Department of Philosophy

Phil 330: Islamic Philosophy (W/O), TR 7:30-8:45 a.m.
Dr. Tamara Albertini, 956-6030, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Office Hours: M/Th 10–11 a.m. and by appointment (Sakam D-303)



S Y L L A B U S

Course Description:
This introduction to Islamic Philosophy focuses on thinkers from Andalusia, a region in Southern Spain occupied by Muslims for over 800 years. The philosophers and scientists of medieval Andalusia were far fewer in numbers than their colleagues in the Eastern Islamic empire. Their ideas and inventions had nevertheless a lasting impact on Christian European culture. The course will touch upon a variety of subjects treated in Andalusian philosophical texts. In particular, it will focus on a treatise by Ibn Masarra, a Muslim mystic who derived his cosmology from Greek and Hellenistic sources, Ibn Bajja’s political philosophy, and Ibn Tufayl’s philosophical tale of a child growing up in solitude to become an accomplished Aristotelian. The course will close with the analysis of The Decisive Treatise by Ibn Rushd (the famed Averroes of Western scholastic tradition).
    This course will help students understand and assess some of Islam’s greatest intellectual achievements. By studying Muslim philosophers, they will also develop a better understanding of Western tradition. More generally, the course will increase their awareness of the importance and value of cross-cultural exchanges.

Course Assessment
This course is both  speech  and WRITING intensive. Grading will be divided into two categories - 65% for oral and 35% for written communication. Student evaluation will be based upon the following: participation in class discussion (O 10%), presentation of a research article (O 20%), a speech in praise of a Muslim philosopher or an idea/concept/ideal defended by a Muslim philosopher (O 15%, W 15%), and a final project presentation (O 20%, W 20%).
        
Required Texts:
L.E. Goodman, Ibn Tufayl’s Hayy Ibn Yaqzan (Alive Son of the Awake): A Philosophical Tale (1992)
Ralph Lerner & Muhsin Mahdi, Medieval Political Philosophy: A Sourcebook (1963)

Recommended Reading:
Fazlur Rahman, Islam, Second Ed. (1979) [excellent introduction to Islam: culture, religion, theology, and mysticism]

Xerox Materials:
A substantial reader with additional texts will be made available in the first week of the semester.

Phil 330: Islamic Philosophy, TR 7:30-8:45 a.m.
Dr. Tamara Albertini, 956-6030, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Office Hours: M/Th 10:00-11:00 p.m. and by appointment (Sakam D-303)


C L A S S  S C H E D U L E

August
26    General Introduction
28    Islam. General Overview (history and religion)
        
September
 2    Andalusia.A specific intellectual region of the Islamic empire
 4    Video: Islam. A Pictorial Essay
 9    Introduction to Islamic Philosophy (Albertini-article: READER)    
11    Introduction to Islamic Philosophy (Albertini-article): Discussion
16    O1: Arita, Grant T., Bach, Heather M., Bishop, Kaleigh M., Borders, Ty J.
18    O1: Bwy, Paul R., Cole, Sarah M., Delfico, Christopher J., Fergusson, Bali, Gallarde,
    Bryan J.
23    O1: Herbert, Alan, Kania, Marissa E., Ke-Paloma, Alika, Kem, Michelle L., Kim, Andrew
    M.
25    O1:  Lundquist, Mary, Palmer, Stephanie K., Shing, Man Wa, Tokumi, Andrew S.,
    Yamada, Joey C.
30    Ibn Masarra: The book of nature and the book of God (READER)
        
October
 2    Ibn Masarra: The book of nature and the book of God (READER)
 7    Ibn Bajja: Harmonizing Aristotle with a philosophy of solitude (ANTHOLOGY)
 9    Ibn Bajja: Harmonizing Aristotle with a philosophy of solitude (ANTHOLOGY)
14    Ibn Tufayl: The human ideal (New Adam? New Moses? New Aristotle?)
16    Ibn Tufayl: His critique of established religion
21    Ibn Rushd: Legal thinking and philosophical thinking (ANTHOLOGY)
23    Ibn Rushd: Legal thinking and philosophical thinking (ANTHOLOGY)
28    O2: Arita, Grant T., Bach, Heather M., Bishop, Kaleigh M., Borders, Ty J.
30    O2: Bwy, Paul R., Cole, Sarah M., Delfico, Christopher J., Fergusson, Bali, Gallarde,
    Bryan J.

