Academic Resume for Douglas F. Olena
Springfield, MO 65804
All the C++ courses at Herzing College (four quarters) completed July 3, 1999. Course includes MFC programming; projects and executables on request.
Presented a paper at the annual Society for Pentecostal Studies March, 2004 at Marquette University entitled: Foucault and the Body as Object of the Disciplinary Matrix.
Presented a paper at the annual Society for Pentecostal Studies March, 2006 at Fuller Theological Seminary entitled: Is there an Ethical Justification for Drug Prohibition and the Legal Proscriptions that Enforce It?
Book review on Philip Clements-Jewery, Intercessory Prayer (Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing Company, 2005): vii + 158 pp. $79.95 hardback, for the Fall 2006 edition of Pneuma, Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies.
Presented a paper at the annual Society for Pentecostal Studies March, 2008 at Duke University entitled: A New Model for Creation: Why Lucretius Is More Advanced Than Creation Science
West Chester University, West Chester, Pennsylvania
Tutoring in Intro. to Philosophy, Ethics and Formal Logic two semesters. Teaching substitute for various undergraduate courses; Research assistant for Dr. Thomas Platt.
Glassboro State College, Glassboro, New Jersey
Logic of Everyday Reasoning, Fall '87, Spring '88, Business Ethics, Spring '88.
I designed a course called Philosophy of Science, that was accepted for use in the Glassboro State College curriculum and began Fall 1989
La Salle University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Formal Logic & Concepts of Humanity, Spring 1989.
Community College of Vermont
Introduction to Philosophy, St. Johnsbury; Informal Logic, Newport; Composition, Morrisville Spring 1990; Informal Logic, St. Johnsbury Fall 1990; Introduction to Computers St. Johnsbury; Informal Logic Newport: Spring 1991; Intro to Computers and Ethics Summer 1991; Intro to Computers Fall, 1991; Spring 1992; Tutorial in Introduction to Philosophy Spring '92
Currently Teaching at:
(school resource website: http://olena.com/edu/)
Evangel University, Springfield, Missouri
Introduction to Ethics, Introduction to Philosophy, Introduction to Critical Reasoning and Deductive Logic 2003-2007. Contemporary Philosophy Seminar Spring 2007, and 2008.
In the spring I teach two sections of Introduction to Ethics and one section of Deductive Logic. In the fall I teach two sections of Introduction to Philosophy and one section of Critical Reasoning.
Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri
Ethics and Contemporary Issues 2005-2007, every semester.
Drury University, Springfield, Missouri
Introduction to Ethics Spring 2004, Introduction to Philosophy Summer 2004.
Graduate Courses Taken at Temple University and
West Chester University Pennsylvania
Course proposal for Philosophy of Science
at Glassboro State College, New Jersey
Course Description for Business Ethics
taught at Glassboro
Course Description for Logic of Everyday Reasoning
taught at Glassboro
Course Description for Concepts of Humanity
taught at La Salle University Philadelphia
Course Description for Symbolic Logic
taught at La Salle University
Course Description for Introduction to Philosophy
taught at Community College of Vermont
Course Description for Logic
taught at Community College of Vermont
Course Description for Ancient Western Philosophy
prepared for Community College of Vermont
Course Description for Ethics
prepared for Community College of Vermont
For all current classes in Springfield, Missouri at Drury, Evangel and Missouri State see my web site at: http://olena.com/edu
Following are the graduate Philosophy courses I have taken at Temple University and West Chester University:
Temple University:
Seminar in Kant
Seminar in Socio-Political Philosophy
Classics in Moral Philosophy
Philosophy of Science
Philosophy of Literary Criticism
20th Century British and American Philosophy
Seminar in Wittgenstein
Philosophy of Logic
Theories of Knowledge
Seminar in Contemporary Continental Philosophy
Philosophy of Language
Philosophy of History
Seminar on Cognitive Science, Theories of Perception
West Chester University:
Seminar in Hegel/19th Century Philosophy
Seminar in Ancient Greek Philosophy
Intro. to Meaning and Language
Philosophy of Science
Seminar on Logical Necessity, A Historical Survey
Existentialism
Seminar in Aesthetics
Bio-Medical Ethics
Intro. to Logic (undergraduate)
Symbolic Logic
Seminar in Phenomenology
Seminar in the Philosophy of Mind
Philosophy of Science
Course Proposal for Glassboro State College New Jersey by Douglas F. Olena
(I volunteered to write this proposal for the planning committee in the philosophy department at Glassboro State College in order to address a deficiency in the curriculum for the department's proposed philosophy minor. The version that follows is the one that was adopted by the college. I am well versed in the questions and problems addressed in this description and am prepared to teach a course of this type. In "III.B.1.d" Biology in the 19th and 20th century and the question of "Evolution" could be treated alternately as the core content of the course instead of the largely "Physics" based description given in "III.B.1.". Using Physics and Biology combined, this outline could also be construed as a two semester 4 or 6 credit course)
