Download Academic Dishonesty and Late Submissions

UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE
SOCIOLOGY DEPARTMENT
SEMESTER 1 2016 6HILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS (SOC 107)
LECTURER: Prof Rudo Gaidzanwa.
CONSULTATION TIME: Friday 10-13. 00hrs
OFFICE: 118 SOCIOLOGY (OLD SOCIAL STUDIES BUILDING)
EMAIL:[email protected]
TEACHING ASSISTANT Ms Bakili,. OLD SOCIAL STUDIES BUILDING.
COURSE AIMS: The aim of the course is to introduce students to the ideas of selected philosophers
whose thinking shaped specific historical periods, contributing to our understanding of the social,
economic and political structures of those societies. Studying the philosophical thought which
dominated specific societies and shaped their history helps sociologists and anthropologists to
understand the contemporary world and its philosophical foundations. Studying the philosophical
thought dominating selected historical epochs societies and communities enables sociologists and
anthropologists to understand and appreciate the role of philosophical thinking and practice in
enhancing anthropological and sociological studies.
Course Description
This course is focuses on the study of simple and complex societies from a philosophical and historical
perspective, linking these studies to the philosophical foundations of sociology and anthropology. The
course focuses on selected philosophical topics and examines their relationship to various concepts and
their contribution to sociological and anthropological understanding of human behaviour. Topics to be
addressed include the notion of philosophy, the definition and development of knowledge, the
evolution of societies, the forces that shape social development and the philosophical concepts and
thoughts that dominate relations between the different classes, strata, genders and races. The course
raises these questions and issues to enable students to understand the relationships between the mind,
the body, society, morality, work, power, politics and the meaning of life.
Course Objectives
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To introduce students to the central themes of philosophy
To enable students to link philosophy and human behaviour.
To enable students to understand the differences, conflicts and similarities
that exist in the most fundamental beliefs and values prevailing in simple,
ancient, medieval and modern societies from a historical perspective.
To enable students to understand the outcomes of historical encounters
between different types of societies with varying philosophical, social,
political and economic foundations.
The thematic areas for study are as follows:
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Philosophical thought in hunting and gathering, agrarian, pastoralist, traditional and modern societies
in Africa and elsewhere.
Philosophical thought in the societies of the Dark, Middle and Modern Ages in Europe, their internal
class structures and philosophies, struggles and development. the Renaissance, the Enlightenment and
encounters between Europeans, Africans and other peoples and the philosophical issues arising from
these encounters involving conquest, enslavement and colonialism The development of philosophies
such as Negritude and Ubuntu. Contestations and consensus between current social philosophies
By the end of the course students should be able to appreciate, understand and assess the varied
philosophical traditions and currents that inform contemporary philosophical social and political
thought in the local, continental and global contexts.
Methodology
The course will comprise lectures, class debates, tutorials presentations and problem-based learning.
Participation and attendance of tutorials is mandatory. Students are encouraged to attend lectures and
to read ahead widely. Students should submit their names for tutorial group allocation within the first
week of the semester. The following weeks will be devoted to lectures, essay writing, tutorials, a class
test and examinations at the end of the semester.
Expectations from lecturers and tutors and assessment and grading of submitted work.
Students are expected to attend lectures. Tutorials, tests and examinations are compulsory.
Examination
Grades are determined as follows: Course work contributes 25% and the final exam contributes 75%
of the final grade in this course. Students are required to submit two lots of work, namely, a take away
assignment to be submitted at a specified date and a test to be written in class.
Students should take their course work seriously as it is compulsory and contributes to the final
grade in this course. Students cannot pass the course without submitting course work at the
specified time even if they pass the exam.
Academic Dishonesty and Late Submissions
Academic dishonesty includes plagiarism (copying other scholars’ works and not acknowledging
them), copying fellow students’ papers, cheating in exams etc. Such practices will not be tolerated and
attract heavy penalties which include disqualification. Late submissions will be graded down by 10%
per day.
COURSE CONTENT
1) What is philosophy?
2).Philosophical contexts: Social, political and intellectual forces that influence the development of
philosophy.
3)The form and content of philosophical thought in hunting and gathering, agrarian, pastoralist, traditional
and modern societies in Africa and beyond.
4) Philosophical thought in the ancient societies in Greece, the Dark, Middle and Modern Ages in Europe,
5) The Renaissance and the Enlightenment and post-Enlightenment thought.
6) Encounters between Europeans, Africans and Native Americans and other peoples. Conquest,
enslavement and colonialism
7) The development of Sociology as a discipline.
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8) The development of philosophies such as Negritude and Ubuntu.
9) Contestations and consensus between current social philosophies.
Tutorial Readings (TUTORIALS BEGIN IN THE SECOND WEEK OF SEPTEMBER, 2016)
1. Warburton, N. 1992. Philosophy: The Basics. Introduction pp.1-7. Routledge: London.
2. Gough, K. “The Origin of the Family” in Reiter, R. 9ed) Toward an anthropology of Women.”
Monthly Review Press. London and New York. 1975. .
