Teaching Dossier

*CompletefileofUAevaluationsavailableathttp://dl.dropbox.com/u/6812910/hortonbamaevalscomplete.pdf

Michael B. Horton 2303 22nd ST Northport, AL 35476 [email protected] 859-312-4975 www.bama.ua.edu/~mbhorton1

Teaching Dossier

Table of Contents

Table of Contents .........................................................................................................................1 Statement of Teaching Philosophy...............................................................................................2 Sample Syllabi ..............................................................................................................................3

PHL 260: Mind and Nature .............................................................................................3 PHL 390: Special Topics: Truth ....................................................................................10 PHL 409: Philosophy of Language (Independent Study) ...............................................15

Student Opinion of Instruction Reports* ...................................................................................19 PHL 100 Intro to Philosophy (Spring 2013)...................................................................19 PHL 260 Mind & Nature (Fall 2012) .............................................................................24

Statement of Teaching Philosophy

Michael Horton

A good education in philosophy provides students with strong critical thinking skills. Thinking

clearly, in turn, provides a fundamental building block upon which can be built the virtues of

engaged citizenship. Every course I teach is informed by this idea and it is an idea that helps me push

philosophy beyond the confines of what students may see as the ivory tower of academia. Philosophy

is not only about tackling some of the biggest issues, but it is also an active and ongoing enterprise

with connections to our day-to-day deliberations.

I typically begin class by asking a general, “What did you think about the reading, today?” I’ll push

them to be specific, “Why do you think that?” Then I’ll go to another person: “Do you agree? Why?” I

make notes on the board for things to make sure to include while I’m lecturing. This fluid, inclusive

style works best in an environment conducive to friendly discussion. Excitement also helps. I want my

students to want to participate and my students can feel that about me. On my evaluations, for

instance, I recently received the following: “Very effective teacher. Really makes you think and does

an excellent job involving the entire class,” “Passionate, knowledgeable, excellent communicator.

One of the best teachers I’ve had at UA so far,” or, one of my favorites, “There was never a dull day. He

is very energetic and makes the materials easier for the students to comprehend. I can say that the

things I have learned from his class are things I can apply to my life.”

To help me involve as many students as I can, while not being punitive about lack of involvement, I

developed a unique attendance/participation policy. If a student does not get called on, her grade

for the day is 8/10. Students who get called on or who volunteer, however, can improve that score.

Rarely do students do worse than that. In a large student body not everyone will be motivated to get

involved in the same way, and this lets them do it at their own pace. In over a year of implementing this

policy, I have found that it provides just the right amount of incentive. The one caveat, predictably, is

that minority students can feel swamped by the numbers (The University of Alabama is 12%

African-American, 3% Hispanic-American, and 2% Asian-American). I built a small random element

into the policy to give me an opportunity to hear from everyone at some time in a way that makes

them feel comfortable. Philosophy need not be for the few. It can offer something of value to everyone.

I have found, at the community college level as well as the university level, that the right amount of

encouragement goes a long way toward that.

I teach a large number of students per semester. My means of assessment are mixed to accommodate

this. Exams are typically multiple choice questions that test their knowledge of key terms and ideas,

but also require them to apply important concepts in novel ways. Homework assignments, on the

other hand, call for a unique written response and are assigned via Blackboard Learn. Providing

personal, confidential feedback on the form and content of their responses, while time consuming, is

just too valuable a tool not to be done several times throughout the semester.

Each course shell constructed in Blackboard Learn also includes everything from syllabi and

recommended readings (even sometimes readings for fun), to homework assignments and discussion

forums. I appreciate the flexibility of being able to involve students on their own time for some things.

Asking a question in Blackboard Learn can remove the “gotcha” feeling and let students develop and

work out answers collegially.

Each class I teach is an opportunity to involve students in an activity I love. Not everyone will come to

love philosophy as I have, but everyone can benefit from what a good philosophy class can offer.

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Instructor:Dr.MichaelHorton Office:328tenHoorHall DepartmentPhone:205‐348‐5942 OfficePhone:205‐348‐2709 OfficeHours:MWF10am–10:50amANDbyappointment E‐mail:[email protected]:http://bama.ua.edu/~mbhorton1

SyllabusPHL260001‐48169:MindandNature

Fall2013

MeetingTimeandLocation:MWF9am–9:50am,tenHoor347Incaseofemergency… …UAwillpostannouncementsviawww.ua.edu …theCollegeofArtsandScienceswillpostannouncementsvia

www.as.ua.edu…theinstructorwillpostannouncementsandsendemailviaBlackboardLearn

CourseDescriptionThiscourseintroducesstudentstothephilosophyofmindandthephilosophyofknowledgebyconsideringtherelationshipbetweenthemindandthenaturalworld.WebeginwithPlatoandDescartes,whowillintroduceustoourkeytopics,epistemologyandthephilosophyofmind.Theywillpressustoconsiderwhetherthemindispartofthenaturalworldatallandtowonderwhatittakesforthemindtoknowanythingaboutthenaturalworld.Then,weturntocontemporaryattemptstodeterminewhetherthemindissomethingnaturalorsomethingsupernatural.Wewillalsoreadcontemporaryphilosophicalapproachestothetraditionalproblemsofunderstandingourknowledgeoftheexternalworld.

