INTP 150.10: INTERPRETIVE PRACTICES: PHILOSOPHY AND FILM

Earlham College, Fall Semester 2009-2010
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10:00-10:50, Carpenter 315
Instructor: Ferit Güven
Office: Carpenter 328
Office Hours: By appointment
Office Phone: 983-1399 (voice mail)
e-mail: guvenfe@earlham.edu
web page: http://www.earlham.edu/~guvenfe/

Course Description: This course aims to introduce you to philosophical questions through films and novels. We will explore two sets of interrelated questions: First, how are philosophical problems depicted and dealt with in motion pictures? Are visual narratives effective ways of processing philosophical ideas? Second, how do philosophical questions help us to understand and interpret visual narratives? Does a familiarity with philosophical problems allow us to see various conceptual layers of visual narratives? In addition to reading several texts concerning philosophical problems we will discuss movies. The general concentration of this course will be the question of the self that emerges in modernity and its relationship to existence and ethics. We will also address other important philosophical themes such as justice, race, colonialism, and gender.

Required Texts: (available in the Earlham College bookstore)
Rene Descartes, Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy.
Immanuel Kant, Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals.
Milan Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being.
Alain de Botton, On Love.
In addition to these texts, there will be reading material placed on Moodle.

Course Requirement and Evaluation:
You are expected to write two 5-6 page papers: I will provide paper topics for each assignment. Your papers must be double-spaced and typed in 12 point font (There should be approximately 250-300 words per page).
In order to be fair to students who pass in their papers on time, late papers will be graded down one notch (e.g. B to B-) for each day late (including weekends). You are responsible for making copies of your essays.
Since you will be writing your papers on the texts we read in this course, there is no need to do additional research beyond these texts, that is, you do not need to use secondary sources. Plagiarism, [i.e., copying or paraphrasing the ideas and language of others (without acknowledging the source) from a book, from an article, from the Internet, etc., and thus implicitly presenting them as one's own] will not be tolerated. You will receive an F for that assignment, and may be subject to academic disciplinary action. For further clarifications on plagiarism, read The Student Handbook under "Procedures and Penalties for Academic Violations." Plagiarism can be deliberate or accidental. It is your responsibility to know what plagiarism is and avoid it. If you are not clear about plagiarism you should discuss it with me.
Each student will prepare 2-3 paged review of the film we view during the week. These reviews will be due every Friday. The aim of these assignments is to think explicitly about the connection between the movies we view and the texts we read. I will provide specific guidelines for this assignment. You also will fulfill a library assignment, where you have to find reviews of the movies we watch and discuss them. The library staff will help you with this assignment. There may be announced or unannounced quizzes either at the beginning or at the end of the sessions. There will be no make-ups for the quizzes.
There will be no final examination!
Your grade will be calculated according to the following distribution: Paper I: 20%, Paper II: 20%, Review Essays: 30%, Library Assignment: 10%, Quizzes: 10% Class Participation, and Attendance: 10%.

Participation and Attendance:
This is primarily a discussion/seminar course. The success of the course depends on your contribution. Participation is not equal to “just speaking” in class. Your remarks have to contribute to our understanding of the meaning, or of the implications, or of the importance of the text. In order to be an effective participant you need do the following:
In preparing for class: Complete the reading assignments for the day; Mark important passages in the text so that you can refer to them; Bring questions to class.
In discussion: Listen to what classmates say carefully so that you can rephrase their ideas; Challenge ideas that you think are incorrect; Demonstrate a thoughtful engagement with the texts; Take notes.
In speaking: Respond to the question under consideration; Connect your remarks to what others have said; Support what you say through textual evidence; Vary your style of participation, sometimes lead, sometimes hold back, sometimes push your ideas, sometimes help others to develop their ideas.

There are few official rules in this course. These are:
If you miss more than three classes you will lose 10% of your grade (i.e., your entire attendance grade).
If you miss more than six classes you will fail this course regardless of your grade.
You must bring your book to every class.
Our sessions will start at 10:00 am. Students are expected to come on time. Walking into (and out of) the classroom while the session is in progress is very disruptive for everybody. For every two late attendance (or early exit) you will be marked as absent for one class session.

Any student with a documented disability (e.g., physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the instructor and Disability Services Office (Academic Support Services) at the beginning of the semester. Accommodation arrangements must be made during the first-two weeks of the semester.

Calendar: There will be several modifications to this calendar. It is your responsibility to be aware of these changes. These changes will be announced in class. If you miss a class you should make sure that you are informed about the assignments for the next session.

Week 1:
August 26: Introduction to the course
August 28: Plato, "Allegory of Cave"

Week 2:
August 31: Descartes, Discourse on Method
September 2:
September 4:

Week 3:
September 7: Descartes, Meditations
September 9: 
September 11: 

Week 4:
September 14: Kant, Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals
September 16: 
September 18: 

Week 5:
September 21: Kant, Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals
September 23:
September 25:

Week 6:
September 28: Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being
September 30: 
October 2: 

Week 7:
October 5: Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being
October 7:
October 9:

Week 8:
October 12: Alain de Botton, On Love
October 14:
October 16: Semester Break

Week 9:
October 19: Alain de Botton, On Love
October 21:
October 23:

Week 10:
October 26: TBA
October 28:
October 30:

Week 11:
November 2: TBA
November 4:
November 6:

Week 12:
November 9: TBA
November 11:
November 13:

Week 13:
November 16: TBA
November 18:
November 20:

November 23-November 27:  Fall Break 

Week 14:
November 30: Review
December 2:
December 4: 

Week 15:
December 7: Evaluation
December 9:
December 11:

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