November
 4    ELECTION DAY        
 6    O2: Herbert, Alan, Kania, Marissa E., Ke-Paloma, Alika, Kem, Michelle L., Kim, Andrew
    M.
11    VETERAN’S DAY    
13    O2: Lundquist, Mary, Palmer, Stephanie K., Shing, Man Wa, Tokumi, Andrew S.,
    Yamada, Joey C.
18    O3: Arita, Grant T., Bach, Heather M., Bishop, Kaleigh M., Borders, Ty J.
20    O3: Bwy, Paul R., Cole, Sarah M., Delfico, Christopher J.    
25    O3: Fergusson, Bali, Gallarde, Bryan J., Herbert, Alan
27    THANKSGIVING
        

December
 2    O3: Kania, Marissa E., Ke-Paloma, Alika, Kem, Michelle L.
 4    O3: Kim, Andrew M., Lundquist, Mary, Palmer, Stephanie K.
 9    O3: Shing, Man Wa, Tokumi, Andrew S., Yamada, Joey C.
11    Final Session


Final Paper Due December 11, 2008


STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES/ COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course will deliver enlightenment in fifteen easy to follow weekly installments. By the end of the course students should be able to:
 C learn about the major contributors to Islamic tradition (ancient Greek, Syriac-Christian, Muslim, Persian, and Jewish philosophers);
 
C appreciate the specific philosophical and scientific contributions of Islamic Andalusia;
C understand in what ways Western and Islamic philosophy once crossed paths;
C appreciate Islamic philosophy as a tradition in its own right (rather than as part of Western medieval studies);
C appreciate Arabic as a philosophically relevant language;
 
C acquire basic philosophical technical terms;
 
C think of the history of philosophy not as the museum of past and dead achievements of the mind but as a living pool of ideas, concepts, patterns, and thinking strategies that can be tapped into to approach and possibly solve current philosophical problems as well; and
 
C BECOME BETTER WRITERS BY STUDYING THE STYLES OF THE MASTERS OF THE PAST.
C use speech as a means to reflect on course materials.
 
 COURSE ASSESSMENT
 This is both a  speech  and WRITING intensive course. Student evaluations will be based upon participation in class discussion (O 10%), the presentation of a research article (O 20%), a speech in praise of a Muslim philosopher or an idea/concept/ideal defended by a Muslim philosopher (O 15%, W 15%), and a project presentation (O 20%, W 20%).
 N.B.:
 - Not showing up for a speech or not delivering a speech on the assigned date will be considered a failed oral performance.
 - FAILURE TO DELIVER ANY WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT ON TIME WILL ENTAIL A GRADE DEDUCTION: 1/3 GRADE WITH EVERY ELAPSING SESSION. ASSIGNMENTS NOT SUBMITTED WITHIN ONE WEEK FROM THE DUE DATE ARE CONSIDERED FAILED PERFORMANCES. RE-WRITES ARE ENCOURAGED. THEY NEED TO BE TURNED IN NO LATER THAN ONE WEEK AFTER THE INSTRUCTOR RETURNED THE ORIGINAL PAPER.
     