RequiredTexts: PDFswillbemadeavailableviaBlackboardLearnofthetextslistedontheTentativeSchedule(below).Descartes,Rene.MeditationsonFirstPhilosophy.TranslatedbyJonathanBennett.http://www.earlymoderntexts.com/de.html

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Grading:Yourgradewillbeafunctionofgradesforhomework,participation,exams(three)andanissueanalysisassignment.Thebreakdownisasfollows: Homework–10%

Participation–15% TermPaper–20% Exam#1–15%

Exam#2–20% Exam#3–20%Plus/minusgradedetermination:

97‐100=A+87‐89=B+77‐79=C+67‐69=D+<60=F93‐96=A83‐86=B73‐76=C63‐66=D90‐92=A‐80‐82=B‐70‐72=C‐60‐62=D‐

Homework:Therewillbeapproximatelyfive(5)homeworkassignmentsinthiscourse.Eachwillbegradedforcompletenessandaccuracy.Instructionsforthcoming.YourHomeworkgradeistheaverageofyourgradesforthefivehomeworkassignments.ThesewillbesubmittedonlineviaBlackboardLearn.TermPaper:Atermpaperwillbeassignedwithinstructionsforthcoming.Youcanexpecttocompleteademandingassignmentinapproximatelyfourtosix(4–6)pageswithanaccompanyingworkscitedpage.ThepaperwillbesubmittedviaBlackboardLearn.Assessment:Examswillconsistofmultiplechoicequestionsand/orshortanswer/essayquestions.Multiplechoicequestionscharacteristicallytestyourknowledgeofkeytermsandideas,butmayalsorequireyoutoapplykeyconceptsinnovelways.Shortanswer/essayquestionstestyourabilitytoexplaininyourownwordskeypositionsandarguments,andtheyrequireyoutodemonstrateadeeperunderstandingofthematerialwearecoveringinclass.Chiefamongthevirtuesofagoodanswerareaccuracy,clarity,rigoranddepth.Make‐UpWorkPolicy:Allworkshouldbecompletedontime.Ifthereissomegoodreasonwhyhomeworkneedstobelateoranexamneedstoberescheduled,pleasespeakwithmeinadvance.Speakingwithmeafterthefactsignificantlyraisesyourburdenofproof.Mystandarddeductionforlate(non‐exam)workisonelettergradeper24hourperiodlateuptofourdayslate,afterwhichassignmentisawardedazero.Thelastscheduleddayofclassesisafinalcut‐offbeyondwhichlateworkisnotaccepted.Ifanexamorhomeworkassignmentismissedwithoutpriorarrangement,

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thenanofficialuniversityexcuseordoctor’snotespecificallyaddressingthenecessityofmissingthatexamorhomeworkassignmentmustbeprovided.Theexamwillbeautomaticallyrescheduledforthedayimmediatelyfollowingtheperiodexcused.Homeworkwillautomaticallybedueuponreturnaswell.Forinstance,ifanexamisscheduledfor6/2andyourexcusecoversonly6/2,thentheexamwillbeautomaticallyscheduledfor6/3atatimetobearranged.Ifyourexcusecovers6/2and6/3,thentheexamwillbeon6/4.Andsoon.DropPolicy:AfterOctober30th,studentsmusthavetheDean’sapprovaltodropthiscourse.Ifaskedforagradedetermination,theinstructorwillcalculatethepercentageofpointsearnedtodate;examinationsnottakenandhomeworknotturnedinforwhateverreasonwillbeaveragedaszero.Pleasespeakwithmeinadvanceofdropping.I’malwayswillingtodiscussyourcurrentgrade,prospectsinthecourse,andhowbesttoproceed.Participation(andattendance):Policy:(A)Eachnon‐examdayhasaparticipationtotalpossibleof10points.Rollwillbetakeneachday.(B)Foreachnon‐examday,studentsattendingarerequiredtobepreparedtodiscussthereadingandhaveawellthoughtoutquestionorcommentonthereadingreadytogo.Studentswillbecalledonatrandomtoparticipateinclass,butmayalsoandareencouragedvoluntarilytoparticipate.Iguaranteethatatleast13%ofthetotalnumberofenrolledstudentswillbecalledonatrandomonanygivenday.Anystudentcalledonwhoisnotpreparedwilllosethatday'sparticipationpoints.Anystudentnotcalledonwhosignedtherollwillreceive8outof10points.Anystudentcalledonorwhovolunteerswillreceive9pointsforhavingabasicquestionorcommentready.Anystudentcalledorwhovolunteerswillreceive10pointsforhavingagoodquestionorcommentready.Studentsmayvolunteermorethanonce,butmayearnnomorethan10pointsforanygivenday.(C)Foranynon‐examdaymissed,studentistocompleteashort(approximately175word)summaryofthatday’sreadingassignmentthatistoincludetheauthor'smainpoint,reasonsofferedinitsfavor,andaquestionthatthatstudentwouldhavewantedansweredinclass.Ifconsecutivedaysaremissed,thenthestudentmustturninonesummaryforeachmissedday'sassignment.Thesummary(summaries)is(are)duetheclassdaythatheorshereturnstoclass.Summarieswillbegradedandparticipationpointsawardedonthemeritofeachsummary.Latesummariesareawardedagradeofzero.Completingthesummariesisanecessaryconditionforreceivinganoverallparticipationgrade(i.e.,theymustallbeturnedin).(D)Participationgradeforthecoursewillbethepercentageofpointsearned(=pointsearned/pointspossible*100).CheatingandPlagiarism:Evenifyourbehaviorisaccidentalorunintentional,itcanstillconstituteaviolationoftheUniversity’spolicies.Example:thecuttingandpastingofanymaterialintoanyassignmentischeating,whetherthematerialisoneofmywrittenlectures,isanonlinesource,isanotherclassmate’swork,orevenisyourownworkfromapreviousclass.Quizzesandexamsaretobetakenwithoutnotesorbooksopen.So,rollyoursleevesup,brewsomecoffee,anddoyourownwork.Itwillpayoff.[Have