3. Ancient
Greek
Culture
and
civilisation
(in
contrast
to
Roman
culture)
(http://www.leadershipclassics.org/AncientGreekCulture&Civilization.html) Students can contrast
Greece to Ancient Rome to understand the source of their differences. Socrates, Plato and Aristotle
4. The Renaissance in Europe and its impact in various fields including philosophical through, art,
culture and life.
5. Brown, Dee. “Their manners are decorous and praiseworthy” in Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee.:
An Indian history of the American West. Picador. Pan Books. London. 1980.
6. Nussbaum, B. 2003. “Ubuntu: Reflections of a South African on our Common Humanity,
7. Mgwebi, Snail “The Black Consciousness Movementin South Africa: A product of the entire black
world.” HAOL, Núm. 15 (Invierno, 2008), 51-68 file:///C:/Users/Prof/Downloads/DialnetTheBlackConsciousnessMovementInSouthAfrica-2546983.pdf
.
Written Assignment
Questions for Assignment One
Due Friday, 7th October, 2016 at 12:00 hrs.
EITHER:
Discuss the contradictions between the dominant philosophies of Europe and the slave trade and
colonisation of Africa and the New World. .
OR
Discuss the form and content of the philosophy of Negritude and assess its influence on the
thinking of Africans during and after their anti-colonial struggles..
Assignment Two.
CLASS TEST to be written in the last month of the first semester. (TBA).
All students are expected to attend lectures and write the class test. There will be no second sitting of
the class test..
Bibliography
Berger, PL and Luckman, T. The Social Construction of Reality: A treatise on the Sociology of
Knowledge. Allen Lane. Penguin Press. 1967.
Callinicos,A. Social Theory. Polity press. Cambridge. 2007.
Giddens, A. Positivism and Sociology. Heinemann. E.B. 1974 pp1-22 are on Auguste Comte.
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Hamilton, P. “The Enlightenment and the birth of Social Science‘ in Hall,s and Gieben, B (eds)
Formations of Modernity. Polity Press. Cambridge. 1992.
Hampson, N. The Enlightenment. Penguin. London. 1990.
Held, D. Introduction to Critical Theory. Hutchinson. London. 1980.
Hawthorn, G. Enlightenment and Despair: A history of Social Theory. Cambridge University Press.
Cambridge. 1987.
Hoffman,
G.R.
Europea
In: Quest: (1993), vol. 7, no. 1, p. 44-55
attitudes
to
African
philosophy
Hughes, JA Martin, p and Sharrock,W. Understanding Classical Sociology: Marx, Weber Durkheim.
Sage pres. London. 2006
Hountondji, P. African Philosophy : Myth and Reality / Paulin J. Hountondji; transl. by Henri Evans with the
collaboration of Jonathan Ree ; Introduction by Abiola Irele. - 2nd ed. - Bloomington [etc.] : Indiana University
Press, 1996.ess. London. 2003.Also see African philosophy, myth and reality / Paulin J. Hountondji.
In: Thought and Practice: (1974), vol. 1, no. 2, p. 1-16.
Hountondji, P. Producing knowledge in Africa today : the second Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola distinguished lecture / .
In: African Studies Review: (1995), vol. 38, no. 3, p. 1-10.
Israel, J. I. Radical Enlightemnet Philosophy and the making of Modernity 1650-1750. Oxford
University press. Oxford.2002.
Morrison, K. Marx, Durkheim and Weber: Formations of Modern Social Thought. Sage Press.
London. 2006.
Ramose, M.B. African philosophy through ubuntu. Harare : Mond Books, 1999. - 208 p.
Ramose, M.B. African democratic tradition: oneness, consensus and openness : a reply to Wamba-dia-Wamba In:
Quest: (1992), vol. 6, no. 2, p. 63-83.
Stone, R (ed) Key Sociological Thinkers. Macmillan. London. 1999.
Swingewood, A. A Short History of Sociological Thought. Palgrave Books. Houndmills. 2000.
Wiredu,Kwasi and Kwame Gyekye, Kwame, . Person and Community. Washington, D.C. : The Council for
Research in Values and Philosophy, cop. 1992. - 266 p. : ill. - (Cultural heritage and contemporary change. Series II,
Africa ; vol. 1) (Ghanaian philosophical studies ; 1) Published with the support of CIPSH/UNESCO
van Hensbroek, P.B. (ed) African Renaissance and Ubuntu philosophy. - Groningen : Centre for Development
Studies, University of Groningen, 2001. - 157 p. : ill. - (CDS research report, 85-9218; no. 12) (Quest, ISSN 10111226x;vol.15,no.1/2(2001)).Special issue of Quest, also online available at http://www.quest-journal.net/2001.htm
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