I. Administrative Details
A. Course title: Philosophy of Science
B. Sponsors: Howard Cell, Chair; Douglas Olena, Adjunct Professor: Philosophy & Religion Dept.
C. Credit hours: 3 hours
D. Course level: Undergraduate
E. Curricular effect: This course is a requirement for the Minor in Philosophy for those whose majors are in science, mathematics or computer science; elective for the Minor in Philosophy for non-science majors; elective for the Concentration in Philosophy and Religion; general education elective.
F. Prerequisites: None
G. Implementation:
1. Time of implementation: fall semester 1989.
2. Scale of implementation: offered once a year, fall or spring.
H. Adequacy:
1. Staff: Search is now in progress to hire a PhD with specialization in philosophy of science and logic.
2. Resources: Classroom facilities are adequate.
3. Library facilities: A list of books and journals is being compiled to supplement the holdings at Savitz Library.
I. This course is to be an integral part of the Philosophy program.
II. Proposal for Philosophy of Science Course
A. Uniqueness and Merits of the Course: The content of the Course is not found anywhere else in the curriculum though it impinges on a large part of the curriculum—the natural, biological and social sciences. The subject of the course is the practice of science itself and the implications of the history of that practice on our society and science. For example: It is not only Newton's formulas that are of interest but also their implications as grounds for theories of material nature, concepts of progress, mathematical foundations, prediction, etc. This course aims at complementing the students' course work in the sciences.
B. The course serves the goals of the College by giving a method that integrates the practical skills of students with a theoretical overview of the rationales and functions of science in society.
III. Essence of the course
A. Course Objectives: There are three major objectives for the course.
1. To comprehend the historical scope of the various branches of science.
2. To understand some consequences of scientific practice for theories of truth, knowledge, human nature, etc.
3. To raise questions about the theoretical assumptions of ordinary scientific practice using historical and contemporary illustrations. The interrelationships between theories and evidence and the nature of scientific explanation and prediction will be treated as well as the distinguishing marks of good science such as objectivity, simplicity, and elegance.
B. Topical outline/content: By far, the majority of the course work will treat questions about the consequences and theoretical assumptions of ordinary scientific practice, though to add coherence and comprehension a survey of the history of ideas about material science may be necessary.
1. An historical survey would include:
a. Astronomy as a paradigm case of a developing science.
b. The progress of scientific theory from Aristotle to Bacon to Galileo to Mach as a description of the move from deductive to experimental science.
c. Treatment of scientific revolutions from the enlightenment to the present.
d. Chemistry, biology and mathematics in the 19th and 20th century.
e. A description of the end of classical physics through a study of the relation between Einstein and Bohr.
f. The transformation of science brought about through the use of information technologies.
2. Some major themes and projects of science described would include:
a. The question of foundations in mathematics:
i. As a description of problems for a theory of knowledge.
ii. As a description of problems for a theory of logic.
b. The new atomism: quantum theory and dimensionality.
c. Logical positivism.
d. Kuhnian paradigms: as an introduction to modern philosophy of science.
3. What are the philosophical problems in scientific practice concerning:
a. Observation, theory, knowledge and truth?
b. Measurement?
c. Statistics and prediction?
d. Operational (or normal) science and speculative, deductive science?
C. The evaluation of students is by means of:
1. Class participation.
2. Term papers or other outside written assignments.
3. Mid-term and/or final essay exams.
D. Course evaluation assessing the fulfillment of school goals:
1. The course will be evaluated by means of the evaluation of oral and written student input.
2. The department will assess both course content and approach on a regular basis.
IV. Consultations:
A copy of this proposal has been sent to the chair of each of our science departments. Copies of their reactions will be forwarded as soon as they are available.