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anyintentionsoftakingtheGRE,LSATorMCAT?You’llbegladyoudidtheworkinthiscourse.]CodeofAcademicMisconduct:

AllstudentsinattendanceattheUniversityofAlabamaareexpectedtobehonorableandtoobservestandardsofconductappropriatetoacommunityofscholars.TheUniversityexpectsfromitsstudentsahigherstandardofconductthantheminimumrequiredtoavoiddiscipline.Academicmisconductincludesallactsofdishonestyinanyacademicallyrelatedmatterandanyknowingorintentionalhelporattempttohelp,orconspiracytohelp,anotherstudent.

TheAcademicMisconductDisciplinaryPolicywillbefollowedintheeventofacademicmisconduct.

Note:Withoutexception,thepenaltyforacademicmisconduct(i.e.cheating)hasincludedagradeofF.

ClassroomExpectations:Ifullyexpectthateachofyouwilltreateachotherwithrespect.Abuseandotherinappropriatebehaviorwillnotbetolerated.Iintendfortheclassroomtobeaplacewherewecancometogethertolearnandtoimplementlogicaltechniquesonavarietyofissues—someofthemcontroversial.Philosophyishardandifwehaditallfiguredoutthenwewouldn’tbehere.Genuinecriticism,whatsomecall“constructive”criticism,isfine.Mean‐spiritedcriticismisnotfine.SeetheCodeofConductforaspecificationoftheUniversity’spoliciesinthisregardNoteontheReading:Iaskthatyoudoyourbest.Yourbestwouldincludegoingoverdifficultmaterialmorethanonce,makingnotesofthemesorideasorargumentsyouwanttounderstandbetterandaskingquestionsinclass.Icannotstressthislastoneenough.One’sunderstandingofmaterialincreaseswiththetimespentdiscussingitandthereisnobetteropportunitythanapeer‐to‐peerforuminwhichtotryoutwhatyou’velearned.

Disabilityaccess:

StudentswithdisabilitiesshouldregisterwiththeOfficeofDisabilityServices,348‐4285.Theyshouldthenprovidetheinstructorwithappropriatedocumentationandwrittenrequestsregardingspecialaccommodations.Studentswhowishtodiscusssuchaccommodationsareinvitedtoscheduleappointmentsduringtheinstructor'sofficehours.

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Non‐DiscriminationPolicy: TheUniversityofAlabamaiscommittedtoprovidinganinclusiveenvironmentthatisfreefromharassmentordiscriminationbasedonrace,geneticinformation,color,religion,ethnicity,nationalorigin,sex,sexualorientation,genderexpression,age,ability,orveteranstatus.TheUniversityofAlabamaprohibitsanyverbalorphysicalconductthatthreatensorendangersthehealthorsafetyofanyindividualorgroup,includingphysicalabuse,verbalabuse,threats,stalking,intimidation,harassment,sexualmisconduct,coercion,and/orothercommunicationorconductthatcreatesahostilelivingorlearningenvironment.

TentativeCourseSchedule

Note:Theinstructorreservestherighttoalterthisastheprogressoftheclassdemands.Eachofyouwillbenotifiedinwritingshouldsuchachangeberequired.

Topic Month DatesandReading Assignments/Exams August 21,23–Week1–

Introduction,Plato’sTheaetetus

Mind August 26,28,30–Week2–Meditations1and2

Homework#1Due8/30

Mind September 4,6–Week3–Meditations2and3

Reminder:Off2ndforLaborDay

Mind September 9,11,13–Week4–Meditations4and5

Homework#2Due9/13

Mind September 16,18,20–Week5–Meditation6,Exam#1

Sept.20th=Exam1

Mind September 23,25,27–Week6–Ryle’sTheConceptofMind,andLewis“An

Homework#3Due9/27

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ArgumentfortheIdentityTheory”

Mind October 9/30,10/2,4–Week7–Jackson“EpiphenomenalQualia”andPaulChurchland“Reduction,Qualia,andtheDirectIntrospectionofBrainStates”

Mind October 7,9,11–Week8–Jackson,“WhatMaryDidn’tKnow,”andPaulChurchland,“EliminativeMaterialismandthePropositionalAttitudes”

October 14,16,18–Lewis,“MadPainandMartianPain”andTBD

Epistemology October 21,23,25–Week10–Gettier,“IsJustifiedTrueBeliefKnowledge?”andGoldman“WhatisJustifiedBelief?”Exam#2