 
 I. INFORMATION RELEVANT TO THE COURSE’S ORAL COMPONENT
 Oral Assignment 1: Presentation of a research article/book chapter
 Step 1: Identify a viable source
 - Consult the rich bibliographies attached to your primary sources
 - Find out how you can access research articles on line through Hawai‘i Voyager.
 Step 2: Learn how to reference literature according to the guidelines in The Chicago Manual of Style.
 Write the title of your article/book chapter accordingly.
 Step 3: Prepare for oral presentation
 1) Questions to keep in mind relating to the source:
 - Is source relevant to class focus? How?
 - What is the source’s most valuable contribution?
 - Can you condense its position into one paragraph?
 - Can you distinguish between the information (historical, methodological...) your source provides and the position it defends or advocates?
 - How is this source going to help future research?
 - What are its shortcomings?
 2) Handout. There will be a major grade deduction if the handout is missing altogether and a minor deduction if any of the following is omitted:
 - Your name
 - The exact title of your source according to guidelines in The Chicago Manual of Style.
 - Descriptive paragraph (max. 5-10 lines)
 - Outline
 - List of names and/or historic figures mentioned if applicable
 - Key terminology if applicable
 3) Delivery criteria:
 - clarity of your structure
 - clarity of the information you provide
 - complexity of the content you present
 - use of technical terminology in your presentation
 - choice of words in your presentation
 - diction
 - eye contact
 - body language
 - pace
 - means other than strict speech (graphics, charts, transparencies, power point...)
 Time: You have exactly 10 min.
 N.B.: It is the quality of your presentation that either enhances or diminishes the value of the source you present on.
 
 Oral Assignment 2: How to praise?
 A eulogy is a wonderful way to celebrate someone’s life by the sole use of words. Your task is to endear the person you shall be speaking about. As you prepare your speech, focus carefully on what you think the Muslim philosopher you are working on should be best remembered for. While organizing the available historic information, ask yourself  “What of this is truly memorable?” Keep in mind that your own eulogy should become in itself a memorable experience for your audience.
 Here are some suggestions:
 - Think of your author’s achievements: literary and philosophical ones. Think of other talents and skills if applicable (sciences, poetry, mysticism...). Think of your author’s character and personality. You may want to pay attention to the author’s moral virtues, if known. How did your author succeed in making himself heard? That in itself is an achievement.
 - In order to make your eulogy more appealing to your audience, you will have to make an effort to get away from the usual academic format, i.e., research paper. Think of alternative ways of introducing your author: a letter, a witness account, a dialogue, a fictitious letter or diary entry by the author, a poem...
 - Let your audience hear the author’s voice. There may be a phrase or statement that characterizes your author best. You may also want to think of somebody else’s phrase (from the author’s period or from contemporary scholarship).
 - Think of using appropriate rhetorical means such as repetitive patterns (for instance, words, expressions, or questions to introduce but another achievement), analogies, and metaphors.
 Delivery criteria: Same as for the first presentation.
 Time: You have exactly 15 min.
 
 Oral Assignment 3: “How do I praise my project?”
 In your previous presentations you lent your voice first to a contemporary scholar by introducing one of his/her published research papers or book chapters. Your second presentation had you deliver a eulogy in praise of a Muslim philosopher. In this last presentation you will speak in your own voice. Your goal is to convince your audience that you are pursuing an exciting question or theme that either has not found sufficient attention by scholars in the field or was addressed in a different light (or possibly inadequately). You as the most recent expert in the field will have to first place your research in the scholarly context then persuade your audience that you are competent enough to add your voice to an exiting “choir” of qualified scholarly opinions.
 Handout (mandatory): There will be a major grade deduction if the handout is missing altogether and a minor deduction if any of the following is omitted:
 - Your name
 - The exact title of your project
 - Descriptive paragraph (max. 12-15 lines)
 - Paper outline
 - Bibliography with at least four sources
 - List of names and/or historic figures mentioned if applicable
 - Key terminology if applicable
 Delivery criteria: Same as for the first presentation.
 Time: You have exactly 15 min.
 
 FEEDBACK: There will be a feedback sheet for each oral assignment. Presenters will be allowed to read the audience’s response to their performances. In addition, instructor will offer individual feedback.
 