V. Comments:
A. "III.B." is only a suggested course outline and need not be fully implemented to address the course objectives. A treatment of the 19th & 20th centuries would be adequate.
B. Suggested bibliography with annotations:
Cohen, Bernard J. Revolution in Science; Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1985. 472 pages text with 239 pages of supplements, notes, references and an index. $9.95
This is an excellent treatment of the history of science. Though somewhat long for a mere review of the history of science and though there is some topical overlap due to its thematic coverage, the scope is broad and the treatment of each topic concise. It is a marvelous example of mature scholarship. The theme of "revolution in science" is focussed and well documented historically and is easily accessible to the undergraduate.
Winner of The Pfizer Prize from the History of Science Society.
Feyerabend, Paul, Against Method; Verso edition, Thetford Press Ltd. Norfolk, Great Britain, 1984. 309 pages of text with name and subject index. $9.50
Feyerabend is a radical relativist who believes that different theories treating the same objects are incommensurable. Though this treatment was to be followed by a rationalist position in a book by Imre Lakatos that was not completed because of his death, Against Method stands on its own feet. It is a delightful treatment of the play of ideas with the serious goal of making us rethink the practice of science and its meaning for society.
Kline, Morris, Mathematics, The Loss of Certainty; Oxford University Press, New York, 1982. 354 pages with selected bibliography and index. $8.95
Morris is a lucid and accessible writer with an encyclopedic knowledge of his topic. The central theme, that of foundations in mathematics, is well developed. It is an excellent overview of the history and process of the development of mathematics.
Kuhn, Thomas S. The Essential Tension, Selected Studies in Scientific Tradition and Change; The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1977. 351 pages with index. $13.00
Kuhn's work was perhaps the turning point in contemporary Philosophy of Science. This selection of his essays gives us an insider's look into some problems of contemporary science. "No one who studies his writings will come away unchanged." Robert S. Westman, Science.
Lakatos, Imre and Alan Musgrave, eds. Criticism and the Growth of Knowledge; Cambridge University Press, New York, 1981. 278 pages with a name index.
This is a collection of cogent essays on Kuhn's work by leaders in the field. Kuhn also replies to the criticisms.
Quine, W. V. and J. S. Ullian. The Web of Belief; Second Ed. Random House, New York, 1978. 138 pages with a bibliography, glossary and index. $8.75
This is an excellent introduction to contemporary ideas in the practice of rational thinking. It is aimed at the undergraduate and is very accessible as an introduction to thinking about science. It is a beginner's book and can be read in one or two sittings, but serves the excellent purpose of sorting a great number of difficult problems into manageable units.
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Glassboro State College Business Ethics #6409
Spring 1988 Instructor: Mr. Douglas F. Olena
Required Texts:
Foucault, Michel, Discipline and Punish; The Birth of the Prison, Random House, New York, 1979.Regan, Tom, ed., Just Business; New Introductory Essays in Business Ethics, Random House, New York ,1984.Sommers, Christina Hoff ed., Vice and Virtue in Everyday Life; Introductory Readings in Ethics, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers, New York, 1985.The idea of having a course in Business Ethics strikes many people as a misunderstanding of the term 'business' and the term 'ethics'. Business is taken to presuppose a principle of maximization of profits without respect to the means used to attain that maximization, while Ethics is taken to presuppose something like the rules of good conduct by which we are obligated to live. This definition of business, however, misconstrues the practice of society while this definition of ethics subtly misconstrues the way we rule ourselves.
We will be using the book Discipline and Punish to construct for ourselves a way of talking about our society and the changes inherent in it over the last few centuries, that will help prevent us from making these facile mistakes. There is much in the book that doesn't apply to business per se but it is a mistake on my account to dismiss those portions because of the intimate interaction of these complex structures with economics in the western world.
We will use various readings in Vice and Virtue in Everyday Life as I see fit while we are reading Foucault, in order to obtain a reasonable outline of ethics with respect to the movement of contemporary western history.
The use of these two books will take up most or all of the first half of the semester. You will be required to write a paper of 1500 words on a contemporary topic in business using the tools gleaned from Foucault, Sommers and class discussion.
In the remainder of the course we will select topics from Just Business and do group reports. One of the two methods described below will be chosen by a vote of the whole class early in the semester.