Oct25th=Exam2

Epistemology October/November 28,30–Week11–Zagzebski,“WhatisKnowledge?”andChisholm’sTheProblemoftheCriterion

FallBreakis10/31&1/1.Homework#4Due10/30

Epistemology November 4,6,8–Week12–Bonjour’sTheStructureofEmpiricalKnowledgeandKlein’s“FoundationalismandtheInfiniteRegressof

Homework#5Due11/8

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Reasons”Epistemology November 11,13,15–Week13

–Sosa,“ReliabilismandIntellectualVirtue”andAlston,“InternalismandExternalisminEpistemology”

TermPaperDue11/15

Epistemology November 18,20,22–Week14–Moore,“ProofoftheExternalWorld”andStine,“Skepticism,RelevantAlternatives,andDeductiveClosure”

Epistemology November 25–Week15–Lynch,“TheValuesofTruthandtheTruthofValues”

Thanksgiving=11/27,11/29

Epistemology December 2,4,6–Week16–ChoiceofClass

FinalExam:Monday,December9th8:00am–10:30am

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Michael Horton Office: 124 HUMB (251) 460-6248 Office Hours: TR 11-12:15 and by appointment Class Meets Tuesday/Thursday 12:30-1:45pm e-mail: [email protected] Location: HUMB 136 website: www.usouthal.edu/philosophy/horton

Spring 2010 Tentative Syllabus PHL 390-103 Special Topics: Truth

This class will focus on the primary issues relating to truth, namely, the nature of truth and the nature of bearers of truth, as well as theories of truth according to which truth has no nature. Principle among classical theories of truth are the correspondence theory, the coherence theory, and the pragmatist theories of truth. To take just one specific version, classical correspondence theorists claim that truth is a relational property holding between a proposition (what is expressed by a declarative sentence) and a fact. For instance, the proposition that snow is white is true because it corresponds to the fact that snow is white. If it weren’t a fact that snow was white then it wouldn’t be true that snow was white. On a view like this it is propositions that bear truth or stand in the proper relation to facts. But this is just one among a myriad of possible views concerning truth. In this class we will begin by examining classical discussions of truth, including Aristotle, Aquinas and Locke. From there we will leap to 20th and 21st century attempts to grapple with these problems, including such thinkers as Russell, Tarski, Strawson and Austin, among others. Our aim will be to articulate the principle theories of truth and the primary motivations for them, as well as their shortcomings. To help show the importance of the truth debate, we will along the way take brief forays into other areas of philosophy, such as the philosophy of language and epistemology, tracing implications for theories of language and of knowledge for particular views of truth. Initially, for each week we will focus on one author. The first day of a reading will be spent coming to understand and appreciate the view. The second day will be spent tracing connections between it and what we’ve read previously. By ‘connections’ I mean to include implications and influences. These days will be spent trying to weigh that week’s view against its principle rivals in a critical but constructive manner. Texts: All readings will be made available as PDFs via the class website. Course Goals: As you may already know, philosophers seldom seem to agree on much of

anything. Therefore, I would misrepresent the field of philosophy if I presented the issues as if they had a closed and well-demarcated set of answers—they do not. But I would also misrepresent the field of philosophy (most of it, anyway) if I presented the material as if there were no correct answers—there are. Yes, some of the issues are more controversial than others. It may even be the case that some of you have long-formed (and well-formed) opinions on some of the topics discussed. Nevertheless, we will work hard to identify the arguments and evidence in support of various positions and take pains to evaluate the positions accordingly. By the end of this course you will be a competent

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arguer and critic; you will be able to articulate the main theses of the positions under discussion and identify how their adherents support them; also, you will be able to locate weaknesses and put forward suggestions for improving these positions. By the end of this course you will be able to think philosophically about the nature of truth.

Exit Competencies Specific competencies to be developed include but are not limited to the abilities (1) to demonstrate an awareness of the methodologies employed by the philosophic community, (2) to understand and appreciate the different theories under discussion (3) to subject these to critical scrutiny, to understand and criticize the various arguments that can be used to defend and attack the theories under discussion, and (4) to develop one’s critical thinking skills.

General Education Competencies

1. Writing: To communicate effectively using standard written English. Students will fulfill this requirement by writing several short papers and one term paper.

2. Reading: To analyze, summarize, and interpret a variety of reading material. Student will fulfill this requirement by reading the assignments and actively participating in class discussion.

3. Integrated Learning: To think critically and make connections in learning across the disciplines. Students will fulfill this requirement by examining the theoretical applications of the philosophic discipline to the broader academic community.

4. Creative Thinking: Student will fulfill this competency by attempting to assimilate the materials in new and unique ways in their papers and by giving original criticisms of the works under consideration.

Course Requirements: You are required to do the reading every day and to be prepared to discuss, and actually to discuss, the reading every class day. To this end you are required to attend class everyday. Excused absences, see Make-Up Work Policy (below), do not count against you. It is your responsibility to read and study the articles to be discussed on a given day ahead of time so that you can absorb their content and bring questions to class. Discussing ideas with other human beings is one of the best ways to further your understanding of an issue. Further requirements are indicated in Grading (immediately below).

