Course Syllabus

HUM 3013 History of Ideas Spring 2020/UTSA

Instructor—Dr. Oak DeBerg Class time: Tuesday 4:00-6:45 p.m.

Office Hours: Monday/Tuesday 2:00 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. [or, by appointment] Office: MH 4.05.30K
Phone: 210-458-6031 (Philosophy Office) Class Location: MH 2.02.10
E-mail: Through Blackboard Course Examination: None

Purpose/Objectives: UTSA’s catalogue description for HUM 3013 [The History of Ideas] requires us
to “survey … the development and influence of major philosophical, scientific, and aesthetic
conceptions from ancient times to the present.” This seems to be an almost insurmountable task.
What are the criteria for determining what conceptions are important? Who decides? What makes
one idea or conception more “valuable” than another? Are the ideas of Copernicus and Darwin as
important as those of Jefferson or Marx? Are the concepts of Jesus more influential or noteworthy
than those of the Buddha? Why/why not? Even more confounding is the very problem of what
constitutes an idea in the first place. We will attempt to address some of these issues and see how our
world is, perhaps, a product of the great philosophers, scientists, generals, artists, political thinkers,
inventors, and sages. We will ask what great ideas have fashioned the contemporary world. Rest
assured, no single way exists to parse this “problem.” We must use critical thinking and analysis to
try to grasp the major threads of intellectual development throughout the ages. Naturally, we will
only have time to address some major themes of (mainly) Western thought. The hope is you will feel
sufficiently aroused to follow in the footsteps of the great thinkers of the past as you endeavor to
better understand the world and our inherited views.

This course addresses the historical and philosophical development of knowledge in the Western
world and the many intellectual problems and accomplishments attendant to the attainment of
knowledge. We will generally follow the historical path of intellectual development and attempt to
understand the philosophical import for mankind and for culture. We will discuss these major
intellectual developments and attempt to understand why they are important to us today.

You will notice, I used the verb “to discuss” in describing our attitude toward these questions. Since
we are trying to probe the depths inherent in these historical and philosophical queries, your task as
budding thinkers will be to actively engage in all aspects of our collective inquiry. Inquiry, naturally,
requires curiosity and the desire to see an issue from as many perspectives as possible. Remember,
you will be expected to contribute to all classroom discussions.

The learning objectives for this course are for the student to: (1) understand major philosophical
concepts and issues as they developed historically, (2) successfully construct a philosophical
argument concerning one, or more, of the major issues in the development of the Western
intellectual tradition, (3) understand, and contribute to, the historical and categorical “philosophical
conversation” continuing from the pre-Socratic philosophers to the contemporary thinkers of the
Western world, and (4) construct a coherent and cogent essay concerning the major
contributions/concerns of one of the world’s “great” ideas.

Required Texts:

[1][WM] Passion of the Western Mind; Richard Tarnas, Ballantine Books, (1991)
ISBN: 9780345368096

[2][HE] A Short History of Nearly Everything; Bill Bryson, Broadway Books, (2003)
ISBN: 9780767908184

[3][WP] Writing Philosophy: A Student’s Guide to Writing Philosophical Essays; Lewis Vaughn; Oxford
University Press; Oxford; (2018) ISBN: 978019053013

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[4] [C] The Constitution of the United States; {Note: Copy given in class. Also readily available online.}

Other assigned, readings will be available from either on-line sources or as handouts.

Course Requirements:

(1) Course Examinations—Two exams will be administered. The first examination will be on
17 March 2020 and the second examination will be administered on 4 May 2020. Note: No “final
examination” will be administered. The combination of the two course examinations will cover the
full content of the course. Each exam will comprise 20% of the course grade. (Exams comprise a total
of 40% of the course grade.) *

(2) Quizzes— Quizzes covering the day’s assigned readings will be administered on a random
basis. The total score for all quizzes will be normalized to constitute 10% of the course grade. The
normalization will include an instructor’s assessment of student class attendance and participation. *

(3) Critical essays—Two three-page essays. (No less than 2½-pages nor greater than 3½-pages
in length) The instructor will assign the essay topics. The first essay will comprise 20% of the
student’s course grade; the second essay grade will comprise 30% (for a total of 50% of the course
grade). See Appendix 1 (page 6 of this syllabus) for the essay grading rubric/schema. The essays are
due at the beginning of class on 3 March 2020 and 28 April 2020. Note: No late submissions
accepted!

