Concepts of the Person
Course Theme
Human Activity as Creativity Activity: Responsibility and Value
Objectives
The primary objective of this course is to enable the student to grapple with problems in the modern world by clarifying the nature of person and the person’s place in the world. We will do this by considering human activity as creative activity, and the role of value in our lives, and the task of transforming history.
This course will work toward this fundamental course objective through a set of secondary course objectives: (1) to introduce students to serious reflection upon their conduct and their lives with others, (2) to develop critical and analytical abilities to grasp more clearly the philosophical and moral life, and (3) to promote more ethical and responsible lives through an investigation of moral thinking and living through assigned readings, and three assigned papers.
Course Description
Philosophy does not want to take existence for granted, but wants to inquire, critically, into its very meaning. This course will examine what it means to be a person, collectively and individually, in relation to those beings around us. To do this, we will focus on the human nature, freedom, value, responsibility, and the current climate crisis as a human crisis.
Course Requirements
The student is responsible for a careful and critical study of the three required texts. After each reading, the student will submit a class paper corresponding to that book. Each paper should be approximately 6-8 pages in length, double-spaced. Course assignments are to be submitted by the student from their own email account. This means that each student is responsible for the submitted work, and that the work is the student’s own. At the end of each assignment, the students will write “I affirm that I have adhered to Stony Brook’s Academic Integrity Policy on this assignment,” and the students will sign their name. (Type-written names will count as signatures.) No paper will be accepted without both this statement and the signature.
Any and all cases of plagiarism will be forwarded to the Academic Judiciary Office.
Please note: It is not possible “to redo” writing assignments or papers. There will be no exams.
If you have any condition, such as a physical or mental disability that will make it difficult for you to carry out the work as I have outlined it, please contact the Student Accessibility Support Center and notify me in the first two weeks of the course so that we may make appropriate arrangements.
Evaluation
The student will be evaluated primarily upon the basis of the individual paper assignments. The evaluations of the writing assignments will be determined by the student’s ability to select the important texts that represent a main thought of the reading material and to explain the material in a creative and thoughtful exposition. It will also be based upon the student’s ability to understand the reading material, to present the material in an articulate, coherent essay (free of semantic and typographical errors), to state and develop a thesis or a point of view, and to appropriate the reading material in a critical and creative manner.
The grading is based on individual merit, not on a collective curve.
“A” indicates that the work is “excellent” or “impressive.” The student evaluates the reading material through textual explication, has a clear theme and thesis, has a well-structured exposition, shows strong evidence of critical, creative thinking, and is able to sustain the development of insights in a personal manner.
“B” indicates that the work is very good. The student evaluates the reading material through textual explication, has a clear theme and thesis, has a well-structured exposition, but does not fully develop the material or insights in a creative, personal, or systematic manner.
“C” indicates that the work is good. The student exhibits a basic understanding of the reading material and can expound upon it in an intelligible, fairly systematic manner.
“D” indicates that the work is disappointing. The student does not grasp the main point of the reading material, and does not expound upon it; the writing is scattered, and the student is not able to follow the main lines of thought in the text.
“F” indicates that the work is unacceptable. The student does complete the assignments, and if he or she does, the student does not write in coherent sentences, completely misses the main points of the text, and does not show an adequate grasp of the reading material.
Required Book List
- Marx, Karl. Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844 and the Communist Manifesto. Trans. Martin Milligan. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 1988. ISBN: 0-87975-446-x
- Scheler, Max. Ressentiment. Milwaukee, WI: Marquette University Press, 2003. New Edition.
- Wallace-Wells, David, The Uninhabitable Earth: Life after Warming. New York: Tim Duggan Books, 2019.
Email Etiquette
I will try to respond to your emails within 24 hours during the week days. When composing emails, please use the proper salutation (Dear Professor …,; Dear Ms./Mr. …,), the proper closing (Sincerely, Thank you, etc.), and without using text-abbreviations. Please make sure to identify the class for which you are enrolled or is at issue. Finally, please include a subject matter in the subject line.
Tentative Schedule
| January 28-30 | Introduction to Course |
| February 4-6 | Marx, Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844 |
| February 11-13 | Marx, Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844 |
| February 18-20 | Marx, Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844 |
| February 25-27 | Marx, Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844 |
| March 3-5 | Marx, Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844 |
First paper due: March 6
March 10-12 Scheler, Ressentiment
***March 16- March 22 Spring Break***
March 24-26 Scheler, Ressentiment
March 31-April 2 Scheler, Ressentiment
April 7-9 Scheler, Ressentiment
April 14-16 Scheler, Ressentiment
Second paper due: April 17
| April 21-23 | Wallace-Wells, The Uninhabitable Earth | |
| April 28-30 | Wallace-Wells, The Uninhabitable Earth | |
| May 5-7 | Wallace-Wells, The Uninhabitable Earth |
Final Paper due: May 12
SORRY, NO INCOMPLETES
