Philosophy 680
Seminar on
Know How

 

 

 

Syllabus

and

Readings

   
 

Lexicon

 

Syllabus

Instructor: Dr. Charles Wallis  Office Phone: 985-5344
Office: MHB 908  
Wallis' Office Hours: T,TH 11am-12pm and by appointment

 

Books

Texts: 
The Concept of Mind
by Gilbert Ryle
Know How by Jason Stanley
Knowing How: Essays on Knowledge, Mind, and Action Edited by John Bengson and Mark A. Moffett

Selected Articles

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Reading and Writing Philosophy Papers Page
Theories of Knowledge Page

Readings and Other Assignments
 

 

WK 1 General Introduction to Course

Readings:

 

Gettier and Post-Gettier Lecture

 BonJour’s Coherentism Lecture

 

WK 2 Ryle's Original Theory And Arguments in The Concept of Mind
  Readings: The Concept of Mind: Introduction, Chapter 1, and Chapter 2

Doings: Labor day Monday 9/2 no class missed

 

 

Schedule of Discussion Leaders

 

 

WK 3 The Practical Knowledge Position

Readings:  Carr, Kenny Optional Readings: Carr2

 

 

 

WK 4 The Beginnings of the Current Intellectualism vs Anti-Intellectualism Debate

Readings: Stanley and Williamson; Alva Noë

       

 

 

WK 5 The Beginnings of the Current Intellectualism vs Anti-Intellectualism Debate

Readings: Bengson-Moffett

 

 

 

WK 6 Pluralism About Know How

Readings: Wallis

 

 

WK 7 Revisiting Ryle

Readings: Bengson-Moffett: Two Conceptions of Mind and Action

Doings:

 

 

 

 

WK 8 Revisiting Ryle
  Readings: Ryle's Legacy: Snowdon and Hornsby
Doings: Submit paper topic

 


  

WK 9 The Return of Practical Knowledge
Readings: Bengson-Moffett: Nonpropositional Intellectualism

 

 

 

WK 10 Stanley:  Know How
Readings: Chapters 1 & 2
Doings:

 

 

 

WK 11 Stanley:  Know How
Readings: Chapters 3 & 4

Doings: Submit initial bibliography

 

 

 

WK 12 Stanley:  Know How
  Readings: Chapters 5 & 6
Doings: Veteran's Day 11/11 No class Missed

 


  

WK 13 Stanley:  Know How
Readings: Readings: Chapters 7 & 8
Doings: Paper Fair Review Sheet
Fall Break + Thanksgiving Break No Class Missed 11/2712/1

 

 

 

WK 14 Stanley & Williamson on Skill
  Readings: S&W; Wallis
Doings: Distribute Drafts of papers to class


 

 

WK 15 Paper Fair Week
  Readings: Drafts of Group Papers
Doings: Paper Fair

 


Finals Week
Papers due: Tuesday, December 17 7:15PM - 9:15PM

 

Course Requirements

Course grades will be based upon the following:

 

Weekly Participation: This counts as 10% of your semester grade. You are expected to be actively engaged in discussion throughout the term. Your contributions should be productive, not distracting, hostile, off-topic, etc..  Regular participation is important not only for your own development as a philosopher, but also because your comments determine how much the other seminar participants will get out of the course.
 
10%
Two Turns at Leading Discussion: We will construct a schedule for this early in the semester. When leading discussion, you are responsible for covering approximately one “half” of our total class period (approx.. 75 minutes). Usually, this will be the first half, but we might need to assign some second halves, to make sure everyone gets two turns.  Each time you lead discussion will contribute 10% to your grade.
 
20%
Ten digests: These papers should be approximately 200-300 words (0ne double-spaced page). The digests are supposed to clearly and compactly explain an (i.e., one) argument or central claim from the week’s required reading in response to the reflection prompt. Your explanation should be given in your own words and you should employ quotes or close paraphrases only to anchor your discussion; i.e., you should not be simply re-stating the article itself. You should write with the expectation that your reader is an intelligent, curious individual unfamiliar with the material. Thus, you should not rely on jargon or technical terms that you do not clearly unpack for the reader. Instead, try to write a concise, self-contained, and well-structured exposition.  Critical comments are encouraged, so long as they are properly tied into your explanation; given the brevity of the digests, it is understood that critical comments cannot always be incorporated or fully developed. Digests are due before class, submitted through the Dropbox feature in the course’s Beachboard page.  Each digest is worth 4% of your semester grade.
 
40%
Term paper or comprehensive final exam: The term paper should be approximately 5000 words long and include thoughtful analysis of an issue we have covered during the semester; i.e., I am looking for more than a book report. This paper requires you to be argumentative — you will be expected to provide reasons for or against a particular position on the issue you write about. You are also expected to make use of secondary sources; the optional readings and the references sections of the readings are a good place to start. The term paper counts as 30% of your semester grade and must be submitted through the Dropbox feature in the course’s Beachboard page by 9:30pm on 12/17.

 

30%


 

Cheating and Plagiarism

The CSULB Policy on Cheating and Plagiarism will be followed strictly. (See 2016-17 Catalog) Students who have any questions or uncertainty whatsoever about this policy are responsible for meeting individually with the instructor to discuss the policy. All tests and papers are submitted to Turnitin for evaluation.  Students discovered cheating or plagiarizing on any exam, quiz, or other course element will be FAILED for the assignment and will be reported to the Office of Judicial Affairs for possible probation, suspension, or expulsion.
 

Withdrawals

I follow the university policy on withdrawals.  I have no disinclination towards signing withdrawal forms up until the last date allowed by the university policy.   

Disabilities

I am happy to accommodate any students with disabilities.  It is the student's responsibility to inform me of their disability and need for accommodation.  The office of Disabled Student Services (5-5061) serves as an information source and evaluates students’ needs.  DSS often proctors tests for students with disabilities.
 

Make-up exams

Make-up exams and late assignents will be permitted only for serious illness and mandatory University policies. A physicians' note will be required for illness. If you will need to take a make-up exam, you must send an e-mail no later than 9:00 a.m. the day of the exam. 
 

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