Plan A
1. Groups will be arbitrarily chosen by number (whatever sort of number I choose).2. Each group will elect a leader, by whatever methods you choose. If a decision can not be reached in some group then I will select a leader for that group.3. Each group will be responsible to select a topic from Just Business and research it, present a paper to the class and give a panel discussion. 4. The responsibility of the leader is to coordinate the activities of the group and read the final paper to the class.5. The leader will also be responsible to evaluate the participation of each individual in the group and hand it in to the instructor. The leader will not discuss evaluations with the group members.Plan B
1. Leaders will volunteer to deal with certain topics in Just Business.2. Leaders will recruit individuals to do the work. This may be done any way the leader sees fit within the constraints of the class time allotted for the organization of these presentations. A. Any individuals not recruited after that time will either be placed in a group by themselves (if there are fewer remaining individuals than the number of groups) or they will be distributed equally among the groups. B. These unrecruited individuals will follow "Plan A" rules.3. Those who are not leaders may fill out resumés and get references in order to be selected. Interviews will take place in class. The instructor will determine the maximum size of the group, so that there may be competition. You may apply to more than one group.4. Each group will be responsible to present a paper to the class and give a panel discussion.5. The responsibility of the leader is to coordinate the activities of the group and read the final paper to the class.6. The leader will also be responsible to evaluate the participation of each individual in the group and hand it in to the instructor. The leader will not discuss evaluations with the group members.Grading:
1/4 —Foucault paper1/8—Class participation3/8—Class presentation1/4 of the class presentation grade will be for the whole group.1/8 of the class presentation grade will be either the leader's evaluation or my evaluation of the leader.1/4—Final examObjectives:
1. To create a worldview that will give insight into contemporary business2. To gain insight into methods as well as some practice in the implementation of those methods of ethics for businessMethods:
1. Lecture and class discussion2. Group discussion, research and group presentationReturn to contents
Glassboro State College Logic of Everyday Reasoning
Spring Semester 1988 Mr. Douglas F. Olena
Course # 6411
Course Description
Texts:
Practical Reasoning in Natural Language, Stephen N. Thomas;The Trial and Death of Socrates;"Crito", Plato.Course Requirements:
Read the Thomas text and do selected exercises. Do a written synopsis and critique of the arguments in the Crito. Take a mid-term and a final exam.Grading:
1/5 — Class participation1/5 — Written synopsis on "The Crito"1/5 — Written critique of the "The Crito"1/5 — Mid-term exam1/5 — Final examCourse Objectives:
1. To understand the character of reasoning and its proper scope2. To be able to make practical application of these methods of reasoning to issues that confront us and to ordinary language statements3. To be able to understand and use the various argument forms in order to make your arguments betterTeaching methods:
Lecture and class discussion, written assignments and evaluationsSynopsis on the Crito:
The Crito is a short dialogue by Plato that is packed full of interesting arguments that, though they are not altogether clear on the first reading, seem to show themselves easily on second and third readings.
What I am requiring of you is that you tell me step by step what the arguments are. In other words by what reasoning does Socrates refute Crito? This will take at least 500 words. It must be typed. Grammar and spelling is very important. If you know that your grammar is poor, read the paper with another student while it is still in rough draft and rewrite it. If you get somebody else to rewrite it for you without knowing why certain things are changed, you will not have learned.
This will be due before spring break.
Critique of the Crito:
In this paper I expect you to give an evaluation of one of the following relationships of ideas in the Crito:
1. The relationship between Socrates and the laws of Athens2. The relationship between the laws of a state and its people3. What reasons are there to believe that Socrates' argument against Crito fails?4. What reasons are there to believe that Socrates' argument against Crito succeeds?This critique should be about 1200 to 1500 words. Grammar and spelling is not the highest priority, though if these are bad enough, you will not have constructed your argument in any recognizable form. I am looking for ideas and creative insight into these problems, and I want them in a logical form.
This will be due two weeks or so before the final.
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Concepts of Humanity La Salle University Evening School
Instructor: Douglas F. Olena Saturday 12:30 PM thru 3:15 PM
Philosophy 151 WA
Course Description
Required Texts:
Foucault, Michel, Discipline and Punish; Vintage Books, New York, 1979.Kant Immanuel, Kant on History; Bobbs-Merrill Educational Publishing, Indianapolis, 1980.Krutch, Joseph W. The Modern Temper; Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers, New York, 1957.Plato, Five Dialogues; Hackett Publishing Co., Suggested Text:
Heidegger, Martin, The Question Concerning Technology and Other Essays; Harper & Row, New York, 1977.Outline:
I. Ancient
A. Introductory Lecture: Presocratics, focus on Heraclitus, Parmenides, Protagoras as background for Socratic world view and dialogues. B. Euthyphro and Apology as readings for discussion. C. Crito analysis due third week; two pages.[Five Dialogues Hackett Publishing Co.]