(4) Extra Credit—Extra credit may be offered for attending and synopsizing specific instructor
approved events (such as lectures, conferences, discussions, etc,) dealing with course related
material. Extra credit may also be earned by completing instructor evaluations at the end of the
course.

(5) * Note: Student may use one (1) 3” x 5” note card for all quizzes and examinations.

Grading scale: Course grades will be earned according to the following percentage basis:

A+ (97 – 100%) / A (93 – 96.9%) / A- (90 – 92.9%)

B+ (87 – 89.9%) / B (83 – 86.9%) / B- (80 – 82.9%)
C+ (77 – 79.9%) / C (73 – 76.9%) / C- (70 – 72.9%)
D+ (67 – 69.9%) / D (63 – 66.9%) / D- (60 – 62.9%)
F (< 60%)

Note: Running scores can be viewed on the student’s Blackboard account.

Attendance is important in all college courses. Since dialogue and discussion are central to any
philosophy class, one must be present to participate.

Instructor Initiated Drop—Students who attain a combined total of two absences and/or
missed assignments by Monday, March 30th, 2020, will be dropped from the course . The
procedures for this process will be posted on Blackboard and is included as an attachment to this
syllabus. All or any of the following methods will be used to assess attendance/missed assignments:
[1] Roll call during class, [2] Sign in sheet, and/or [3] non-submission or completion of a required
assignment for the specific class for which the assignment is due. Please review the UTSA policies
regarding instructor-initiated drops at the following UTSA link:
http://www.utsa.edu/hop/chapter5/5-9.html

See Appendix 2 (page 7 of this syllabus).

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Class Policies: There are few formal rules for this class. Since active discussion is one of our goals,
each of us is expected to behave in a civil manner toward one another (especially toward the
instructor!). However, to maintain decorum in the classroom these self-evident policies will assure
the desired environment:

(a) All Laptops and cell phones must be stowed in backpacks or purses and must be turned off.

(b) Head coverings and sunglasses are discouraged unless needed for medical or religious purposes.

(c) Do not bring food/drinks to class. (A bottle of H2O is fine.) / Please dispose of trash appropriately.

(d) No cheating or plagiarism!!!!! (This will result in an automatic failure.) Please read the last
page of this syllabus. By your presence in class, you acquiesce and embrace each and all of the
philosophical goals contained therein.

(e) Late arrivals and early departures from class are discouraged. (If you must leave early, please
consult with the instructor prior to class.)

(f) Complete all reading assignments prior to class. There should be no valid reason to come to class
unprepared.

(g) Late papers will not be accepted nor will make-up quizzes be offered for those quizzes
missed.

Class Assignment
Meeting

Jan 21
[Posted on Blackboard] Nick Smith; Writing, Rewriting, and Grading Philosophy Papers
WK 1 [WP] Lewis Vaughn; Writing Philosophy: A Student’s Guide to Writing Philosophical Essays;
{In class} Why philosophy?
{In class} A great idea
{In class} Plato’s Allegory of the Cave
[WM] Preface; pp xiii-xiv
[WM] Introduction; pp1-2
[WM] Part I: The Greek World View; pp 3-40
[HE] Introduction; pp 1-6
[HE] Chapter 1; How to Build a Universe; pp 9-18
[HE] Chapter2; Welcome to the Solar System, pp 19-28
[HE] Chapter 3; The Reverend Evans’s Universe, pp 29-39
Jan28 [WM] Part I: The Greek World View; pp 41-72
[WM] Part II: The Transformation of the Classical Era; pp 73-90
WK 2 [HE] Chapter 4: The Measure of Things; pp 43-62
[HE] Chapter 5: The Stone Breakers; pp 63-78
{In class} Pre-Socratics, Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics
Feb 4 [WM] Part III: The Christian World View; pp 91-137
WK 3 [HE] Chapter 25 Darwin’s Singular Notion; pp 381-396
{In class} Charles Darwin
[HE] Chapter 6: Science Red in Tooth and Claw; pp 79-96
{In class} The Scientific Revolution

