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The course examines the epidemiology of AIDS in the
United States, and in the students' hometowns. The readings introduce
students to the history, political science, and public health issues
of the disease. Students examine their perceptions about AIDS by
collecting and analyzing the demographic breakdown of the AIDS cases
in their hometowns. Correlative statistics are used to determine what
factor (race, income, educational attainment, etc.) correlates with
the incidences of AIDS. Lastly, the students develop public policy
statements for the prevention and treatment of AIDS in their
hometowns. Students will collect demographic data, and analyze the
data using an Excel spreadsheet. Will map data using geographic
software program and produce their final project as a web page.
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The primary object of this course is not to teach you the facts or
theories concerning the nature of self and identity. Instead the
object is to teach you how to think critically and analytically.
Therefore, if you read the assignments with the assumption that
memorizing names, dates and details will be sufficient, then you run
the risk of failing this course. This is not because names, dates and
details are irrelevant. For our purposes, they are important, but not
for their own sake. That is, you will have to know them for the sake
of thinking about the problems they raise. The real object of this
course is to help you take ideas seriously, to teach you how to
wrestle with concepts and arguments in ways that do not depend upon
simple facts or concerns about practicality. In other words, stating
facts or talking about what is ‘practical’ will not help you
answer any of the central questions in this course. Questions like,
‘What does it mean to be moral?’ or ‘What is true and right?’
cannot be resolved by offering detailed information or by appealing to
personal feelings. But if facts and feelings are not appropriate, then
how does one answer such questions? On what grounds can one claim to
know or to take a stand?
We will see that many of our inner conflicts about self, freedom,
and morality reflect a tension between thinking and feeling, as well
as between facts and values. For instance, why is there a conflict
between what we desire to do and what we think we ought to do? Isn’t
the strongest desire the one that in fact wins out and if so isn’t
it the one that ought win out. Why is there a tension between
our inclinations and our values? Which should be the authoritative in
shaping our choices, actions and identity? Why? Hopefully you find
these questions perplexing. The problems they raise are due in part to
the tension between thinking and feeling. It is a problem even
well-educated individuals find confusing. For instance, in response to
difficult questions we often hear people say, "I feel this
(solution, fact, proposition, theory, belief, etc.) is right because…"
Are thoughts really reducible to feelings? Are they the
same thing? If choice is simply a choice between feelings (or
inclinations) is it a choice at all?
Choices, feelings, beliefs and values are central to personal
identity, but at issue is a question of who or what is in charge when
shaping our identities? As we will see, these questions cannot be
separated from questions about the place of reason, faith,
individualism, community, truth, religion, freedom, knowledge,
morality, opinion, objectivity, subjectivity, morality and God.
These are the concerns raised in this course. |
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We’ll be discussing some
fundamental and interrelated questions about the possibility and
nature of human freedom, moral responsibility, and the justification
of punishment. This will be a way of addressing some enduring
concerns that are not only important philosophical issues, but also
have real, concrete bearing on our conceptions of and attitudes
towards ourselves and others. We will pay particular attention to the
arguments in support of different positions on each of these issues,
and the ways in which those arguments have implications for each of
the other issues.
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The focus of this course is the crisis of values in contemporary
American society. Using modes of analysis in philosophy and religion,
the course will investigate how the crisis has developed over time and
how it affects everyone in this society. Through discussion based on
selected texts, the course will seek a heightened awareness of the
issues and the depth of the crisis, and the decisions on values
required of everyone in this society. Discussion topics will include
the nature of ethics (Aristotle), the rise and values of the Liberal
Tradition (liberalism from John Locke), the primacy of the individual
(the Reformation Principle), Puritanism and the rise of capitalism,
class, gender, and race in America. |