II. Medieval: Questions of free will and the foreknowledge of God. Readings in Augustine, Boethius, Anselm, Aquinas, William of Ockham.
[Xeroxed Selections]
III. Enlightenment
A. Lecture on the enlightenment Age; two streams in philosophy: Rationalist/Empiricist. Kant's Synthesis.B. Kant on History1. "What Is Enlightenment?"2. "Idea for a Universal History..."3. "Perpetual Peace"4. "An Old Question..."[Kant on History Library of Liberal Arts]
C. Paper on selected readings in the library on Enlightenment Thinkers.VI. Modern: Philosophy of Science and Technology
A. Nietzsche and Deconstruction: Values and TruthB. The Modern Temper, Joseph Wood KrutchC. The Abolition of Man, C.S. Lewis (if I can find it)D. (If there is time left in the semester) "The Question Concerning Technology" & "The Turning" , Martin HeideggerE. Final Paper: Discipline and Punish, Michel Foucault, 6 pagesRequirements:
1. 2 page paper on the Crito. Due the third week of class—Feb. 4 19892. 4 page paper on an important figure in enlightenment philosophy or science. This will include some historical treatment of an accomplishment with biographic details.3. 6 page paper on what the nature of man as construed by Foucault is, under the auspices of modern technology. This is a term project requiring careful analysis of the details of Discipline and Punish.Objectives:
1. To get an historical feel for the various ages of Western Philosophy.2. To develop a concept about the nature of man and his place in and responsibility concerning the cosmos.Method:
The teaching method will be lecture and discussion. The approach toward such a large number of readings will of necessity, be breezy. My intent in this sort of approach is to give breadth and scope to the issues.
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Symbolic Logic La Salle University Evening School
Instructor: Douglas F. Olena Monday 6:15 PM thru 8:55 PM
Philosophy 325 A
Course Description
Text: Copi, Irving M. Introduction to Logic; (current edition) Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., New York, 1987.
Study Plan:
I. Natural Language Logic
A. Definitions
B. Translations from Natural language into Formal languageII. Symbolic Logic: Chapter 8 Copi
A. Symbolism
B. Truth table representations of:
1. Conjunction
2. Negation
3. Disjunction
4. Conditional
5. Biconditional
C. Truth table representations of argument forms
D. Proofs by truth tables
1. Tautologies
2. Self contradictory statements
3. Contingent statementsIII. Deduction: Chapter 9 Copi
A. Rules of inference
B. Rules of replacementIV. Quantification: Chapter 10 Copi
Grading:
25% Homework & Class Participation
25% Test #1—Informal Logic, Translations, Truth Tables
12.5% Test #2—Proofs Using Rules of Inference
12.5% Test #3—Proofs Using Rules of Replacement & Rules of Inference
25% Test #4—Comprehensive Test including QuantificationAddendum:
Beyond the outline given above, as is germane to the discussion of contemporary problems and theories, the differences between Aristotelian and modern logic, the logic of relations, the adequacy and limits of logical theories will be discussed.
Goals:
1. Gain competence in a formal language.
2. Understand the relation between natural language and formal languages.
3. Gain skills in problem solving.Return to contents
Community College of Vermont Course: Hum125
Spring Semester 1990 Introduction to Philosophy
Beginning Date: 2/12/90 Mr. Douglas F. Olena
Ending Date: 4/30/90 St. Johnsbury Branch
Time: 6:00—9:10 PM
Course Description
I. Texts:
A. Philosophy and Contemporary Issues; Fourth Edition, John R. Burr & Milton GoldingerThis text is a compilation of contemporary essays that are accessible to the college reader. They are arranged topically. The essays in each topic give various positions that are representative of a wide variety of opinions on perennial problems in philosophy.
B. The Trial and Death of Socrates; PlatoThis text is a series of dialogues that are attributed to Socrates. This will give an interesting and insightful start on issues that confront a thinker of any era.