Grading: Your grade will be a function of grades for participation (which includes in-class exercises), two exams (a midterm and a final), one-pagers and a term paper. The breakdown is as follows: Participation – 10% (grade assigned will be an average of two grades: attendance grade and a participation grade) One-pagers (5 of them) – 20% of the averaged grades (Instructions Forthcoming) Exam #1 – 20% - In class short-answer and essay exam Exam #2 – 25% - Take Home, Cumulative, short answer and essay exam Term Paper Outline – 5% Term Paper Draft – 5% Term Paper (8-10 pages) – 15% (Instructions Forthcoming)

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Grades will be assigned using the following scale:

A 100-90, B 89.99-80, C 79.99-70, D 69.99-60, F 59.99-0

Attendance Grade: Your attendance grade automatically begins at 90. Unexcused absences affect it in the following way:

If 0-1 absences then +10 pts If 2-3 absences then +5 pts If 4 absences then no adjustment And minus 5 points per absence over 4.

Make-Up Work Policy: Late work will be deducted one letter grade per 24 hour period it is late unless prior arrangements have been made. An e-mail or phone call will usually suffice if an unforeseen circumstance prevents you from having it in on time.

Cheating and Plagiarism: Please familiarize yourselves with the Code of Student Conduct to be found in the Lowdown and online at http://www.southalabama.edu/lowdown/usapolicies.pdf. Cheating and plagiarism are violations of this policy. Any suspected case of plagiarism or cheating will be taken very seriously.

Additionally, please familiarize yourself with the due process procedure also found in the Lowdown. If you have any specific questions about what constitutes plagiarism or cheating do not hesitate to ask me. Even if your behavior is accidental or unintentional, it can still constitute a violation of the University’s policies.

Required Materials: For the midterm exam you are required to bring a Blue Book. These may be purchased for a nominal fee from USA’s Campus Book Store and possibly from other similar locations. No exception will be made. Any exam not completed in a clean, complete, Blue Book is automatically docked two letter grades.

Classroom Expectations: I fully expect that each of you will treat each other with respect. I intend to foster an atmosphere in which each of us can put forward ideas to be evaluated in an intelligent, thoughtful way. This class will be too much fun for abuse and it will not be tolerated. If you engage in this kind of behavior you will be asked to leave.

Note on the Reading: The reading for this course is difficult. Adding to this is the fact that I have scheduled us to read quite a bit over the course of the semester. Due to the fact that a grounding in elementary logic is not required, I will introduce what logical resources we need as the reading requires.

What I ask is that you do your best. Your best would include going over difficult passages more than once, making notes of themes or ideas or arguments you want to understand better and asking questions in class. I cannot stress this last one enough. One’s understanding of material increases with the time spent discussing it and there is no better time than in class to try out a view you’ve been pondering over or pose an objection to a view we’ve discussed.

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Tentative Course Schedule

(Readings available as PDFs on class website) January 12- Course Introduction January 14 – Michael Lynch’s “Who Cares About the Truth?” January 19 – Richard Kirkham’s Theories of Truth, 1-19 January 21 – continued

Setting the Stage with Classical Correspondence January 26 – Aristotle’s Metaphysics (1005a-1012b32), De Interpretatione (16a-17a37) January 28 – continued February 2 – Aquinas’s Summa theologiae (Ia, q. 16), Quaestiones disputatae de veritate February 4 – continued February 9 – Locke’s “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding” (IV.5; II.12, 2, 1) February 11 – continued

20th Century Correspondence, Coherence & Pragmatic Conceptions February 16 – off for Mardi Gras February 18 – Gottlob Frege’s “The Thought” February 23 – continued/Wrap-up Day February 25 – Midterm Exam (Bring Blue Books!) March 2 – Bertrand Russell’s “Truth and Falsehood” March 4 – continued March 9 – J. L. Austin’s “Truth” March 11 – Wrap-Up March 16 & 18 – Off for Spring Break March 23 – Brand Blanshard’s “Coherence as the Nature of Truth” March 25 – Ralph C. S. Walker’s “The Coherence Theory” March 30 – Charles Sanders Peirce’s “How To Make Our Ideas Clear” April 1 – William James’s “Pragmatism’s Conception of Truth”

Challenges to “Substantive” Truth (?) April 6 – Michel Foucault’s “Truth and Power” April 8 – Strawson’s “Truth”

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April 13 – Alfred Tarski’s “The Semantic Conception of Truth and the Foundations of Semantics” April 15 – continued April 20 – W. V. O. Quine’s Philosophy of Logic (selections) April 22 – Donald Davidson’s “Truth and Meaning” April 27 – Ernest Sosa, “Epistemology and Primitive Truth” April 29 – Wrap-UP/Review Thursday, May 6th, 1-3PM – FINAL EXAM

If you have a specific disability that qualifies you for academic accommodations, please notify the instructor/professor and provide certification from Special Student Services (OSSS). OSSS is located in Room 270 of the Student Center (251-460-7212).

