***Syllabus***

SCSU Fall 2017 Aug 28, 2017 - Dec 16, 2017 Professor Pettigrew, Office: EN D212, x26778
Office Hours: M 2-5pm, TR 2:00pm-3:00pm, and by appointment.

PHI 100 10N Introduction to Philosophy 

TR 11:00am - 12:15pm MO 10

Syllabus

My primary concern is with your academic achievement as part of our intellectual community at Southern Connecticut State University. In other words, I care about your learning and your success in our class as well as in your other classes and beyond. With this in mind, I have designed a syllabus and website, along with clarifications, scheduling, written assignments, reading guides, web links, draft introductions for papers, and other elements, to support your learning. I encourage you to study the course syllabus carefully. I am available in class and during my office hours to support your engagement of the reading assignments, films, web materials and other learning resources. I am available in class and during my office hours to support your accomplishment of the written assignments. Our course syllabus is designed to help you achieve academic success within the context of the learning objectives (See Appendix A: Discussion of Learning Goals). Once again, do not hesitate to ask questions, I am here to help you.

(Please note: I do not engage in email correspondence with students. All essential course information is outlined in the syllabus –which is distributed in class. If you wish, you can email me to explain why you will not be in class or why you were not in class (see my attendance policy). If you have a question about the readings or the class discussions that you did not have the chance to ask in class you can send that question to me in an email and I will then address your question in a subsequent class or during office hours.The content of the course is addressed during class time. "Office hours," are also an alternative for further discussion and clarification (but not a substitute for missed classes). All assignments are announced well in advance -- along with detailed instructions--of the due date. No written assignments are accepted via email.)

This course will meet requirements for the Liberal Education Program (LEP) Critical Thinking (CT) Requirement. This means there will be a focus on the Key Element #4 Learning Outcome for the LEP CT, namely, "Students will be able to write a well-reasoned and well-supported argumentative essay that draws upon reliable evidence."

As the syllabus indicates below, there will be three argumentative essays assigned during our course. The essays are due Tuesday September 26, Tuesday October 31, and, the day and time of the final exam (TBD). Each essay will have an equal value in the calculation of the final grade.



The Rubric for the assessment of CT Key Element #4 (D. Synthesis) involves the following main points:



1. A central claim is clearly communicated.

2. The essay is well structured and clearly communicates the logical relations between paragraphs and sections. The reader is guided through a chain of reasoning or progression of ideas.
3. The essay develops a persuasive argument.
4. The essay uses examples or evidence to support each point. In the case of our assignments, the examples or evidence will come from the required films and readings, and occasionally, if specified, from a particular website.

5. The essay is free or spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors.

6. The context for the discussion is developed appropriately and clearly articulated.

The course will also address Key Element 1 (A. Logical Argumentation), particularly through (2.) the identification of the components of an argument (premises/evidence and thesis/conclusion) and through (4.) discussion of inductive and especially analogical reasoning.



Embedded Competency Requirement: Our course will meet the LEP embedded competency requirement by addressing the competency of "Information Literacy." Information Literacy will be addressed in several ways. The inclusion of an array of research sources (books, witness literature, films, and websites) will model a comprehensive research strategy, support the critical evaluation of different kinds of sources, and support the incorporation of different sources into class discussions and written assignments.

Area of Knowledge Requirement: Our course will meet the Area of Knowledge Requirement by addressing "Global Awareness" as follows: 

Global Awareness: Key Elements
Area or Phenomenon Outside the United States – This course will look both at geographic areas [(Europe –Central and Southern), and Africa outside the United States as well as a phenomenon of international significance, namely the Holocaust and the Genocides that have occurred in Bosnia, and Rwanda.

Contemporary Implications - Gaining significant insight into contemporary world issues. The Holocaust and genocides in Bosnia and Rwanda all occurred within the recent past (1940-1995). The course will analyze elements common to all the genocides such that students will be able to analyze socio-cultural predictors of genocide in the contemporary world.

Non-U.S. Perspectives - Exploring non-American points of view and ways of life. –The course will engage non-US perspectives in at least two ways. First, the course will introduce students to an international perspective on genocide and crimes against humanity through International Humanitarian Law and international Courts. Second, the course will address "witness literature," exploring the suffering of the groups through the eyes of those targeted in the genocide, in their own words. In this way the course will introduce students to an array different cultures and their values.