 
 II. INFORMATION RELEVANT TO THE COURSE’S WRITING COMPONENT
 WHAT IS A WRITING INTENSIVE COURSE?
 PHIL 330 IS A WRITING INTENSIVE COURSE, I.E., IT USES WRITING AS A MEANS TO LEARN COURSE MATERIALS. SINCE THE COURSE MATERIALS ARE ALL PHILOSOPHICAL TEXTS, FOR STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND INTELLIGENTLY AND CREATIVELY TO ASSIGNMENTS IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR THEM TO SPEND MUCH TIME READING.  MY WRITING INTENSIVE COURSE IS, THEREFORE, ALSO A READING INTENSIVE COURSE. READING ENTAILS LEARNING AND FAMILIARIZING ONESELF WITH THE PHILOSOPHICAL TERMINOLOGY USED IN THE TEXTS. DEPENDING ON HOW ADVANCED A STUDENT YOU ARE, RESERVE 3-4 HOURS A WEEK FOR READING AND DIGESTING COURSE MATERIALS.
 
 STYLE
 ALL PAPERS NEED TO BE PAGINATED. QUOTATIONS AND SOURCES USED ARE TO BE REFERENCED. BOOK TITLES AND FOREIGN TERMS ARE TO BE ITALICIZED. WEB SOURCES CONSULTED HAVE TO BE ATTACHED TO PAPERS. PLEASE, AVOID SEXIST LANGUAGE (SEE READER). FOR BIBLIOGRAPHY AND FOOTNOTES FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS IN CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE (SEE READER).
                                             
 SOME USEFUL WRITING DEVICES
 1) WHY QUOTE? YOUR READER ENJOYS TO HEAR THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR’S VOICE. THIS GIVES THE READER A CHANCE TO GET IN TOUCH MORE DIRECTLY WITH THE TEXT YOU ARE REFERRING TO.
 2) WHY PARAPHRASE? BY LENDING YOUR VOICE TO THE AUTHOR AND THUS USING YOUR OWN WORDS TO RENDER THE AUTHOR’S POSITION OR IDEA, YOU SHOW YOUR READER THAT YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR SOURCE. IT IS ALSO FOR YOU A MEANS TO CLARIFY YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT YOU READ.
 3) WHY COMMENT? WITH THIS DEVICE YOU START EXPANDING ON THE IDEAS YOU ENCOUNTERED IN THE TEXT. MORE IMPORTANTLY, YOU SHOW YOUR ABILITY TO GO BEYOND THE SOURCE(S) USED. YOU ELABORATE ON A GIVEN PASSAGE OR AN ENTIRE TEXT. FOR INSTANCE, YOU ANALYZE AND/OR EXPAND ON KEY TERMS, QUESTIONS AND CONCEPTS. YOU EXPLORE BY MAKING INNER-TEXTUAL CONNECTIONS. YOU MAY ALSO GO SUBSTANTIALLY BEYOND THE TEXT BY BRINGING IN ADDITIONAL VOICES (FELLOW-PHILOSOPHERS OR SCHOLARS IN THE FIELD OR EVEN FROM A DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHICAL TRADITION) WHO HAVE DEALT WITH THE SAME TEXT.
 4) WHY CONTRAST? YOU CONTRAST TECHNICAL TERMINOLOGY, IDEAS AND/OR POSITIONS VIS-À-VIS A PHILOSOPHICAL PROBLEM BY BRINGING IN ADDITIONAL VOICES (FELLOW-PHILOSOPHERS OR SCHOLARS IN THE FIELD OR EVEN FROM A DIFFERENT TRADITION) WHO HAVE DEALT WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE TO CONTRAST AN AUTHOR’S EARLY POSITION WITH A LATER ONE. FOR INSTANCE, PLATO’S FIRST WORKS WITH THE ONES HE HAS WRITTEN LATER IN LIFE.
 5) WHY COMPARE? THE PURPOSE OF COMPARISONS IS TO SHARPEN THE UNDERSTANDING OF A GIVEN TEXT OR PROBLEM. COMPARISONS MAY BE SYMMETRICAL OR ASYMMETRICAL. THE FIRST ONES GIVE EQUAL ATTENTION TO TWO OR MORE ORIGINAL SOURCES ANALYZED. THE COMPARISON HERE HELPS WITH A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF ALL SOURCES. THE LATTER ONES FOCUS ON ONE MAIN ORIGINAL SOURCE AND USE (THE) OTHER SOURCE(S) TO SHED LIGHT ON SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF THE MAIN SOURCE. HERE TOO, YOU MAY COMPARE TECHNICAL TERMS, IDEAS, AND/OR POSITIONS VIS-À-VIS A PHILOSOPHICAL PROBLEM WITHIN ONE AND THE SAME WORK
 6) WHY CRITIQUE? YOU DETACH YOURSELF FROM THE AUTHOR’S POINT OF VIEW AND SPEAK ENTIRELY IN YOUR OWN VOICE. AT THIS POINT YOU SHOW YOUR READER THAT YOU ARE NOT MERELY REGURGITATING WHAT YOU HAVE READ BUT ARE PERFECTLY ABLE TO EXPRESS AN INDEPENDENT OPINION. A CRITIQUE DOES NOT NECESSARILY DISAGREE WITH THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR’S POSITION. IT IS WELL POSSIBLE THAT YOU DEVELOP A QUALIFIED OPINION THAT ACTUALLY SUPPORTS THE POSITION YOU CRITIQUE.
 
