Philosophy 375 Fall 2001 Monday 6:00 - 8:50, Plumb Hall 412   Dr. Ted Toadvine, Plumb Hall 411P  Office: 2:00-3:30 MWF (or by appointment) in Plumb Hall 411P Phone: 341-5566 (office); 341-5462 (Social Sciences)  Email: toadvint@emporia.edu

• Martin Heidegger, Being and Time: A Translation of Sein und Zeit, trans. Joan Stambaugh (SUNY, 1996).
• Magda King, A Guide to Heidegger’s Being and Time, ed. John Llewelyn (SUNY, 2001).

• Martin Heidegger, Sein und Zeit, 10th ed. (Max Niemeyer Verlag, 1963). Those with any background in German, or who are currently studying it, are encouraged to follow along in the original text.
• Martin Heidegger, Being and Time: A Translation of Sein und Zeit, trans. John Macquarrie and Edward Robinson (HarperSanFrancisco, 1962). The “original” translation of Being and Time, an excellent source for a “second opinion” on confusing passages.
• Hubert L. Dreyfus, Being-in-the-World: A Commentary on Heidegger’s Being and Time, Division I (MIT, 1991). A popular and accessible commentary on the first Division of Being and Time.
• Martin Heidegger, Basic Writings, rev. ed., ed. David Farrell Krell (HarperSanFrancisco, 1993). A “greatest hits” collection of Heidegger’s essays throughout his career, the best place to start for an introduction to Heidegger’s thinking after Being and Time; preceded by an excellent historical overview of Heidegger’s life and work.

    Martin Heidegger’s Being and Time is arguably the single most important and influential philosophical work published in the 20th Century. Not only did this text lay the groundwork for such recent philosophical movements as existentialism, hermeneutics, and deconstruction, it also inspired an international revolution in thinking in such diverse disciplines as anthropology, architecture, cognitive science, environmentalism, geography, literature,  political theory, psychoanalysis, theology, and many others. First published in 1927, this seminal work continues to be of central importance for scholars working in these disciplines today. Such thinkers as Sartre, Merleau-Ponty, Lacan, Levinas, Derrida, Foucault, Habermas, and Bourdieu have all attested to the crucial role played by this work in the formulation of their own philosophical views.
    But despite its wide influence, this book is by no means easy to read or understand. Less than half of the projected text of Being and Time was ever completed, and this portion was initially rejected as “inadequate” when submitted by Heidegger in application for a professorship. The originality of Heidegger’s appropriation of traditional philosophical concepts and terms makes understanding his thought difficult even for those familiar with these traditions, and many scholars remain convinced that no satisfactory translation of this text from its original colloquial German is possible.
    Given these difficulties, we cannot hope to arrive at “the definitive understanding” of this book in a single semester. Instead, our goal is to give Being and Time a first and preliminary reading, from cover to cover, alongside a recent commentary that will help elucidate important terms and concepts. As with any great work of philosophy, the subtlety and richness of this classic text calls for an ongoing process of reading and re-reading, and it is hoped that this first reading will inspire some students to take up this challenge.
    This course has been designed to function much like a graduate school seminar, as is appropriate for this level of material. This means that the quality and depth of our class will depend a great deal on you, on your commitment to working with challenging material and to sharing your insights and questions in informal class discussion.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

 a. participation & protocol of class meeting, 2 pages                    10 %
 b. average of best 10 weekly response papers, 2 pages each       40 %
 c. take-home midterm exam, 5 pages                                                 20 %
 d. final term paper (10-15 pages)                                                        30 %

1. Attendence at all classes is required and expected. Missing THREE 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 third.

2. Please read the assigned material carefully before the class in which we will discuss it, since you cannot intelligently discuss what you have not read. The reading assignments in this class will be long and often very dense, at times requiring more than one reading. The reading load will be about 50 pages per week, although it may at times be as much as 100 pages. If you cannot commit yourself to the time required for this reading preparation, this class is not for you.

3. Protocols: Early in the semester, I will circulate a sign-up sheet on which you will select a class period for which you will take special responsibility. On these days, you will be especially well prepared to answer questions about the readings and introduce topics for class discussion. At the beginning of the following class meeting, you will read a short (two page) summary of the previous class meeting. Your summary will be copied and distributed to the class to create an ongoing record of our progress.

4. Weekly response papers: Response papers are short (about 2 pages), informal reactions to the assigned material for a particular week. These papers are due PRIOR to the class at which we will discuss the material. Papers may be delivered to my box in the Social Sciences office prior to 5 p.m. on the Friday before the class, or (preferably) sent to me by email before 6 p.m. on Sunday before the class. The best ten response paper grades, out of fourteen possible, will count toward your final course grade (and you may choose to turn in the minimum of ten). Late response papers will not be graded. Since the purpose of the response papers is to prime class discussion, response papers will be counted only if you are present for the class in which the topic is discussed.

5. Midterm exam: The take-home midterm examination will consist of a set of questions from which you will choose five to answer in one-page typed responses. Class will be cancelled on Monday, Oct. 8th to allow time for the completion of midterms. Exams are due in the Social Sciences office by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, October 9th. Exams will lose one letter grade for each calendar day that they are late.

6. Final paper: Final papers will explore a specific independently-chosen topic or theme from the course in detail. My preference is for a paper that provides detailed explication of the treatment in Being and Time of a particular theme or topic, along with your critical response. No research beyond the texts used in class is required, although you are welcome to consult other sources as long as these are documented. The emphasis should be on careful, detailed explication of the text. Alternative paper topics (e.g., a comparison of Heidegger with another philosophical figure) must receive my approval. Final papers are due by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, 12/11. Late papers will lose one letter grade for each calendar day that they are late.

7. 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.

1. 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.

2. If you have a documented disability, please let me know as soon as possible so that appropriate accommodations can be made.

3. As listed above, my office hours are 2:00-3:30 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I will be spending these hours in my office for the sole purpose of being available for your questions. If these times are not convenient for you and there is something you need to discuss with me, please ask to make an appointment. 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	Topic	Heidegger	King
Week 1: 8/20	Introduction to Course
Week 2: 8/27	The Question of the Meaning of Being The Plan of Being and Time	BT xiii--35	King xiii--xx, 1--24
Week 3:  reschedule	The Task of a Preparatory Analysis of Da-sein	BT 37--48	King 25--49
Week 4: 9/10	Being-in-the-World	BT 49--58	King 51--70
Week 5: 9/17	The Worldliness of the World	BT 59--105	King 71--74
Week 6: 9/24	Being-with and Being a Self	BT 107--22	King 75--83
Week 7: 10/1	Being-in as such	BT 123--68	King 83--90
Week 8: 10/8	CLASS CANCELLED Midterms due: Tuesday, 10/9, 5 p.m.
Week 9: 10/15	Care as the Being of Da-sein	BT 169-96	King 91--100
Week 10: 10/22	Truth, Phenomenology; Introduction to Division II	BT 196--217	King 101--44
Week 11: 10/29	Being-a-whole and Being-toward-death	BT 219--46	King 145--162
Week 12: 11/5	Conscience and Authentic Resolution	BT 247--77	King 163--200
Week 13:  reschedule	Being-a-whole and Temporality as the Meaning of Care	BT 279--306	King 201--27
Week 14: 11/19	Temporality and Everydayness	BT 307--40	King 229--94
Week 15: 11/26	Temporality and Historicity	BT 341--69	King 295--326
Week 16: 12/3	The Origin of the Vulgar Conception of Time Concluding Discussion	BT 371--98	King 327--67
Tuesday, 12/11	Final Papers Due by 5 p.m.