Discussion of Values Requirement: Our course will meet the Values Requirement by addressing "Human Diversity," "Civic Engagement," and "Ethical Judgment"



The primary value to be discussed is that of "Human Diversity." Through the study of genocide in at least four different instances the students will be introduced to the different cultures of the targeted groups. Further, the readings, films, discussions and assignments will consider the extent to which the ethnic or cultural identity of the targeted group is constructed and distorted by the perpetrators of the genocide.



The course will discuss the value of "Civic Engagement." The importance of a well-informed citizenry will be highlighted by the extent to which ultranationalist politicians were able to manipulate populations by propagating myths of victimization in order to provoke fear and hatred. In other words, the uninformed populace is more likely to be duped by such propaganda. The consequences of not being an informed citizen will be brought into graphic relief. The course will address the importance and the potential of individuals to confront such political propaganda. The course will also consider the importance of International Humanitarian Law and International Criminal Tribunals in responding to the Holocaust and genocide. 



The course will discuss the value of "Ethical Judgment" by considering the ethical decision (character) made by those who resisted the Holocaust and genocide or who rescued the victims.


Our class will consider a number of the historical and contemporary aspects and concerns of "Philosophy." We will focus particularly on the ethical dimensions of philosophic thought as we consider a number of catastrophic events. The catastrophic events that we will consider include The Holocaust, as well as war and genocide in Bosnia and Rwanda. We will read examples of "witness literature" that address each of these catastrophic events. In addition, we will view and discuss a number of narrative films and documentaries about these events. We will focus primarily on several ethical theories, including Aristotle's virtue-based ethics, Kant's categorical imperative, and Levinas' discourse on our responsibility for the other. Our class discussions and written assignments will consider whether, and the extent to which, any ethical thought can be appropriately applied to such catastrophic events. Can the rationality of ethics, based as it is on theories and their internal logic, apply to events that seem to exceed any rationality? We will consider the extent to which the dehumanization of the other is related to, or leads to genocide. Further, our readings will consider the extent to which certain ethical theories as well as the witness literature may be capable of interrupting dehumanization and thereby interrupting genocide. It is important to note that we will be weaving the three sources (ethical theory, witness literature, and films) together in our class discussions and in our written assignments.

Our course will unfold in three phases.

PHASE ONE: August 29 - September 21, 2017. During the first phase of the course we will focus on the Holocaust. We will view the film "Varian's War" and read selections from Varian Fry's book Surrender on Demand. We will also read Aristotle's Ethics Book I Chapter vii and Book II chapters i – vi

. The phase one written assignment will be due September 26.

PHASE TWO: September 28- October 26, 2017. In the second phase of the course we will focus on the war and genocide in Bosnia 1992-1995. We will read selections from Elizabeth Neuffer's The Key to My Neighbor's House: Seeking Justice in Bosnia and Rwanda. We will view a feature film, "Welcome to Sarajevo," as well as a documentary "The Geography of Genocide in Bosnia: Redeeming the Earth" (US, 2011, 50 min.) We will also read Kant's Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals (Sections One and Two.).

 The phase two written assignment will be due October 31.

PHASE THREE: November 2 - December 7, 2017. In the third and final phase, we will focus on the genocide in Rwanda. We will read selections from Philip Gourevitch's We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda. We will also view the feature film "Hotel Rwanda." We will read selections from Emmanuel Levinas' Ethics and Infinity (Chps. 7 and 8).

 The phase three written assignment will be due on the day and time of the final exam: TBD

IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE-MENTIONED THREE PHASES OUR COURSE WILL INVOLVE THE SEMESTER-LONG READING AND DISCUSSION of W.G. Sebald's, Austerlitz, trans. Anthea Bell (New York: Modern Library, 2002). During our readings of the witness literature and our viewing of the films, we will be attentive to different modes of representing the Holocaust and the genocides in Bosnia and Rwanda. Sebald's novel will provide us with another remarkable model - narrative fiction- for our consideration. Many have suggested that there are challenges to writing about (or making films about) the Holocaust. They speak of the difficulty, even the impossibility, of representing the "unrepresentable," or the unimaginable nature of the loss and the suffering. Sebald's main character actually evokes this challenge of representing the unrepresentable as he speaks of the difficulty of remembering and writing about the past. At the same time, the main character provides remarkably detailed accounts of people, places, events and buildings, thus enacting a paradoxical relation between the impossibility of representing and painful event of that very representation. We will address these and other questions raised by the book periodically throughout the semester. 