 FEEDBACK
 INSTRUCTOR WILL PROVIDE CONCISE WRITTEN COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS TO HELP STUDENTS IMPROVE THEIR PAPERS. FOR DETAILED FEEDBACK STUDENTS ARE URGED TO MEET WITH THEIR INSTRUCTOR DURING OFFICE HOURS. THIS HAS PROVEN TO BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF STUDENTS’ WRITING.
 
 ATTACHMENTS
 While students may send their papers as an attachment in order to meet the deadline, they are expected to provide the instructor with a hard copy. The instructor will not print out any e-mailed papers.
 
 USEFUL WEBSITES                                    
 Writing a Philosophical Essay (Adapted from the pages of William Myers, Birmingham-Southern College)
 http://www.rogue-scholars.com/classes/writing_philosophy.htm
 Online Resources for Students in Philosophy
 http://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/studres.html
 
NOTE ON ACADEMIC ETHICS (Plagiarism)
 For your information, the University of Hawai‘i Student Conduct Code defines plagiarism as follows:
 “Plagiarism includes but is not limited to submitting, in fulfillment of an academic requirement, any work that has been copied in whole or in part from another individual’s work without attributing that borrowed portion to the individual; neglecting to identify as a quotation another’s idea and particular phrasing that was not assimilated into the student’s language and style or paraphrasing a passage so that the reader is misled as to the source; submitting the same written or oral or artistic material in more than one course without obtaining authorization from the instructors involved; or ‘drylabbing,’ which includes obtaining and using experimental data and laboratory write-ups from other sections of a course or from previous terms.”
In obvious cases of plagiarism such as downloading from the web or copying from printed or otherwise copyrighted materials without signaling it, students will fail the course and be referred to the Dean of Students.
What Is Plagiarism? (From the Honor Council of Georgetown University)
 http://gervaseprograms.georgetown.edu/hc/index.html
 
.  They Said It So Much Better. Shouldn't I Use Their Words?             
.  What is a Paraphrase, Anyway?
.  My Friends Get Stuff From the Internet
.  I Don't Have Time to Do It Right
.  A Citation is Not a Traffic Ticket
.  What If My Roommate Helped Me?
.  In My Country/High School, Using Someone Else's Work is a Sign of Respect
.  I Really Didn't Do It!
.  What About Copyright?
.  Examples of Plagiarism
.  Acknowledging Work of Others
 
 KOKUA
 If you have any disabilities that might affect your school work, KOKUA is a confidential service for students with disabilities that is available to offer assistance to you. KOKUA is located in Student Services Center #013; the phone number is 956-7511.
                                             
 FOODS AND BEVERAGES
 Sorry, no consumption of foods and beverages in class (unless there is a medical condition). Lady Philosophy is a jealous teacher. She requires your full and undivided attention.