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Philosophy 4952 Metaphysics 410-0600N M W 0132 LOCKETT Exam time: Saturday, May 9, 12:30-2:30 P.M.   Instructor: Jon Cogburn Instructor's Office: 105 Coates Instructor's Office Hours: M,W 2:00-3:00 Instructor's e-mail: joncogburn@yahoo.com   Course's Purpose: To learn and critically evaluate the main metaphysical theories from history of Western Philosophy. To apply these theories to thinking about the objects of religious discourse.   Reading: All of the course readings are from articles provided by the professor and the following. E.J. Lowe, A Survey of Metaphysics Andrew Moore and Michael Scott, Realism and Religion They are available at the LSU bookstore and reputable on-line booksellers (make sure they have them in stock before ordering from them).   Requirements: Participation Grade: Students are required to participate constructively in class discussion. Each student will be able to miss twoclass periods with no effect on the final grade. For each absence after that, one point is deducted from the final grade. Note that no distinction is made between excused or unexcused absences, since this is a participation grade, not an attendence grade.   2 Exams: 30% each There will be two of these in class. Exam help will be distributed one week before each exam.   Short papers: 20% Students will submit short (one to three page) essays on each of the nine readings from Realism and Religion, as well as the paper by the guest lecturer. The essays must make clear the overall conclusion of the reading assignment, explicate some significant argument within the assignment, and then raise an issue for that argument. These are to be turned in at the beginning of class the day in which the assingment is discussed. All must be stapled, double spaced, in 12 point Times or Times-New Roman font, have page numbers at the top right hand side, be such that there is no extra space between paragraphs, and have one inch margins. University of Chicago citational format must be followed (these are available free on line, e.g. here).   Final paper: 20% This is due in at the beginning of the exam time in the classroom. We'll discuss these in class. You must defend a limited thesis and make reference to contemporary literature in metaphysics (which can be found on web of science, J-Stor, and the Philosopher's Index- all accessible in the library and such that the reference librarians will help you with the search). Your paper should be around ten or so pages long. Same formatting and citational guidelines as above.   Plagiarism and Cheating The Dean of Students office defines plagiarism in this manner. Plagiarism-plagiarism is defined as the unacknowledged inclusion, in work submitted for credit, of someone else's words, ideas, or data. When a student submits work for credit that includes the words, ideas, or data of others, the source of this information must be acknowledged through complete, accurate, and specific footnote references, and, if verbatim statements are included, through quotation marks as well. Failure to identify any source, published or unpublished, copyrighted or uncopyrighted, from which information, terms, phrases, or concepts have been taken, constitutes plagiarism. Students should also take special note that failure to acknowledge study aids such as Cliff's Notes, encyclopedias, or other common reference books, also constitutes plagiarism. Only universally available facts, e.g., the date of Abraham Lincoln's death or Washington's birthdate, are excluded from such documentation requirements. By placing his or her name on work submitted for credit, the student certifies the originality of all work not otherwise identified by appropriate acknowledgments; Note: Cut and pasting off of web sites without proper citation constitutes plagiarism! For guidelines on how to cite material quoted from web pages, go to http://www.library.wwu.edu/ref/Refhome/chicago.html .   I will report any suspected instance of it to the Dean of Student's office. Anyone I suspect of cheating on in-class or at-home assignements will be reported to the Dean of Student's office. Tentative Schedule:   Note:  This schedule is only tentative.  Any changes will be announced in class, and then updated here on the site.   Week 1 Monday, Jan. 12    Wednesday, Jan. 14 ASoM, part I Week 2 Monday, Jan. 19 Martin Luther King holiday; no classes Wednesday, Jan. 21 ASoM, part I Week 3 Monday, Jan. 26 ASoM, part II Wednesday, Jan. 28 ASoM, part II Week 4 Monday, Feb. 2 ASoM, part III Wednesday, Feb. 4 ASoM, part III Week 5 Monday, Feb. 9 exam 1 Wednesday, Feb. 11 ASoM, part IV Week 6 Monday, Feb. 16 ASoM, part IV Wednesday, Feb. 18 ASoM, part V Week 7 Monday, Feb. 23 Mardi Gras holiday; no classes Wednesday, Feb. 25 Mardi Gras holiday; no classes Week 8 Midsemester examination period Monday, Mar. 2 ASoM, part V Wednesday, Mar. 4 ASoM, part VI Week 9 Monday, Mar. 9 ASoM, part VI Mar. 10 Midsemester grades due in Office of the University Registrar Wednesday, Mar. 11 exam 2 Week 10 Monday, Mar. 16 guest lecture (paper will be made available one week prior) Wednesday, Mar. 18 R & R, 1 Week 11 Monday, Mar. 23 R & R, 2  Wednesday, Mar. 25 R & R, 3 Week 12 Monday, Mar. 30 R & R, 4 Wednesday, Apr. 1 R & R, 5 Week 13 Monday, Apr. 6 Spring Break; no classes Wednesday, Apr. 8 Spring Break; no classes Week 14 Monday, Apr. 13 R & R, 6 Wednesday, Apr. 15 R & R, 7   Week 15 Monday, Apr. 20 R & R, 8 Wednesday, Apr. 22 R & R, 9 Week 16--Final Exam Period Exam time: Saturday, May 9, 12:30-2:30 P.M.