Our reading and discussion of W.G. Sebald's Austerlitz
 throughout the semester will culminate in group presentations during our final exam period. Information about the group presentations will be provided on the first day that we discuss the book.

***The time-frame for each phase is flexible and subject to minor changes depending on such factors as the pace of our work and on the New England weather.



SPECIAL NOTE ON THE FINAL EXAM While we do not have a final exam, per university policy, we will hold a class during the time of the scheduled final exam. During this time students will make their group presentations regarding Sebald's Austerlitz.

Required Readings and Films for the Semester:

In the SCSU Bookstore for your purchase.

Sebald, W.G. Austerlitz. Translated by Anthea Bell. New York: Random House, 2001.

Readings Provided to you in photocopied form, i.e., you do not need to purchase them.

Aristotle, Ethics Book I, vii; Book II, i-iv; vi
Kant, Immanuel. Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals. Translated by Lewis White Beck. New York: Prentice Hall, 1989.
Levinas, Immanuel. Ethics and Infinity. Translated by Richard Cohen. Pennsylvania: Duquesne University Press, 1985. Chapters 7 and 8.

Varian Fry, Surrender on Demand. Boulder, CO: Johnson Books, 1997. "Foreword" and "Original Unpublished Foreword".
Varian Fry, New York Times article July 17, 1935.
Neuffer, Elizabeth. The Key to My Neighbor's House: Seeking Justice in Bosnia and Rwanda. New York: Picador, 2002.
Gourevitch, Philip. We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda. New York: Picador, 1998.

Films you need to obtain (i.e., from Buley Library Reserve, purchase etc.) and view on your own.

Varian’s War. DVD. Directed by Lionel Chetwynd. UK/USA/Canada, 2001.
Welcome to Sarajevo. DVD. Directed by Michael Winterbottom. 1997.
Hotel Rwanda. DVD. Directed by Terry George. 2004.

You will be responsible for viewing the feature films outside of class time, renting them from dvd/video outlets or purchasing the films. These films are also on reserve in our library. The films are integral to our class discussions and written assignments. Take notes when you view them. Do not wait until the last minute to try to find them.

You are always required to have the assigned readings ***with you in class***. We will undertake a close, detailed (line-by-line) reading and analysis of selected passages in class. This will be the work that is at the core of the educational experience of the class. Many of these passages that we will discuss and interpret will be essential in your written assignments.

Note: In addition to the above resources, I have developed a website to support your learning in the class. The website is entitled "Ethical Responses to Genocide" and the url is http://pettigrewd1.southernct.edu You will find a variety of bibliographic and web-based resources as well as images at the website on designated pages. All course information, including the syllabus, the written assignments, reading guides and other documents are posted on the website. Click on the above url and then click on my name located on the right of the screen. You will be directed to a page where you can click on information about our course.



***Readings in the Witness Literature: You are required to have the reading in class for discussion.***

PHASE ONE 



Required Readings: August 29, 31 and September 5, 2017:
Varian Fry, Surrender on Demand. Boulder, CO: Johnson Books, 1997. "Foreword" and "Original Unpublished Foreword".
Varian Fry, New York Times article July 17, 1935.


PHASE TWO

Required Readings:
Elizabeth Neuffer's The Key to My Neighbor's House: Seeking Justice in Bosnia and Rwanda,
October 5, 2017 Chapter 1;
October 10 and 12, 2017 Chapters 2, 6, and 9

PHASE THREE

Required Readings:
Philip Gourevitch: We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda,
November 2, 2017 Chapter 4,
November 7, 2017 Chapter 9; Chapter 10.

GRADES



Grades will be based on 1.) Written assignments; 2) the Group Presentation and on 3.) Punctuality and Attendance. Each assignment will be of equal value in the calculation of the final grade.

