Philosophy 345
Dr. Stephen Hicks
Scarborough 119 Phone: 226 4078
Office hours: MWF 1 to 2; MW 3-4
SHicks@Rockford.edu or Stephen@StephenHicks.org
Readings
Alan Kors and Harvey Silverglate. The Shadow University. (The Free Press)
Catharine MacKinnon. Only Words. (Harvard University Press)
David Bernstein. You Can’t Say That! (Cato Institute Press)
Free Speech & Censorship booklet. Excerpts from Plato’s The Republic, Galileo’s Letter to Grand Duchess Christina, John Locke’s A Letter concerning Toleration, John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty, speech codes from the Universities of Wisconsin and Michigan, and other exciting items.
Assignments
Pair-essays on the “Water Buffalo” case …………... 20
Midterm ……………………………………………. 20
Book Review of Bernstein (10-12 pages) ………….. 25
Participation ………………………...….…….…….. 10
Final Exam ….……………….………….………….. 25
100
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Schedule and Readings
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Topics |
Readings |
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Introduction |
Alan Kors and Harvey Silverglate, “The Water Buffalo Affair” Bernstein, “Introduction” to You Can’t Say That! Quotations on Free Speech and Censorship [SH] |
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The Ancient and Medieval Worlds |
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Early authoritarianism |
Plato, Book 10 of The Republic [SH] |
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Feudalism |
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Making the Modern World |
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The Science Wars: § Giordano Bruno, Galileo, and the Catholic Church § Nature and supernature, reason and faith § The nature/ethics compromise |
Galileo Galilei, Letter to Grand Duchess Christina [SH] Quotations for Galileo [SH]
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The Religious Wars: § The Reformation and Counter-Reformation § Religious toleration § Separation of church and state |
John Locke, A Letter concerning Toleration [HANDOUT] |
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The Political Wars: § Three Revolutions: English, American, French § The rights of man § The decline of racism and sexism |
John Stuart Mill, Chapters 1 and 2 of On Liberty [SH] Bernstein, Chapter 4 |
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Contemporary debates |
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Three Perspectives: § Religious right § Enlightenment libertarian § Postmodern left |
Kors and Silverglate, "Free Speech in a Free Society" Bernstein, Chapter 1
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Pornography and Sexuality: § The question of harm § Defining “obscenity” § Child pornography |
Catharine MacKinnon, Only Words Wendy McElroy, Summary of A Feminist Overview of Pornography [SH] |
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Art and Creativity: § The Mapplethorpe controversy § What is art? § Distinguishing editing and censoring § Who should pay for art? |
Jesse Helms, “Amendment 420” [SH] Robert Samuelson, “Highbrow Pork-Barrel” [SH] Steven Durland, “Censorship, Multi-culturalism, and Symbols” [SH] Bernstein, Chapter 3 |
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Business and Capitalism: § Should commercial speech be regulated? § Does capitalism enrich or impoverish culture? § Is capitalism really liberal, or is it a cover for oppression? |
Bernstein, Chapter 2 Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself and Lord Alfred Tennyson’s Frater Ave atque Vale [SH] Kors and Silverglate, “Marcuse's Revenge”
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Education and Free Speech: § Classroom pedagogy: civility, tolerance for difference, and cognition § The race and gender wars § Student newspapers: Who decides what can be published? § Campus speech codes |
Kors and Silverglate, “'Shut Up,' They Reasoned: Silencing Students” Bernstein, Chapters 5 and 9
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© Stephen Hicks