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Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit
Course Description | Course Schedule
Study Helps & Philosophy Links
Fall 2015
Monday-Wednesday-Friday 1:50-2:50
John R. Howard Hall 258
Email: fritzman@lclark.edu
Class Email: 15fa-phil-451-01@lclark.edu
Phone: 503-768-7477
Office: John R. Howard Hall 223
Office Hours:
Monday 11:30-12:30 & 3:00-4:00
Wednesday 11:30-12:30 & 3:00-5:00
and by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Goethe: "The highest would be: to understand that everything real is theory in itself. The azure color of the sky reveals to us the basic law of chromatics. Do not try to go behind the phenomena; they themselves are the doctrine."
Oscar Wilde: "People say sometimes that beauty is only superficial. That may be so, but at least it is not so superficial as thought is. To me, beauty is the wonder of wonders. It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances. The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible."
This course will be devoted primarily to the critical exegesis of Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit. There are two required texts:
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel,
Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit, translated by A. V. Miller
Oxford University Press, 1979.
Paperback
ISBN-10: 0198245971
ISBN-13: 978-0198245971
Retail: $15
Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit is available through the College Bookstore, Amazon.com, and Barnes & Noble.
Jon Stewart, editor,
The Phenomenology of Spirit Reader: Critical and Interpretive Essays
State University of New York Press, 1998.
Paperback
ISBN-10: 0791435369
ISBN-13: 978-0791435366
Retail: $24-$29
The Phenomenology of Spirit Reader is available through the College Bookstore, Amazon.com, and Barnes & Noble.
The primary goals of this course are to comprehend the context of Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit, its significance and arguments, and its subsequent influence.
Here are the learning outcomes for students who graduate with a major in Philosophy.
In preparation for each class meeting, you should have read the assigned material. You should arrive in class with questions or comments about the assigned reading. Each student will be a précis on almost every reading assignment. In addition, you will write an assessment and an argumentative paper (which includes a prospectus, a draft, and a mandatory rewrite). Finally, you will give a class presentation of your paper.
Here is how your final course grade will be determined. The précis will be weighted equally and together will count for 10%. The assessment will count for 15%. The prospectus will count for 10%, the draft will count for 20%, and the argumentative paper will count for 40%. The presentation will count for 5%.
Participation and attendance are mandatory.
The grading scale is:
A = 93%-100%
A- = 90%-92%
B+ = 86%-89%
B = 83% 85%
B- = 80%-82%
C+ = 76%-79%
C = 73%-75%
C- = 70%-72%
D+ = 66%-69%
D = 60%-65%
F = 0%-59%.
A précis will be due almost every class session. Each précis will be one typed page -- never longer -- double-spaced, with 1 inch margins on the right & left sides and the top & bottom. It must be at least 3/4 of a page in length. Use a 12-point Times or Times Roman font. There will be no spelling or grammatical errors in your précis. Your name will be typed in the upper right-hand corner. In each précis, you will summarize -- in your own words, without using any quotes -- the assigned reading's main claims, as well as the reasons which are given to support those claims. You will not include any opinion, evaluation, or commentary. At the bottom of each précis, or on the back, you will write one question that you have about the reading. This question must written prior to, not during, class. I never will accept a late précis, but I will allow you to drop one.
An assessment should be approximately 2000 words, typed, double-spaced. Except for the length, the assessment should follow the same format requirement as the précis. You will sign up for a dates on which you will present your assessments. On the day you present, you will distribute copies to all of the persons in this class. This will require, of course, that you have enough copies made so that each member of the class has one. You first will read your assessment, and then you and I will serve as the main resource persons for fielding questions concerning the material. Since the class discussion will be centered around the assessment, it is crucial that you distribute the assessment the class session when you present it, and that you actually be in class to read your assessment.
The primary purpose of the assessment is to summarize, consolidate, and explicate the central issues, main points, and key motifs of the assigned reading in the Phenomenology of Spirit in order to facilitate class discussion of that material. It is important that the assessment contextualize the reading by describing briefly both how the reading is a continuation and development of material which has come before, and how it contributes to the overall trajectory of the thinker's thought.
It is crucial that you critically engage the reading. You might argue that a claim that the author makes is incorrect, for example, or that a criticism in the secondary literature is incorrect. Alternatively, you might argue that an interpretation advanced in the secondary literature is incorrect. The assessment should reflect an acquaintance with the requisite secondary literature. This means that you must incorporate at least six secondary sources you consulted while writing your assessment.
A student presenting an assessment will not submit a précis of that material too.
The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, the Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, and Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy will be useful.
The Philosopher's Index will be vital for the Assessment and Argumentative Research Paper.
The Chicago Manual of Style's Citation Quick Guide is online.
There will be an argumentative research paper, 3000 words, typed, double-spaced. It will be on the same topic as your assessment.