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Feb 11 [WM] Part III: The Christian World View; pp 91-170
{In class} Aquinas
WK 4 {In class} Augustine
Feb 18 [WM] Part IV: The Transformation of the Medieval Era; pp 171-221
WK 5 [HE] Chapter 7: Elemental Matters; pp 97-111

Feb 25 [WM] Part V: The Modern Worldview; pp 223-247

[HE] Chapter 16: Lonely Planet; pp 239-254
WK 6 [HE] Chapter 17: Into the Troposphere; pp 255-269
{In class} Petrarch
{In class} The Renaissance
{In class} The Reformation
{In class} Johannes Gutenberg
{In class} Leonardo da Vinci
Mar 3 NOTE: First three-page paper due at beginning of class.
[WM] Part V: The Modern Worldview; pp 248-271
WK 7 {In class} The Scientific Revolution
{In class} Nicolaus Copernicus
{In class} Galileo
{In class} Thomas Kuhn
Mar 10 SPRING BREAK—NO CLASS!!!!
[Read ahead or catch up—no time like the present!!!]
WK 8
Mar 17 NOTE: First Examination administered this class
[WM] Part V: The Modern Worldview; pp 272-297
WK 9 [HE] Chapter 7: Elemental Matters; pp 97-111
{In class} Francis Bacon
{In class} René Descartes
{In class} Isaac Newton
Mar 24 [WM] Part V: The Modern Worldview; pp 298-323
[HE] Chapter 7: Elemental Matters; pp 97-111
WK 10 {In class} The Enlightenment—Science, The Arts, Philosophy, Humanism, and Secularism
{In class} Voltaire
{In class} David Hume
{In class} Immanuel Kant
Mar 31 [WM] Part VI: The Transformation of the Modern Era; pp 326-354
[HE] Chapter 7: Elemental Matters; pp 97-111
WK 11 {In class} The Social Contract {Plato and Thomas Hobbes}
{In class} John Locke
{In class} The Founding Fathers
{In class} Karl Marx
[C] The Constitution of the United States
Apr 7 [WM] Part VI: The Transformation of the Modern Era; pp 355-394
{In class} Sigmund Freud
WK 12 {In class} Søren Kierkegaard
{In class} Friedrich Nietzsche

Apr 14 [WM] Part VI: The Transformation of the Modern Era; pp 395-413
{In class} The Existentialists
WK 13
Apr 21 [WM] Part VII: Epilogue; pp 415-445
[HE] Chapter 8: Einstein’s Universe; pp 115-132
WK 14 [HE] Chapter 9:The Mighty Atom; pp 133-148
{In class} Albert Einstein

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 {In class} The Age of Technology (?)

________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_ NOTE: Second three-page paper due at beginning of class.
Apr28 [HE] Chapter 25 Darwin’s Singular Notion; pp 381-396
{In class} Charles Darwin
WK 15 [HE] Chapter 19; The Rise of Life; pp 287-301
[HE] Chapter 28; The Mysterious Biped; pp 434-452
[HE] Chapter 29; The Restless Ape; pp 453-468
[HE] Chapter 30; Good-Bye; pp 469-478
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________ __
May 5 NOTE: Second Examination administered this class

WK 16

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 Appendix 1

ESSAY GRADING SCHEMA

Nick Smith’s Writing, Rewriting, and Grading Philosophy Papers and Lewis Vaughn’s Writing
Philosophy: A Student’s Guide to Writing Philosophical Essays are the sources for how to correctly
prepare student essays. Nick Smith’s paper beautifully describes the qualities used to assess the
merits of a philosophical essay. Using Smith’s assessment methodology as guidance, Dr. DeBerg uses
the following essay grading schema (or, template) to determine student essay grades:

THESIS (20%) ________________________

PREMISES (20%) _____________________

ARGUMENT (20%) ___________________

OBJECTIONS/REBUTTALS (15%) ___________________________

STRUCTURE/GRAMMAR (20%) _____________________________

CITATIONS/WORKS CITED (5%) ____________________________

TOTAL (100%) _____________________

NOTE: Citations and Works Cited page must conform to MLA 8 Style. See “Purdue OWL” web-site for
correct citation methodology.

