clear acknowledgment. The university policy regarding academic dishonesty, as explained in the Student Handbook, will be strictly enforced. 

• The ESU Faculty Senate has issued the following statement concerning disability services: "Emporia State University will make reasonable accommodations for persons with documented disabilities. Students need to contact the Director of Disability Services and the professor as early in the semester as possible to ensure that classroom and academic accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion. All communication between students, the Office of Disability Services, and the professor will be strictly confidential." The Office of Disability Services and Non-Traditional Student Programs is located at 242 SE Morse Hall, 620/341-6637 Voice, 620/341-6646 TTY, or via email at disabser@emporia.edu.

• As listed above, my office hours for this course are 8:30-9:30 on Tuesday and Thursday. However, I am usually in my office during regular business hours. Since I occasionally have meetings that take me out of the office, you may wish to make an appointment to be sure that I am available. Messages can be left with the Social Sciences secretary (PH 411) at 341-5462. You are also welcome to address inquiries to me via email at toadvint@emporia.edu.

PROVISIONAL COURSE SCHEDULE
(any changes will be announced in class)
 

Week 1: 1/16	Introduction to Course
Week 2: 1/21, 1/23	Sokolowski, chapters 1-4 (1-65)
Week 3: 1/28, 1/30	Sokolowski, chapters 5-8 (66-129)
Week 4: 2/4, 2/6	Sokolowski, chapters 9-12 (130-197)
Week 5: 2/11, 2/13	Sokolowski, chapters 13-14 (198-227) Moran, "Editor's Introduction" (Reader, 1-20) 2/13: First take-home exam due
Week 6: 2/18, 2/20	Brentano, "The Distinction between Mental and Physical Phenomena" (Reader, 35-50) Husserl, "Consciousness as Intentional Experience" (Reader, 78-108) Husserl, "The Phenomenology of Internal Time Consciousness" (Reader, 109-123) Husserl, "Pure Phenomenology..." (Reader, 124-133)
Week 7: 2/25, 2/27	Husserl, "The Way into Phenomenological Transcendental Philosophy..." (Reader, 151-174) Husserl, "Philosophy and the Crisis of European Man" (photocopy on reserve)
Week 8: 3/4, 3/6	Heidegger, "My Way to Phenomenology" (Reader, 251-256) Heidegger, "The Fundamental Discoveries of Phenomenology..." (Reader, 257-277) Heidegger, "The Phenomenological Method of Investigation" (Reader, 278-287) Heidegger, "The Worldhood of the World" (Reader, 288-307)
Week 9: 3/11, 3/13	Heidegger, "Memorial Address" (photocopy on reserve) VIDEO: "A Representation of Edmund Husserl, 1859-1938"
SPRING BREAK: 3/18, 3/20
Week 10: 3/25, 3/27	Heidegger, "The End of Philosophy and the Task of Thinking" (photocopy on reserve) Sartre, "A Fundamental Idea of Husserl's Phenomenology" (Reader, 382-384) Sartre, "The Transcendence of the Ego" (Reader, 385-407) 3/27: Second take-home exam due
Week 11: 4/1, 4/3	Sartre, "Bad Faith" (Reader, 408-420) Sartre, "The Look" (photocopy on Reserve)
Week 12: 4/8, 4/10	Merleau-Ponty, "The Body as Object and Mechanistic Physiology" (Reader, 427-435) Merleau-Ponty, "Sense Experience" (photocopy on reserve) 4/10: Proposal for Final Paper due
Week 13: 4/15, 4/17	Merleau-Ponty, "The Primacy of Perception..." (Reader, 436-459)
Week 14: 4/22, 4/24	Beauvoir, "Destiny" (Reader, 467-485) Beauvoir, "Woman's Situation and Character" (Reader, 486-507)
Week 15: 4/29, 5/1	Levinas, "Ethics and the Face" (Reader, 515-528) Levinas, "Beyond Intentionality" (Reader, 525-539) Levinas, "The Face," "Responsibility for the Other" (photocopy on reserve)
Week 16: 5/6, 5/8	Derrida, "Signs and the Blink of an Eye" (Reader, 547-554) Derrida, "Differance" (Reader, 555-572)
Finals Week: 5/11 - 5/16	Final paper due Tuesday, 5/12, by 5 pm Final exam: Friday, 5/16, 10:10-12:00