Several weeks before the draft is due, you will submit a prospectus of this paper in which you: (1) indicate the topic and thesis of your paper, (2) fully describe the problem or issue to be treated, (3) outline your anticipated procedure and probable conclusion, and (4) include an annotated bibliography of works to be consulted (a minimum of 6 books or articles, with at least a paragraph discussing the relevance of each work to your project).
You're welcome to consult the Writing Center, located on the main floor of Watzek Library.
Also useful is the Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University.
If you would find it useful to create concept maps, to help write your assessment or argumentative research papers, you can download the software to create them from IHMC Cmap Tools.
All work must be submitted when it is due. Late work -- précis, assessments, papers -- will not be accepted and will receive no credit.
This class will be successful only if there is a high degree of participation and attendance, and so I want you in class participating. The final grade for the course will be lowered by a full-letter grade if you miss four class sessions, the final grade will be lowered by two full-letter grades if you miss five class sessions, and you will be withdrawn from the course if you miss six or more class sessions. I will not accept make-up work unless you can document the reason for your absence. Documenting the reason for your absence means providing a note from, for example, your doctor explaining why you were absent. Serious illnesses and emergencies will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
Throughout the course you are expected to read carefully the assigned material. It is impossible to do well in this course without reading and studying the books. You should spend a minimum of three hours preparing for each class session. Read the assigned material at least twice and take notes on what you read. You are expected to attend all class sessions, come to class having read thoroughly the assigned material, and to contribute to the discussions.
Gorgias of Leontini maintained that "those who neglect philosophy and spend their time on ordinary studies are like the suitors who desired Penelope but slept with her maids." In philosophy, unlike ordinary studies, there are few right and wrong answers. There are better and worse arguments and ideas, however, usually in direct proportion to thoughtfulness and care. What is important is that you think for yourself, and that you develop and defend your own ideas. It would be an excellent idea to write drafts or outlines of your précis and papers, and to have a comrade read them to check on spelling, grammar, development of arguments, and so forth.
You are strongly encouraged to discuss the class material, your ideas, your puzzles and difficulties with each other. A word to the wise: Find a study partner to discuss things with outside of class. (To see why this is effective for creativity and learning, read Malcolm Gladwell's article, Group Think: What Does "Saturday Night Live" Have in Common with German Philosophy?, The New Yorker, 2 December 2002, pages 102-107).
There's a Bollwood tune for every occasion. Click here.
When it comes to finally writing your précis and essays, though, do your own writing. That is the only way you will get the full benefit of your own efforts. I will be happy to discuss ideas with you, read outlines and rough drafts, and so forth. That is partly why I keep office hours.
A final word to the wise. It is not difficult to do well in this class, but it also is easy to do badly. Let me talk about the bad stuff first. You will receive a major grade reduction -- or fail this course -- if you do not read the material, seldom participate in class discussions, do not write your précis, assessment, or argumentative research paper, plagiarize, cheat, and so forth.
About plagiarizing and cheating. All students are expected to follow Lewis & Clark College's Academic Integrity Policy. Plagiarizers and cheaters will be given an "F" for the entire course (they will not be allowed to drop or withdraw from the course). I also will turn their cases over to the Honor Board; I will recommend that disciplinary penalties be assessed. It is never in your interest to plagiarize or cheat!
Now for the good stuff. With a concerted effort, you will do well in this class. To do well, you must participate in class discussions, read and study the assigned material, write the précis, assessment, argumentative research paper, be in class (almost) all of the time, etc. I do not grade on a curve, and so there is no good reason why you should not get an "A" for the course!
Course policy on disability accommodation. If you have a disability or learning difference that may impact your academic performance, you may request accommodations by submitting documentation to Student Support Services, located in Albany 206 (access@lclark.edu, 503-768-7156). They will notify me of the accommodations for which you are eligible.
COURSE SCHEDULE
Friedrich Schlegel: "There are writers who drink the absolute like water; and books in which even the dogs refer to the infinite."
Week 1
Monday, 8/31:
Introduction to the course.
Read:
Jim Pryor's Guidelines on Reading Philosophy,
Malcolm Gladwell's Group Think in the New Yorker.
Wednesday, 9/2:
Ethan Watters, "We Aren't the World", Pacific Standard.
Joseph Henrich, Steven J. Heine, and Ara Norenzayan, "The Weirdest People in the World?", Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Volume 33:2-3, June 2010, pages 61-83; précis.
Friday, 9/4:
Paul Redding, "Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel", Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy; précis.
Discussion of research.
Week 2
Monday, 9/7:
Labor Day
Wednesday, 9/9:
Jon Stewart, “Introduction” in Stewart, pages 1-22; précis.
Discussion of (annotated) bibliography, footnotes, reasons for citations, proper quoting (block or in-line).