C. Civilization and Madness; Michel FoucaultThis text is an extended discussion of the institutions of the modern Western world, especially the institutions that have been designed to treat mental illness. The philosophical interest of this book becomes clear when we begin to understand on Foucault's account how our ideas about human nature interact with the institutions of Medicine and Law; how ideas generate change in society.
II. Course Objectives:
Students explore fundamental philosophic issues of western philosophy such as existence, the purpose of life, right and wrong, the nature of happiness, appearance and reality, knowledge and speculation. These issues are explored through reading and discussion of major philosophers, ancient and modern.
The student will be able to:
A. Identify major trends and issues in western philosophical thought.
B. Place major philosophers in historical context.
C. Define and identify examples of major philosophic concerns such as the nature of truth, the investigation of ethical questions, the nature of being and the self.
D. Identify themes common to both ancient and modern philosophic thought.
E. Analyze philosophic problems and positions by applying principles and insights from class readings and discussions.III. Teaching Methods:
Reading texts
Lecture and discussion
In class analysis of topics
Writing papersIV. Completion requirements/Evaluation criteria
A. Course Requirements:
1. Do readings in texts and discuss them in class.
2. One 4 page paper on one of the dialogues in The Trial and Death of Socrates. Due Week #4.
a. This is a formal paper: documentation, spelling, grammar and style are important.
b. Adherence to the topic, organization and argument form are crucial.
3. One 6 page paper on Civilization and Madness. Due final day.
a. This is a speculative paper: accurate documentation is the only formal requirement.
b. This is an evaluation of Foucault's theme and its relative merit. Students will be required to take a position for or against Foucault's and defend that position with documented argument.
4. Final exam on topics in Philosophy and Contemporary Issues.
B. Grading: This may be applied to either pass/fail or letter grade evaluations.1/4 —Class participation
*This includes attendance, on time completion of papers, verbal participation & those intangibles that are subjectively evaluated on the basis of teacher/student rapport: i.e. attitudes about the material, willingness and interest in the scholastic enterprise, etc. This is weighed heavily because of the highly scholastic nature of philosophy.
1/4 —1st paper
1/4 —2nd paper
1/4 —Final exam*Extra Credit may be given for special projects arranged with the teacher, and no grades for written work are final (except for the final exam) if the student wishes to revise and improve the work.
VI. Handouts:
• Syllabus 2 pgs
• Outlines 2 pgs
• Exam Review Questions
• ExamsReturn to contents
Community College of Vermont Course: Hum126N, Logic
Fall Semester 1990 Credits: 3
Beginning Date: 9/12/90 Instructor: Mr. Douglas F. Olena
Ending Date: 11/28/90 Branch: St. Johnsbury
Day/Time: Wednesday/6:00—9:10 PM
Course Description
I. Texts:
Practical Reasoning in Natural Language, Stephen N. ThomasThe Trial and Death of Socrates: Dialogue: Crito By PlatoII. Course Objectives—The student will be able to:
A. Analyse natural language statements.B. Categorize types of arguments.C. Diagram the structure of arguments and evaluate the relationships between statements in those arguments.D. Detect the use of natural language fallacies and avoid the use of them in constructing formal arguments.E. Describe the concepts of validity, soundness, fallacy, proof etc.F. Construct sound arguments about positions on specific issues.Students explore fundamental Logical issues of natural languages and some of formal languages. These issues will be explored through homework and class discussion using logical puzzles, exercises and analytic reading exercises.
III. Teaching Methods:
A. Reading texts and analyzing the arguments formallyB. Lecture and discussionC. Homework problems and puzzlesD. Two formal papersIV. Course Requirements:
A. Do readings in the text and exercises for discussion in class.B. One 2 page paper on the Crito in The Trial and Death of Socrates. Due Week #3.1. This is a formal paper: documentation, spelling, grammar and style are important.2. Adherence to the topic, organization and argument form are crucial elements of a successful paper.C. Mid term exam covering all the materials in Practical Reasoning in Natural Language up to that point.D. One 5 page paper on the Crito in The Trial and Death of Socrates. Due week #101. This is a speculative paper: accurate documentation is the only formal requirement.2. This is an evaluation of Socrates' argument and its relative merit. Students will be required to take a position for or against Socrates and defend that position with sound argument.E. Final exam: a comprehensive exam on the Practical Reasoning text.V. Grade Criteria: (This may be applied to either pass/fail or letter grade evaluations.)