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Instructor:Dr.MichaelHorton Office:330tenHoorHall DepartmentPhone:205‐348‐5942OfficePhone:205‐348‐1371 OfficeHours:MWF11am–12pmANDbyappointmentWebsite:http://bama.ua.edu/~mbhorton1 E‐mail:[email protected]

SyllabusPHL409–002

IndependentStudyonthePhilosophyofLanguage

Spring2013Wednesdayat1pmintenHoor330

Incaseofemergency… UAwillpostannouncementsviawww.ua.edu theCollegeofArtsandScienceswillpostannouncementsvia

www.as.ua.edu theinstructorandTAwillcommunicateviaBlackboardLearn

CourseDescription

Directedstudyofthecoretopicsinphilosophyoflanguage.Specifictopicsinclude,butarenotlimitedto,truthandmeaning;speechacts;referenceanddescriptions,namesanddemonstratives;metaphor;interpretationandtranslation;andthenatureoflanguage.

Texts:PDFfilestobemadeavailableviaBlackboardLearnLearningOutcomes Uponthecompletionofthiscourse,youshouldbeableto:

• Applyfundamentalphilosophicalconceptsrelatingtothecoursetopics.• Identifythemostimportantphilosophicalresponsestotheproblems

addressedinthecourse.• Analyzethemostimportantlinesofargumentsupportingthoseresponsesto

theproblems,aswellasthemostimportantcriticismsofthem.• Deducetheconsequencesofphilosophicalpositions.• Identifythecommitmentsofmajorphilosophers.• Demonstratesensitivitytosubtledistinctionsandpreciselanguage.

CourseRequirements

• Attendmeetingeachweek(unlesspriorarrangementshavebeenmade)• Dothereading(includingthesyllabus)• Writetwopapers

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• Theexpectationisthatyouwilldirectthediscussionduringweeklymeetings,summarizingargumentsandposingquestionsastheyarise.Vieweachmeetingasanopportunitytocompletewhatyouwillbeginonyourowntime,namely,masteryofthematerial.

CourseGrade Yourcoursegradeisafunctionofgradesfortwoassignments: MidTermEssay(57pages)=40% TermPaper(810pages)=60% Plus/minusgradedetermination:

97‐100=A+87‐89=B+77‐79=C+67‐69=D+<60=F93‐96=A83‐86=B73‐76=C63‐66=D90‐92=A‐80‐82=B‐70‐72=C‐60‐62=D‐

MakeUpWorkPolicy:Allworkshouldbecompletedontimeunlesspriorarrangementshavebeenmade.Missedworkwillbeawardedazero.CheatingandPlagiarism:Evenifyourbehaviorisaccidentalorunintentional,itcanstillconstituteaviolationoftheUniversity’spolicies.Example:thecuttingandpastingofanymaterialintoanyassignmentischeating,whetherthematerialisoneofmywrittenlectures,isanonlinesource,isanotherclassmate’swork,orevenisyourownworkfromapreviousclass.Quizzesandexamsaretobetakenwithoutnotesorbooksopen.So,rollyoursleevesup,brewsomecoffee,anddoyourownwork.Itwillpayoff.[HaveanyintentionsoftakingtheGRE,LSATorMCAT?You’llbegladyoudidtheworkinthiscourse.]Schedule(Tentative) Week1(January9):Workoutpreferredreadingschedule,discussdemands andsyllabus,brieflyintroducecoursetopic. Week2(January16):DiscussMartinich,“Introduction,”fromThePhilosophy ofLanguage(Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress,2001). Week3(January23):Russell,“OnDenoting”(1905)and“Descriptions”(from 1919) Week4(January30):Strawson,“OnReferring”(1950) Week5(February6):Russell,“Mr.StrawsononReferring”(1957) Week6(February13):Pinker,“RulesofLanguage“(1991) Week7(February20):Whorf,“ScienceandLinguistics”fromLanguage, Thought,andWorld(1956) Week8(February27):Pinker,“Mentalese”(fromTheLanguageInstinct)

(1994) Week9(March6):Davidson,“OntheVeryIdeaofaConceptualScheme”

(1974)

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Week10(March13):Grice,“LogicandConversation”(1975) Week11(March20):TakingStockandothermid‐semesternecessities(no reading) Week12(March27):SpringBreak–NoReading Week13(April3):Searle,“WhatIsaSpeechAct?”(1965) Week14(April10):Davidson,“WhatMetaphorsMean”(1978) Week15(April17):Martinich,“ATheoryforMetaphor”(1984) Week16(April24):AndersonandLepore,“SlurringWords”(2013)MidtermEssaydue2/20TermPaperdue4/24Therewillbenofinalexamforthiscourse.CodeofAcademicMisconduct:

AllstudentsinattendanceattheUniversityofAlabamaareexpectedtobehonorableandtoobservestandardsofconductappropriatetoacommunityofscholars.TheUniversityexpectsfromitsstudentsahigherstandardofconductthantheminimumrequiredtoavoiddiscipline.Academicmisconductincludesallactsofdishonestyinanyacademicallyrelatedmatterandanyknowingorintentionalhelporattempttohelp,orconspiracytohelp,anotherstudent.TheAcademicMisconductDisciplinaryPolicywillbefollowedintheeventofacademicmisconduct.

Note:Withoutexception,thepenaltyforacademicmisconduct(i.e.cheating)hasincludedagradeofF.

Disabilityaccess:StudentswithdisabilitiesshouldregisterwiththeOfficeofDisabilityServices,348‐4285.Theyshouldthenprovidetheinstructorwithappropriatedocumentationandwrittenrequestsregardingspecialaccommodations.Studentswhowishtodiscusssuchaccommodationsareinvitedtoscheduleappointmentsduringtheinstructor'sofficehours.

