Lying--the intentional duping of another into believing something false--is generally seen as morally intolerable. But its closely related cousin "BS" is generally seen as benign or even entertaining. Consider, for example, Red Bull's advertising campaign "Red Bull gives you wings" or Coke's recent Super Bowl ad of a sleepwalker. In these ads, there isn't even an attempt to suggest the value of the beverage to the consumer. The claims are ridiculous. They are, to put a fine point on it, "BS." Yet these are highly successful advertising campaigns. In this course will use the work of well-established contemporary philosophers to grapple with the question of why this is. What is "BS"? Why is it tolerated when lying is condemned? And why is there so much of it in American culture? McDaniel Plan: TA
About
This is a class about BS. Call it 'balderdash,' 'baloney,' 'claptrap,' 'flimflam,' 'malarkey,' 'poppycock,' 'prattle,' 'hot air,' or 'twaddle,' it's all the same thing: Bullshit. What's this topic doing in a Philosophical classroom at the college level? Well, consider for a moment this ad for the deodorant 'Old Spice':
Old Spice does not literally grow hair. So why isn't this a violation of the truth-in-advertising law?
People who lie on television-especially when reporting the news or selling commodities-are morally accountable for false statements-whether they are made deliberately or in ignorance. Recall that Dan Rather had to resign after reporting (falsely) that President Bush had recieved preferential treatment duing his service in the Alabama Air National Guard. And Rather didn't even lie deliberatly: he was duped by a forger, and resigned because he didn't investigate the authenticity of the memos carefully enough!
On the other hand, comedians and satirists like 'The Onion' and Jon Stewart do nothing but tell falsehoods:
And we don't think they are morally reprehensible and duty-bound to tender their resignations.
What's going on here? Why do we tolerate intentional deception from some people and fire others for passing on bad information? What distinguishes assertions that are to be evaluated by their truth conditions from those that are BS? What role does satire play in all of this? And how do we distinguish between entertainers (Jon Stewart, the Onion, Penn and Teller) from charlatans and frauds (Peter Popoff, Glenn Beck, Sylvia Browne)? Ought we hold these professional BSers morally accountable?
Section 1 BMC 100 MWF 10:20-11:20 / Tu 10:10-11:10
Dates and Times
MWF 10:20-11:20 / Tu 10:10-11:10,
BMC 100
Description
Lying--the intentional duping of another into believing something false--is generally seen as morally intolerable. But its closely related cousin "BS" is generally seen as benign or even entertaining. Consider, for example, Red Bull's advertising campaign "Red Bull gives you wings" or Coke's recent Super Bowl ad of a sleepwalker. In these ads, there isn't even an attempt to suggest the value of the beverage to the consumer. The claims are ridiculous. They are, to put a fine point on it, "BS." Yet these are highly successful advertising campaigns. In this course will use the work of well-established contemporary philosophers to grapple with the question of why this is. What is "BS"? Why is it tolerated when lying is condemned? And why is there so much of it in American culture? McDaniel Plan: TA
Structure
This class is structured around discussion of primary texts. That means that the class will not necessarily follow the textbooks directly BUT that doesn't mean that the discussion is not informed by the text. In fact, the opposite is true.
The textbooks are your 'handbooks' for what goes on in the course. They will guide you in crafting your own arguments and interpreting the arguments of others. They are included to be used as resources for you when dealing with complicated topics.
Honor Code
As members of the McDaniel college community, I expect that we are all committed to upholding and abiding by our honor system. That means that I will do everything I can to make possibly ambiguous assignments clear and that you are obligated to report any violations. I require that all written work be submitted with the signed honor pledge "I have neither given or received unauthorized aid on this piece of work, nor have I knowingly tolerated any violation of the Honor Code". I will not grade any assignment without such a signature.
Finally, when in doubt, ask. There will be cases, if not in this class, then in others, where the line between citation and plagiarism is vague. And there will be cases in which the line between helping a friend and doing their work will be crossed. Your best bet in finding the line is to ask me. If you ask before hand, you have nothing to worry about. If you wait until after, it might be too late.
Following the practices of good writing (never quote from a secondary source, never use imagery you have seen before, or an example that has been used by someone else) will keep your writing away from any suggestion of plagiarism.
Objectives
To identify BS when you see it.
To avoid BS when it is pressed upon you.
To develop analytic skills, both in the analysis of text, verbal presentations and written work.
To develop a broader understanding of some of the basic assumptions at work in the on-going public dialog, including how we manipulate using and are manipulated by non-argumentative forms of persuasion.
And most importantly: to question everything.
Materials
Frankfurt, H. On Bullshit ISBN 0691122946
Weston, A. A Rulebook for Arguments ISBN 9780872209541
Shermer, M. Why People Believe Weird Things ISBN 978-0-8050-7089-7
Gardner, M. Science: Good, Bad and Bogus ISBN 0-87975-573-3
Randi, J. Flim-Flam! ISBN 978-087975198-2
Piguliucci, M. Nonsense on Stilts 0226667863
Requirements
The college believes that "liberally educated men and women think and act critically, creatively and humanely." I expect nothing less. Whether it be in the classroom, in written assignments, and in your preparation for class, I expect you to think and act critically, creatively and humanely.
Workload: The college's policy on workload reads:
In accordance with the Mission Statement of McDaniel College, undergraduate courses are designed to promote liberal learning in an academic environment where students take charge of their own education. Academic coursework is constructed, determined, and defined by faculty members and is intended "to develop the unique potentials of the student through the cultivation of reason, imagination and human concern."