Sign-up for Assessments.
Exercise for Monday: Find one book and one article that will be relevant to your Assessment. Provide one block quote from the book and one in-line quote from the article. List the book and the article in proper formats for footnote and bibliography.
Friday, 9/11:
Festival in honor of Mark McPherran.
Week 3
Monday, 9/14:
John Sallis, "Hegel's Concept of Presentation: Its Determination in the Preface to the Phenomenology of Spirit" in Stewart, pages 25-51; précis.
Discussion of search procedures for articles and books.
Wednesday, 9/16:
"Preface," §§ 1-41; précis.
Discussion of search procedures for articles and books.
Friday, 9/18:
"Preface," §§ 42-72; précis.
Discussion of search procedures for articles and books.
Exercise for Monday: in proper bibliographical format, list three articles and two books that are relevant to your Assessment.
Week 4
Monday, 9/21:
Kenley R. Dove, "Hegel's Phenomenological Method" in Stewart, pages 52-75; précis.
Discussion on using the Arts & Humanities Citation Index and the Philosopher's Index.
Wednesday, 9/23:
Wendy Lynn Clark and J. M. Fritzman, "Reducing Spirit to Substance: Dove on Hegel's Method," Idealistic Studies 32:2, Summer 2002, pages 73-100.
and
Wendy Lynn Clark and J. M. Fritzman, "The Nonfoundational Hegelianism of Dove, Maker, and Winfield," Philosophical Forum 34:1, Spring 2003, pages 91-113.
Précis.
Discussion on using the Arts & Humanities Citation Index and the Philosopher's Index.
Friday, 9/25:
"Introduction," §§ 73-89; précis.
Discussion on using the Arts & Humanities Citation Index and the Philosopher's Index
Exercise for Monday: In proper bibliographical format, list three additional articles that you found through the Arts & Humanities Citation Index or the Philosopher's Index that are relevant to your Assessment.
Saturday, 9/26, 6:00 PM:
A gluten-free, vegan, vedic dinner to celebrate Anant Chaturdashi, which is the last day of Ganesh Chaturthi, the festival that honors Ganesha.
Week 5
Monday, 9/28:
"Consciousness: Sense Certainty," §§ 90-110; précis.
Also read: Kenneth R. Westhphal, "Hegel's Solution to the Dilemma of the Criterion" in Stewart, pages 76-101.
Discussion of annotated bibliography and reliability of sources.
Wednesday, 9/30:
Katharina Dulckeit, "Can Hegel Refer to Particulars?" in Stewart, pages 105-121; précis.
Discussion of annotated bibliography and reliability of sources.
Friday, 10/2:
Merold Westphal, "Hegel's Phenomenology of Perception" is Stewart, pages 122-137; précis.
Discussion of annotated bibliography and reliability of sources.
Exercise for Monday: Submit a 3-5 page prospectus of your argumentative research paper in which you:
(1) indicate your topic and thesis.
(2) describe the problem or issue to be treated.
(3) outline your anticipated procedure and probable conclusion.
(4) include an annotated bibliography of works to be consulted (a minimum of six books or articles, with at least a paragraph discussing the relevance of each work to your project).
Week 6
Monday, 10/5:
Due: Prospectus of Argumentative Research Paper
Wednesday, 10/7:
"Consciousness: Perception," §§ 111-131; précis.
Friday, 10/9:
Fall Break
Week 7
Monday, 10/12:
Joseph C. Flay, "Hegel's 'Inverted World'" in Stewart, pages 138-152; précis.
Discussion of note taking and perusing for content.
Wednesday, 10/14:
"Consciousness: Force & the Understanding," §§ 132-165; précis.
Assessment: Raymond Torkelson.
Discussion of note taking and perusing for content.
Friday, 10/16:
"Self-Consciousness: Self Certainty" and "Self-Consciousness: Lordship & Bondage," §§ 166-177; précis.
Also read: Howard Adelman, "Of Human Bondage: Labor, Bondage, and Freedom in the Phenomenology" in Stewart, pages 155-171.
Discussion of note taking and perusing for content.
Week 8
Monday, 10/19:
"Self-Consciousness: Lordship & Bondage" and "Self-Consciousness: Freedom," §§ 178-230; précis.
Also read: George Armstrong Kelly, "Notes on Hegel's 'Lordship and Bondage'" in Stewart, pages 172-191.
Assessment: Julia Meyer.
Discussion of formulating a thesis: outlines, drafts, revisions.
Wednesday, 10/21:
"Reason: Observation of Nature" and "Reason: Observation of Self-Consciousness," §§ 231-297; précis.
Also read: John W. Burbidge, "'Unhappy Consciousness' in Hegel: An Analysis of Medieval Catholicism?" in Stewart, pages 192-209.