Test/Examination Schema

Each of the two major class examinations will consist of ten (10) short questions. Each
question can be appropriately answered in a few (three to five) descriptive or explanatory sentences.
The answers will be graded on ten-point scale and each exam will be scaled, as appropriate, to reflect
the exam’s final weighting (as described above in this syllabus). Any exam, if the instructor so
warrants, may include an extra credit offering.

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 Appendix 2
HUM 3013—History of Ideas
Spring Semester 2020—Dr. Oak DeBerg
INSTRUCTOR-INITIATED DROP ATTENDANCE POLICY

This course uses UTSA’s instructor-initiated drops for students who exceed the absence
and/or missed assignment limit. Therefore, up until the last day for students to withdraw
from an individual course, Tuesday, March 30th, 2020 you will be dropped for attaining a total
aggregate of two (2) absences and/or missed assignments. Attendance/missed assignments will
be assessed by all, or any, of the following methods: [1] Roll call during class, [2] Sign in sheet, [3] In-
class quizzes or assignments, and/or [4] Submission or completion of a required assignment due
during the specific class for which the assignment is assigned. Each student is responsible for
documenting his/her attendance in this course by signing an attendance sheet, answering
instructor’s roll call, submitting hard-copy homework, taking in-class quizzes, completing in-class
exercises, or completing all tasks as assigned.

Students will receive at least one courtesy warning when approaching the absence/missed
assignment limit. Notification will be sent via ASAP to the student’s preferred email address. A
subsequent absence or missed assignment will result in being dropped from the course. Notification
of being dropped will also be sent via ASAP to the student’s preferred email address. This drop does
not affect enrollment in other courses

After consultation with the instructor, you may appeal the drop to the Associate Dean, College of
Liberal and Fine Arts, MH 4.01.23 using the Course Reinstatement Petition available at the College
office, Department offices, and on the Registrar’s website utsa.edu/registrar/forms.html. You must
appeal the drop within 3 business days from the date the notification was sent. An appeal will be
upheld and the student reinstated into the course only when the student provides compelling evidence
the instructor’s attendance or missed assignment record is in error. Once an appeal is filed the student
will be allowed to attend the course and maintain Blackboard Learn access until the appeal is
adjudicated. The Associate Dean must inform the student of his or her decision within three business
days of receiving the appeal. The student will be sent email notice to his or her preferred email
address informing him or her of the decision.

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 Appendix 3

The University of Texas at San Antonio Academic Honor Code

A. Preamble
The University of Texas at San Antonio community of past, present and future students,
faculty, staff, and administrators share a commitment to integrity and the ethical pursuit of
knowledge. We honor the traditions of our university by conducting ourselves with a
steadfast duty to honor, courage, and virtue in all matters both public and private. By
choosing integrity and responsibility, we promote personal growth, success, and lifelong
learning for the advancement of our university, our community, and ourselves.

B. Honor Pledge
In support of the ideals of integrity, the students of the University of Texas at San Antonio
pledge:

“As a UTSA Roadrunner I live with honor and integrity.”

C. Shared responsibility
The University of Texas at San Antonio community shares the responsibility and
commitment to integrity and the ethical pursuit of knowledge and adheres to the UTSA
Honor Code.

The Roadrunner Creed

The University of Texas at San Antonio is a community of scholars, where integrity, excellence,
inclusiveness, respect, collaboration, and innovation are fostered.

As a Roadrunner, I will:
 Uphold the highest standards of academic and personal integrity by practicing and expecting fair
and ethical conduct;

 Respect and accept individual differences, recognizing the inherent dignity of each person;

 Contribute to campus life and the larger community through my active engagement; and

 Support the fearless exploration of dreams and ideas in the advancement of ingenuity, creativity,
and discovery.

Guided by these principles now and forever, I am a Roadrunner!

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