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NonDiscriminationPolicy: TheUniversityofAlabamaiscommittedtoprovidinganinclusiveenvironmentthatisfreefromharassmentordiscriminationbasedonrace,geneticinformation,color,religion,ethnicity,nationalorigin,sex,sexualorientation,genderexpression,age,ability,orveteranstatus.TheUniversityofAlabamaprohibitsanyverbalorphysicalconductthatthreatensorendangersthehealthorsafetyofanyindividualorgroup,includingphysicalabuse,verbalabuse,threats,stalking,intimidation,harassment,sexualmisconduct,coercion,and/orothercommunicationorconductthatcreatesahostilelivingorlearningenvironment.

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SOI Report: Spring 2013Michael Horton (PHL 100-001 Intro To Philosophy)

77 Surveyed

QuestionNumResp

RespRate Mean

StdDev

StronglyAgree Agree Undecided Disagree

StronglyDisagree

The procedure for grading was fair. 35 45% 4.29 0.96 54% 28% 8% 8%

The course was a valuable learningexperience.

34 44% 4.38 0.89 52% 41% 2% 2%

The instructor... was an effective communicator. 35 45% 4.80 0.53 85% 8% 5%

was accessible to students outside of class. 35 45% 4.54 0.66 62% 28% 8%

was well-prepared for class. 35 45% 4.89 0.32 88% 11%

used class time effectively. 35 45% 4.83 0.38 82% 17%

treated you with respect. 35 45% 4.94 0.24 94% 5%

QuestionNumResp

RespRate Mean

StdDev

A B C D F Other

What grade do you expect to receive in thiscourse?

35 45% 4.30 0.88 42% 31% 5% 5% 14%

QuestionNumResp

RespRate Mean

StdDev

ExcellentAbove

average AverageBelow

average Failure

How would you rate this course? 35 45% 4.29 0.89 51% 31% 11% 5%

How would you rate the instructor of thiscourse?

35 45% 4.71 0.67 80% 14% 2% 2%

QuestionNumResp

RespRate Mean

StdDev

Always Usually Often Sometimes Rarely

Did you come to class prepared by havingcompleted the assignments (readings,problems, projects, etc.)?

35 45% 4.09 1.01 40% 40% 11% 5% 2%

Did your background prepare you to takethis course?

35 45% 3.20 1.39 22% 22% 20% 20% 14%

Were the course requirements clearlydefined?

35 45% 4.69 0.58 74% 20% 5%

Were the reading materials/text useful tothe course?

35 45% 4.11 1.08 48% 25% 17% 5% 2%

Were the tests and/or assignmentsappropriate for the course materials?

35 45% 4.71 0.67 80% 14% 2% 2%

How frequently did you attend class? 35 45% 4.51 0.70 62% 25% 11%

QuestionNumResp

RespRate Mean

StdDev

Frequently Usually Quite a bit Occasionally Not at all

How frequently did you seek out of classhelp from your instructor?

35 45% 1.66 1.16 8% 2% 25% 62%

QuestionNumResp

RespRate Mean

StdDev

A great deal Much Some Little Nothing

How much did you learn in this course? 34 44% 4.12 0.95 38% 44% 11% 2% 2%

Num Resp Std Yes No19

Question Resp Rate Mean Dev

Was this a required course for you? 34 44% 1.29 0.46 29% 70%

Any additional comments about the instructor.n/aGreat teacher. Very punctual and effective communicator.goodGreat instructor, very passionate about the class and making sure we understood things if we had questions.noneHe is a great teacher. I really enjoy him as an instructor.Mr. Horton is a cool dude. I found myself looking at his shoes a lot. He does a good job of interacting with the class while lecturing.Good JobHorton has been the best professor I have had so far. I have not done well in the class but it is not his fault. He explains things well and answersquestions when raised. He did not give his own opinion on problems as to allow us to make our own.The participation grade is some bull... Other than that, great guy. Give him a raise.I really enjoyed the class and the discussionsHad good intentions, but i found him very uninteresting and trite.Dr.Horton is a great professor, and he always prepare for our classes. He's trying to remember all of our classmates.Dr. Horton was a great professor and made Philosophy very interesting!Excellent Philosopher. Responded well to student arguments. Even the stupid ones.A really great teacher that knows how to make the material interesting for the whole class.great instructorMichael horton is a great instructor who utilizes his personal skills in order to teach the class. Horton always came prepared with interesting topicsand discussion and greatly encouraged student participation. This is proablly the most exciting beneficial class that I have taken this semester.Mr. Horton always showed a lot of enthusiasm in the material that he was teaching and always gave great examples to help us relate to the subject.I had a great time in this class and am very happy that Mr. Horton was the teacher because he made it much more fun than i imagined.You are very approachable, and the way you speak about the topics is clear and concise.Dr. Horton is awesome. This was the first philosophy class I've taken, and I learned a lot.He was a great instructor, if I were to take another PHL class, I would like to have him as an instructor. He was very enthusiastic about the materialand made it interesting.It was a good class given that I am an engineering major and am usually looking at things from a more concrete standpoint. These were allconcepts that I originally knew either little or nothing about, so i thing I got a great deal for an intro level class. The professor always had a lot ofenergy and kept it interesting, which helped on slower days. The reading was always short enough not to be too dense and very manageable. I verymuch enjoyed the class and will most likely take more in philosophy.