Assessment: Erich Roepke.
Discussion of formulating a thesis: outlines, drafts, revisions.
Friday, 10/23:
"Reason: Observation of Self-Consciousness" and "Reason: Observation of Self-Consciousness as related to Nature," §§ 298-346; précis.
Also read: Alasdair MacIntyre, "Hegel on Faces and Skulls, pages 213-224.
Discussion of formulating a thesis: outlines, drafts, revisions.
Week 9
Monday, 10/26:
"Reason: Actualization of Self-Consciousness," §§ 347-393; précis.
Discussion of articulating a thesis: arguments, objections, replies.
Wednesday, 10/28:
"Reason: Individuality," §§ 394-437; précis.
Also read: Gary Shapiro, "Notes on the Animal Kingdom of the Spirit" in Stewart, pages 225-239.
Assessment: Miguel Guerrero.
Discussion of articulating a thesis: arguments, objections, replies.
Friday, 10/30:
Patricia Jagentowicz Mill, "Hegel's Antigone" in Stewart, pages 243-271; précis.
J. M. Fritzman and Jeffrey A. Gauthier, "Feminism and Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit: 'Lordship and Bondage' and 'Ethical Action'," Bulletin of the Hegel Society of Great Britain 59/60, 2009, pages 42-53; précis.
Discussion of articulating a thesis: arguments, objections, replies.
Week 10
Monday, 11/2:
"Spirit: The Ethical Order," §§ 438-483; précis.
Assessment: Jack Carrick.
Wednesday, 11/4:
David W. Price, "Hegel's Intertextual Dialectic: Diderot's Le Neveu de Rameau in the Phenomenology of Spirit" in Stewart, pages 272-281, précis.
Isabelle C. DeMarte and J. M. Fritzman, "Diderot's Uncle, Hegel; Or Rameau's Nephew as a Branch of The Phenomenology of Spirit," 1650-1850 14, 2007, pages 177-220; précis.
Friday, 11/6:
Due: Outline of Argumentative Research Paper
Week 11
Monday, 11/9:
"Self-Alienated Spirit: Culture," §§ 484-537; précis.
Wednesday, 11/11:
"Spirit: Culture: Enlightenment Spirit," §§ 538-581; précis.
Karlheinz Nusser, "The French Revolution and Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit" in Stewart, pages 282-306; précis.
Assessment: Camilla Radoyce.
Friday, 11/13:
"Spirit: Culture: Absolute Freedom and Terror," §§ 582-595; précis.
Moltke S. Gram, "Moral and Literary Ideals in Hegel's Critique of 'The Moral World-View'" in Stewart, pages 307-333; précis.
Assessment: Evan Gamza.
Week 12
Monday, 11/16:
"Spirit: Morality," §§ 596-671; précis.
David P. Jamros, S.J., "'The Appearing God' in Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit" in Stewart, pages 334-347; précis.
Assessment: John Dunn.
Wednesday, 11/18:
"Religion: Natural Religion," §§ 672-698; précis.
Jean-Louis Vieillard-Baron, "Natural Religion: An Investigation of Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit" in Stewart, pages 351-374; précis.
Friday, 11/20:
"Free Mind: Religion: Religion as Art," §§ 699-747; précis.
Harald Schöndorf, S.J., "The Othering (Becoming Other) and Reconciliation of God in Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit" in Stewart, pages 375-400; précis.
Exercise for Wednesday: Submit a draft of your argumentative research paper.
Week 13
Monday, 11/23:
Martin J. De Ny, "Mediation and Negativity in Hegel's Phenomenology of Christian Consciousness" in Stewart, pages 401-423; précis.
Wednesday, 11/25:
Due: Draft of Argumentative Research Paper
Submit copy to Fritzman and to a Peer Evaluator
Friday, 11/27:
Thanksgiving Break
Week 14
Monday, 11/30:
"Religion: Revealed Religion," §§ 748-787; précis.
Wednesday, 12/2:
Mitchell H. Miller, Jr, "The Attainment of the Absolute Standpoint in Hegel's Phenomenology" in Stewart, pages 427-443; précis.
Friday, 12/4:
"Absolute Knowing," §§ 788-808; précis.
Week 15
Monday, 12/7:
"Preface," §§ 1-72; précis.
Jon Stewart, "The Architectonic of Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit" in Stewart, pages 444-477; précis.
Wednesday, 12/9:
In-class consultation on research papers.
Friday, 12/11:
Reading Day
Week 16
Saturday, 12/12:
Argumentative Research Paper due at 1:00 PM.
Submit four items:
(1) the final rewrite.
(2) the draft on which I wrote comments.
(3) the draft on which your peer evaluator wrote comments.
(4) the peer evaluation form.
Presentation of Argumentative Research Papers.
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503-768-7477
Updated on 25 November 2015
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