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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "PH 260"
COURSE NAME: "Contemporary Philosophy"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2020
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Brunella Antomarini
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: TTH 3:00 PM 4:15 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS:
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course introduces students to current philosophical debates in a variety of areas, such as cognitive science, theories of knowledge, philosophy of language, continental philosophy, social science, and digital culture. Students will read and analyze a selection of fundamental contemporary texts, by figures such as Wittgenstein, Searle, Foucault, Lyotard, and Haraway, and develop a familiarity with the new philosophical tools and terminology that they introduce.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

CYBORG PHILOSOPHIES

 

This course exposes students to a range of philosophical currents in a variety of contemporary areas of study, such as: cognitive sciences, social science, philosophy of politics, through the perspective of the current philosophical inquiry in cybernetics. Each field will be examined by tracing it back to its historical development and elaborating its future orientations. After a brief introduction to the general argument, the first sessions start with reading and commenting of Kleist’s short story, The Puppet Theatre: is the machine in the organism or the organism in the machine? The next sessions delve into preliminary references concerning logic: how we draw logical conclusion from not knowing and creativity (Peirce’s abduction) and the deconstruction of the notion of the human (Nietzsche). We then enter the specific topic of cybernetics as a first attempt to answer cognitive activity as common to machines and living organisms. The basic description is drawn from the historical survey by Pierre De Latil, Thinking by Machine, 1957 and Katherine Hayles, How We Became Post-Human. Through Lynn Margulis we discuss the cybernetic of nature: how evolution may have an internal power of self-organization. Merlin Donald and Niklas Luhmann offer a sociological and anthropological view of humans ans interconnected entities or systems.

Evelyn Fox Keller’s Self-Organization, Self-Assembly, and the Inherent Activity of Matter casts light on another view of biological evolution. The last sessions are devoted to a new definition of knowledge through Donna Haraway (a Cyborg Manifesto), Kevin Kelly (Nine Laws of God), Ray Kurzweil (notion of singularity), Baird (material knowledge).

A film – probably Minority Report by Spielberg - will be screened and discussed. A journal kept by philosopher Francisco Varela about his liver transplant will be discussed.

 

Classes will consist of

 

  1. Introductory lectures about the following interconnected topics analysed by reading excerpts from books (in electronic or paper formats).
  2. Seminars on analysed topics, that is, in class discussions aimed at letting the students elaborate further and freely.

 

 

Required course materials/study visits and expected expenditure for the students.

All the materials can be found in the library on reserve for this course, or online. No book to buy.

 
LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of the semester, students will have a general information about ongoing arguments in philosophic environments, both in Europe and the United States. They will be able to master philosophical argumentative discussions about current issues concerning knowledge and science, with a view at political consequences.

 

 
TEXTBOOK:
NONE
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
final exam 40%
An oral mid-term exam  30%
A paper at home  15%
Attendance and participation  15%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY
You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until ____________
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
SCHEDULE

Jan 21

Intro: A paradigm shift in contemporary philosophy

23

Kleist: Puppet Theatre, human body as an automa

28

Peirce: human thinking as abductive (creative and pragmatic)

30

Peirce and AI: externalism/unknowability

Feb

Nietzsche and the over-human

4

Nietzsche: a cybernetic telos

6

History of cybernetics: Wiener and robot Elsie

11

De Latil: omni-pervasiveness of cybernetic processes

13

Pickering: epistemology and ontology of unknowability

18

Donald: cybernetics of society

20

Hayles: becoming post-human

25

Reading Hayles

27

Seminar (Haraway: cyborg manifesto)

March 3

Review

5

MID TERM EXAM PRESENTATIONS

9-13

SPRING BREAK

14

Lynn Margulis: cybernetics of nature

17

Luhmann: social systems

19

Reading Luhmann

24

Fox-Keller: a self-organized matter

26

Reading Fox Keller

31

Baird: things know

April 2

Baird: a cognitive paradigm shift

7

Seminar (choice from Kelly)

9

Seminar (choice from Kurzweil)

14

Kelly: Nine Laws of God

16

Film

21

Comment on film

23

Seminar (Varela’s journal)

28

Seminar (Beatniks’ Dream Machine; Gordon Pask’s conversation machines; Brian Eno’s music)

30

Review

May 4-8

FINAL EXAMINATION