1/5 —Class participationThis includes attendance, on time completion of papers, verbal participation & those intangibles that are subjectively evaluated on the basis of teacher/student rapport: i.e. attitudes about the material, willingness and interest in the scholastic enterprise, etc. This is weighed heavily because of the linguistic focus of logic and the need to ensure verbal compliance with the strictures of the discipline.1/5 —Written synopsis on the Crito1/5 —Written critique of the argument in the Crito1/5 —Mid-term exam1/5 —Final exam*Extra Credit may be given for special projects arranged with the teacher, and no grades for written work are final (except for the exams) if the student wishes to revise and improve the work.
**Grading is to be objective except for the synopsis and critique. This includes class work, homework and exams.
VI. Handouts:
• Course Description 2 pgs.• Syllabus 1 pg.• Definitions 4 pgs.• Various handouts 5 pgs.• Exams: 8 pgs.Return to contents
Community College of Vermont Course: Hum2
Fall Semester 1990 Ancient Western Philosophy
Beginning Date: 9/10/90 Mr. Douglas F. Olena
Ending Date: 11/28/90 Newport Branch
Time: 6:00—9:10 PM Mondays
Course Description
I. Course Objectives:
The student will be able to:
A. Identify major trends in ancient western philosophy.B. Place major ancient philosophers in historical context.C. Define and identify major themes in ancient philosophical explanations of the universe.D. Trace the development of Aristotle's thinking from logic to metaphysics to ethics and explain how his thinking differed from his teacher Plato.E. Compare Plato's early moral philosophy with the later political philosophy.F. Evaluate how Plato's idealism and Aristotle's realism demonstrate different approaches to philosophical questions which continued into medieval and modern philosophy.II. Teaching Methods:
Reading textsLecture and discussionIn class analysis of topicsWriting papersIII. Course Requirements:
A. Do readings in texts for discussion in class.B. Occasional quizzes on reading assignments.C. One 2 page paper on the presocratic philosophers from the Allen text. Due week #4.1. This is a formal paper: documentation, spelling, grammar and style are important.2. Adherence to the topic, organization and argument form are crucial.3. If the paper is unacceptably done, it must be rewritten and will be due week #6.D. One 4 page paper on one of the Platonic dialogues not studied in class. Due week #8.1. This is a formal paper: documentation, spelling, grammar and style are important.2. Adherence to the topic, organization and argument form are crucial.3. If the paper is unacceptably done, it must be rewritten and will be due week #9.E. One 4 page paper on differences between Aristotle and Plato. Due week #11.1. This is a formal paper: documentation, spelling, grammar and style are important.2. Adherence to the topic, organization and argument form are crucial.IV. Grading: (This may be applied to either pass/fail or letter grade evaluations.)
1/4 —Class participationThis includes attendance, quizzes, on time completion of papers, verbal participation & those intangibles that are subjectively evaluated on the basis of teacher/student rapport: i.e. attitudes about the material, willingness and interest in the scholastic enterprise, etc. This is weighed heavily because of the highly scholastic nature of philosophy.
1/4 —1st paper1/4 —2nd paper1/4 —3rd paper*Extra Credit may be given for special projects arranged with the teacher, and no grades for written work are final (except for the final paper) if the student wishes to revise and improve the work.
**If the class perceives that it needs more time to complete out of class work, a week off will be scheduled near the end of the semester.
V. Additional Information
A. Required Texts:1. Greek Philosophy: Thales to Aristotle; Second Edition, Reginald E. Allen, Editor, The Free Press, A Division of Macmillan, Inc., New York, 1985. $12.95, ISBN 0-02-900660-0
This text is a compilation of translated original works with a concise introduction.
2. Guthrie, W.K.C. The Greek Philosophers from Thales to Aristotle; Harper Torchbooks, Harper & Row, Publishers, New York, 1975. $6.95, ISBN 0-06-131008-5
All the modern commentators refer to this insightful little work. It is readable and thought provoking, a good companion to "1" above.
B. Suggested Texts:1. Kline, Morris, Mathematical Thought from Ancient to Modern Times; Vol. 1, Oxford University Press, New York, 1990.$14.95, ISBN 0-19-506135-7
159 pages on the history of Greek mathematics, index and bibliography at the end of each chapter. "A remarkably readable book…There is no other book from which one can obtain a comparable understanding of the history of mathematics." American Scientist (From the back cover) The first volume covers the origins of western mathematics. It will be the foundation for a lecture the fourth and eighth weeks.