1.) Written Assignments. Our class will involve three written assignments (one assignment corresponding to each of the three phases). The assignments will be approximately 4-6 pages in length, typed, and double-spaced with standard scholarly reference to the text.You will receive detailed information about each assignment. Our written assignments will be attentive to the Rubric for the assessment of CT Key Element #4 (D. Synthesis, with particular attention to the thesis or claim, the premises of the argument, the provision of evidence/examples from the relevant text or source, the transitions between sections, and the conclusion. 



Each written assignment as well as the group presentation will be of equal value in the final calculation of your grade. Assignments must be completed by the announced due date. Any written assignment submitted past the stated deadline will receive a full grade deduction. Seven calendar days after the due date, the assignment will no longer be accepted. For example, if due on a Monday, the last day it would be accepted would be on the following Monday. No written assignments can be presented by email.

Students must cite their sources in their written assignments: extracting direct quotes or making indirect reference to a source both require references with page numbers. Quotes and indirect references for the written assignments must come from the assigned readings and films. No quotes or references from the internet will be permitted for written assignments unless specified in the assignment.

Nota bene: Plagiarism is prohibited (see Student Handbook for discussion of "Prohibited Conduct"). Plagiarism will result in a grade of "F" for the paper. If you have any questions about these requirements or restrictions do not hesitate to ask questions in class or during office hours.



2) Our reading and discussion of W.G. Sebald's Austerlitz
 throughout the semester will culminate in group presentations during our final exam period. The group presentations will be graded and the grade will have equal value with the written assignments in the calculation of the final grade.

3) From time to time your Professor may introduce additional assignments or activities designed to support your learning.

Attendance and Punctuality are Required. The learning culture of the class involves class dialogues and interactions that are indispensable to our engagement of the readings and the ideas they entail. One cannot miss the classes, for example, and then write a meaningful paper about the material.

***If you are more than 5 minutes late for any class, you will receive an L (Late). If you receive eight L's your grade will be reduced by a full letter grade. (Ten L's will reduce your grade by two full letter grades.) Please note: If you leave your notebook and readings at your desk and leave the class, and then return to class more than 5 minutes past the scheduled beginning of class, you will be marked Late (L).

*** If you are absent you will receive an "Abs" (Absent) designation. If you receive six "Abs" your grade will be reduced by a full letter grade. (Eight "Abs" will reduce your grade by two full letter grades.)

***If you leave class early (before the end of class) you will be marked absent. If you leave class during class and are absent for more than 5 minutes you will be marked absent for the class.

***You can lose points for being late, and for being absent. If you miss the last day of class (final exam) you will receive a grade of F for the final assignment.

***Since you are required to attend class, according to the pedagogical design of the syllabus established by the Professor, and for the sake of confidentiality, no medical excuses are necessary or relevant or will be considered.



POLICY ON CELL PHONES AND LAPTOPS: The use of cell phones is not permitted in the classroom. The use of laptop computers is not permitted in the classroom except in special circumstances with approval of the instructor.

The learning culture of the class involves class dialogues that are indispensable to our engagement of the readings and the ideas they entail. Such an inquiry-based approach requires your constant attention. Any electronic devices or forms of behavior that would distract you or other students from our inquiries are unacceptable.

Accommodations
            SCSU provides reasonable accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act for students with documented disabilities on an individualized basis. If you are a student with a documented disability, the University’s Disability Resource Center (DRC) can work with you to determine appropriate accommodations. Before you receive accommodations in this class, you will need to make an appointment with the DRC, located at EN C-105A. To discuss your approved accommodations with me or other concerns, such as medical emergencies or arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment to meet as soon as possible.

Speak with me right away about your approved accommodations or other concerns, such as medical emergencies or arrangements in case the building must be evacuated. My office location and hours are listed at the top of the syllabus.

Academic Misconduct
            Academic misconduct includes all forms of cheating and plagiarism. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to, providing or receiving assistance from another, in a manner not authorized by the instructor, in the creation of work to be submitted for academic evaluation (including papers, projects and examinations). Plagiarism is defined as presenting, as one's own, the ideas or words of another person, for academic evaluation, without proper acknowledgment. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to: (i) copying sentences, phrases, paragraphs, tables, figures, or data directly or in slightly modified form from a book, article, or other academic source without using quotation marks or giving proper acknowledgment to the original author or source; (ii) copying information from Internet Web sites and submitting it as one's own work; (iii) buying papers for the purpose of turning them in as one's own work; and (iv) selling or lending papers to another person for submission by that other person, for academic evaluation, as his or her own work.