Any additional comments about the course.Challenging because of the number of exams and limited number of questions.The comprehensive final test is hard... I think I will need more than 2 days to prepare for it... And also, we have 7 exams during this semester, It'stoo much... I suggest him to drop the lowest score or something will be better..Extremely easy course. Used little to no effort to make an A.noneI would have made an A if I came to all classes and read all reading assignments. Not a hard class at all.noThe only thing I dislike about the course is that for just attending you will only get 80% of attendance grade. Although I dislike it, i understand why itis in place. I expect to make a B in this class which kind of makes me feel bad, I should have tried harder and reviewed a little more for themodules. I really liked the module style, made the course dates very concrete and easily scheduled. It is a good style for the material.The class was well structured with the discussion type lecture. Having time to do practice drills in class but also having the option to leave at thatpoint was really nice.I didn't like the participation part of the grade. It felt more like my highschool english class. I don't feel like speaking up in class should be part of thegrade. Besides that, I thoroughly enjoyed taking this class.The information is interesting. Mr. Horton presented the arguments in an fun way sometimes.Great course to take if you have a knowledgeable exciting teacher.It may be more fair (if you take the test two times) to be able to use the highest score rather than the average.n/a

20

I did not enjoy the course at all. I am an engineering major and that is my mindset and always has been. i do not like having to think like aphilosopher. I did not understand much at all from this course.No

21

SOI Report: Spring 2013Michael Horton (PHL 100-005 Intro To Philosophy)

95 Surveyed

QuestionNumResp

RespRate Mean

StdDev


StronglyDisagree

The procedure for grading was fair. 25 26% 4.52 0.87 68% 24% 8%


25 26% 4.24 0.97 48% 40% 12%

The instructor... was an effective communicator. 25 26% 4.80 0.41 80% 20%

was accessible to students outside of class. 24 25% 4.46 0.72 58% 29% 12%


used class time effectively. 24 25% 4.67 0.70 75% 20% 4%


QuestionNumResp

RespRate Mean

StdDev

A B C D F Other


25 26% 4.42 0.58 44% 48% 4% 4%

QuestionNumResp

RespRate Mean

StdDev

ExcellentAbove


average Failure

How would you rate this course? 25 26% 4.16 0.94 44% 36% 12% 8%


25 26% 4.68 0.56 72% 24% 4%

QuestionNumResp

RespRate Mean

StdDev



25 26% 3.92 1.38 44% 36% 8% 12%


25 26% 3.60 1.32 28% 36% 16% 8% 12%


25 26% 4.64 0.70 72% 24% 4%


25 26% 4.24 1.20 60% 20% 12% 8%


25 26% 4.72 0.84 84% 12% 4%


QuestionNumResp

RespRate Mean

StdDev



25 26% 1.64 0.99 12% 28% 60%

QuestionNumResp

RespRate Mean

StdDev


How much did you learn in this course? 25 26% 3.96 1.21 40% 36% 12% 4% 8%




Any additional comments about the instructor.Very knowledgeable, made difficult concepts easy to understandHe was a great professor and the class was extremely fair and informative.Very effective teacher. Really makes you think and does an excellent job of involving the entire class.Very nice and hands on. Stayed after class to help you out even more.I thought that the teacher was always very well prepared, he spoke clearly so i could always understand him. I enjoyed having Michael Horton as aprofessor and i think i learned a great deal in his class.Dr. Horton is great at making complicated things very simple and easy to understand. I love his teaching style.

Any additional comments about the course.

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SOI Report: Fall 2012Michael Horton (PHL 260-001 Mind and Nature)

21 Surveyed

QuestionNumResp

RespRate Mean

StdDev


StronglyDisagree

The procedure for grading was fair. 6 29% 4.33 0.82 50% 33% 16%


6 29% 4.17 0.98 50% 16% 33%

The instructor... was an effective communicator. 6 29% 4.67 0.52 66% 33%

was accessible to students outside of class. 6 29% 4.83 0.41 83% 16%


used class time effectively. 6 29% 4.83 0.41 83% 16%


QuestionNumResp

RespRate Mean

StdDev

A B C D F Other


6 29% 4.00 0.00 50% 50%

QuestionNumResp

RespRate Mean

StdDev

ExcellentAbove


average Failure

How would you rate this course? 6 29% 4.00 1.10 33% 50% 16%


6 29% 4.50 0.84 66% 16% 16%

QuestionNumResp

RespRate Mean

StdDev



6 29% 3.17 1.33 66% 16% 16%


6 29% 2.67 1.51 16% 16% 50% 16%


6 29% 4.00 0.89 33% 33% 33%


6 29% 4.50 0.55 50% 50%


6 29% 4.83 0.41 83% 16%


QuestionNumResp

RespRate Mean

StdDev



6 29% 2.17 1.17 16% 16% 33% 33%

QuestionNumResp

RespRate Mean

StdDev


How much did you learn in this course? 6 29% 4.17 0.98 50% 16% 33%




Any additional comments about the instructor.He's one of the best instructors I have had at the University of Alabama.

Any additional comments about the course.Favorite philosophy class!

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