2. Barnes, Jonathan, The Presocratic Philosophers; Routledge & Kegan Paul, New York, 1986. $27.50, ISBN 0-7100-9200-8
583 pages with indexes, extensive notes, bibliography, appendixes and concordance. This book is part of a series called The Arguments of the Philosophers edited by Ted Honderich. It is a scholarly work that takes into account the original sources in describing the arguments of the early philosophers. It is lucid and well organized proving to be a plausible reconstruction of the arguments on mostly secondary sources.
VI. Handouts:
• Course Description & Syllabus 4 pgs• Outlines and definitions 5 pgs• Paper topics and style examples 5 pgs• Copies from the Kline book 30+ pgs if permission is obtained.Return to contents
Community College of Vermont Course: Hum 225Y
Summer Semester 1991 Ethics in Contemporary Society
Beginning Date: 5/29/91 Mr. Douglas F. Olena
Ending Date: ? St. Johnsbury Branch
Time: 6:00—9:10 PM
A. Course Objectives:
Students explore fundamental ethical issues of modern western society such as right & wrong and telling the truth & lying. Preliminary to dealing with the issues, the student will survey some of the forces that have made our modern society what it is. Secondly, the student will learn what a good ethical decision is and how making the right one can be a life changing experience. Finally, the student will explore modern ethical issues such as abortion, capital punishment, euthanasia, criminal and social justice, etc. These issues are explored through reading and discussion of three texts, classroom dialogue and journal writing.
The student will be able to:
1. Identify major ethical trends and issues in 20th century western society.2. Place major ethical issues in an historical social context.3. Distinguish between good and bad moral arguments.4. Be prepared to state and defend his/her own moral views.B. Teaching Methods:
Reading textsLecture and discussionIn class analysis of topicsWriting a semester long journal.C. Completion requirements/Evaluation criteria
1. Course Requirements:a. Do readings in texts and discuss them in class.b. Write a journal every day in which you examine and interact with the readings and class discussions. This is due the week before the end of classes.c. Take an examination on the book Lying by Sissela Bok.d. One 5 page paper taking a position on a moral issue, and defending it with examples and arguments. This is due the last day of class.2. Grading: (This may be applied to either pass/fail or letter grade evaluations.)1/4 — Class participation
*This includes attendance, on time completion of papers, verbal participation & those intangibles that are subjectively evaluated on the basis of teacher/student rapport: i.e. attitudes about the material, willingness and interest in the scholastic enterprise, etc. This is weighed heavily because of the highly practical nature of Ethical study.
1/4 — Examination1/4 — Position paper1/4 — Journal*Extra Credit may be given for special projects arranged with the teacher, and no grades for written work are final (except for the final exam) if the student wishes to revise and improve the work.
D. Additional Information
1. Texts:a. The Modern Temper; Joseph Wood KrutchThis text is a series of short papers that deal with the spirit of the modern age. Before any discussion about the nature of ethics in our society, we must first grasp something of the history of our present character. The Modern Temper describes a world whose foundation is Science. What has been gained and what has been lost by means of the rejection of a theistic worldview will be discussed. Even since the 1920's, the western worldview has changed, but underlying it is a sense of the emptiness of human progress which is a byproduct of a purely scientific worldview. Agree or disagree with Krutch, one will not remain unchanged by reading this book.
b. Lying; Moral Choice in Public and Private Life; Sissela BokSissela Bok has done a marvelous job collecting material from every era and culture of western civilization and from some other cultures, dealing with the topic of lying. With this, she presents an eminently practical theory about our choices in contemporary society, collecting the best of every theory and rejecting the extremes and blunders. She manages to make personhood and human life the most prominent values and centers her theory around their preservation.
c. Taking Sides; Clashing Views on Controversial Moral Issues; Stephen Satris, editorThis book is a collection of essays on various moral issues like abortion, capital punishment, euthanasia, criminal and social justice. The essays are are set off one against another on the moral issues being discussed. This type of book has proven to be a highly successful method of learning to compare and contrast ideas with the purpose of formulating a personal view.
2. Handouts: a. Outlines 5 pgsb. Exam Review Questionsc. ExamReturn to contents