Sexual Misconduct
Southern Connecticut State University is highly committed to providing you with an educational experience that is academically and socially enriching. In line with this mission, we enforce Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972, which prohibits acts of sexual misconduct (sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence and stalking) at educational institutions.  To report sexual misconduct students should contact University Police at (203) 392-5375 or 911, and/or Pamela Lassiter, Office of Diversity and Equity, at (203) 392-5491and/or Christopher Piscitelli, Office of Student Conduct, at (203) 392-6188.  For advocacy and further information including your Title IX rights and reporting procedures visit the Sexual Assault Resource Team (S.A.R.T.) website at www.southernct.edu/SART/. Please contact Catherine Christy, VPAS and S.A.R.T. Coordinator, at (203)392-6946 for assistance or with any questions regarding support and advocacy.

Further Discussion of Learning Goals: Philosophy Department Learning Outcomes



1. Careful, close textual reading of primary sources.

2. Critical thinking skills - skills of argumentation (as learned in Logic). Skills of written expression; ability to make adequate references to scholarly text; articulate expression and communication.
3. Introducing students to important traditions of thought (philosophical content).



4. Ability to relate course material to real life situations.
5. Encourage students to become aware of and to question unexamined assumptions and values.



Additional Learning Goal/Outcome
Critical Thinking: Drawing Analogies between the Holocaust as well as genocide in Bosnia and Rwanda.
Through our readings, films, discussions and written assignments, we will draw analogies between the Holocaust as well as the genocides in Bosnia and Rwanda. For example, we can consider the extent to which, in each case, political leaders manipulated dehumanizing stereotypes for political gain. Further, we can consider the extent to which the dehumanization of the victim led to a devaluation that led in turn to catastrophic violence against the victim. We will use the analogies as an aid to understanding the individual cases. By identifying a significant similarity between the Holocaust and the genocide in Bosnia, for example, we can speculate about strategies for preventing such dehumanizing rhetoric by political leaders. In other words, by recognizing an operative model in different cases we may find a basis for addressing the problem of genocide.

Our agreement concerning a shared commitment to classroom decorum and student success.

This agreement sets forth guidelines for our class that have been designed to support your academic achievement. The guidelines are provided for you because your Professor cares about your success in this class as well as in your other classes and other endeavors.  In addition, these expectations indicate our shared concern for the learning environment of the class, on the one hand, as well as your respect for your fellow students and for your Professor, on the other hand. In this context, we can insure that together we will foster an environment that is conducive to learning. Here are the guidelines:

1. No cell phones are allowed in the class. Please put them away before you enter the classroom and do not take them out during class.
2. No laptop computers are allowed in the classroom unless by prior arrangement with the Professor based on special conditions you may wish to explain.
3. Students are not permitted to sleep in class.
4. Students are not permitted to lie down on their desks during class, putting or resting their heads on their arms or directly on the desk.
5. Students are strongly discouraged from leaving class during the class. (If there is a medical reason or personal reason you need to leave class during class time please discuss this immediately with the Professor.)
6. Students are strongly discouraged from carrying on discussions with their neighbors during class (unless assigned as part of small group discussions).
7. Students are not permitted to work on assignments for other classes during our class.
8. Students must bring the assigned readings to class. We will undertake a close, detailed (line-by-line) reading and analysis of selected passages in class. This will be the work that is at the core of the educational experience of the class. Further, these passages that we will discuss and interpret will be essential in your written assignments.

In summary, the learning culture of our class involves class dialogues that are indispensable to our engagement of the readings and the ideas entailed therein. Our inquiry-based approach requires your constant attention and involvement. Any electronic devices or forms of behavior that would distract you or other students from our inquiries are unacceptable. These then are our guidelines and also my expectations. I look forward to participating with you in a mutually supportive and productive learning environment, an environment that will help you be successful within the context of the learning objectives of our course as well as your other courses.