McDaniel's 4-credit courses are based on the expectation of a minimum total of 10 hours per week of student academic work in a regular semester. Online courses are held to the same standard as courses offered on campus. In order to ensure that a course meets the minimum standards, instructors determine the amount of time necessary for a typical student to complete assignments and meet course objectives.
That means for this class, you should expect to do about 6 hours of work outside of the classroom per week. Your 'lab book' assignments should take no more than 1 hour. That means that on weeks without a major paper due, you should expect to spend about 5 hours reading. I have tried to balance the readings to about 120 pages a week (average).
Late Work: I don't accept it. If you have some pressing engagement and simply cannot produce your work on time, you can tell me that before the date it is due, and we'll discuss an extension. Otherwise, turn your work in on time.
Attendance: Given the active nature of the course, regular attendance is mandatory. Attendance and participation are a major part of your overall grade (10-15%) and every absence counts. If you must miss a class, please inform me before the class begins so I can restructure the session if necessary. A quick email is sufficient. If you miss more three times, it will begin to impact your grade significantly.
Classroom conduct: No cellphones! (or text messaging, pagers, blackberry, PDAs, etc. Using technology foreign to Ancient Athens (or 19th century London) is clearly a mark of insanity - and those who are insane should be ostracized or thrown out of the royal society.
The readings on the calendar below should be completed before the class begins. This is vital. As you will discover, how you perform in the debates is directly related to how much you read. If you want to get your agenda passed, you'd better be prepared.
Information Technology: Even though I pretty much hate blackboard, I'll make a copy of this syllabus available there. I post lecture notes and other documents on my faculty website at http://www2.mcdaniel.edu/pbradley/. Just follow the menu to 'Courses->Current'. In case of conflict or confusion regarding due dates or scheduled readings between the website and this document, the website always takes precedence.
Special Accommodation: If you are in need of special accommodation, please see me at least 48 hours before the event for which you would need accommodation. I can be very flexible if approached in a timely manner. Making changes after the fact is difficult if not impossible.
Final Disclaimer: Assignments and Exams are subject to change, according to the flow of the course.
Assignments
Lab Book / Blogs: Over the course of the term, you will compile a 'lab book' on BS. This will ultimately provide you with your research for your final paper. Each Friday, a new entry in the lab book is due.
How you maintain your lab book is up to you - but I have to be able to track your additions. I have found blogs to be a very effective way of tracking your progress through the semester. If you do not have one already, you can sign up for one at http://www.blogger.com/
Papers: There will be 2 shorter (3-5 pages) papers during the begining of the term. These are designed to evalute your critical reading and writing skills. The final paper, at the end of term, will ask you to analyze a particular bullshit community, and trace one or more instance of bullshitting.
There will also be an end-of-term paper. This will be a longer, original paper on a topic of your choice. I reserve the right to be involved in the process of refining topics.
One last note on academic honesty. It is good academic practice to quote only from primary sources. It is also good practice to use clear, original examples to illustrate your point. If you follow both of these rules, many of the so-called 'borderline' plagiarism cases will never arise.
Presentation: There will be a presentationa, in which you will discover and critique an existing bullshit community.
Exams: There will be a final. The final, while cumulative, will be designed to allow you to showcase your chritical thinking talents, rather than your ability to memorize facts.
All papers are evaluated with respect to clarity, precision and sophistication of the argument / thesis presented. Oral presentations are evaluated with respect to many of the same criteria, but for the most part can be tailored to exposition, rather than criticism or analysis.
Assignment
Value
Paper 1
10%
Paper 2
10%
Presentation
15%
Final Paper
25%
Lab Book
15%
Final
15%
Attendance and Participation
10%
Assignments are subject to change according to the flow of the class. In particular, I may replace a paper with a midterm, or a paper with a presentation, or vice versa. Ratios will, however, remain more or less the same: a majority of your grade depends on your final exam and final paper.
Tentative Calendar
Week 0: Introduction
Aug 24
Introduction
Week 1: Introduction
Aug 27
READ: Frankfurt 'On Bullshit' (67)
Aug 28
FLEX
Aug 29
READ Ch 1 in Why People Believe Weird Things (10)
Aug 31
C. S. Peirce "The fixation of belief" (handout) (16)
Unless noted otherwise, each 'lab' entry should be about a page in length - that is, about 250 words. It should be posted before morning on the day that it is due, so I can review it before class. On occassion, I will ask you to bring printed copies of your lab to class to share with a peer or small group.
Lab 1: Find an example of bullshit, following Frankfurt's definition. Describe it, including why it is bullshit, in less than 250 words (one page) and post it to your blog.
Lab 2: Bacon and Descartes each begin their respective treatises by lamenting the bullshit they had encountered in their schooling. What bullshit did you experience in school? What, if anything, did you do to fix it? What can you do to ensure that your ideas are not simple bullshit, put there by your teachers, parents, etc.
Lab 3: Find an example of someone doing scientific bullshit, critique it (carefully) and post it to your blog.
Lab 4: Find an example of someone using one of the 'named' fallacies we've covered in Shermer Ch3 to produce bullshit or defend bullshit.
Lab 5: Find an example of someone appealing to 'scientific' studies to argue that the ESP or the paranormal is real. Bring it with you to the library, we'll try to find the original and critique the source.
Lab 6: Now is the time to start researching your own BS community - there are plenty to pick from, as these seem to sprout up online all the time. For this first week, look for an example on youtube or a forum, and try to track it back to a 'master' website, run by the community itself. Document everything you find.
Lab 7: Now try to find another, different community and research it in the same way.
Lab 8: Choose one of your communities. See if you can find any formal written work stating their views, or arguing that their view is founded on scientific evidence / etc. A 'formal' work is one that is authored by the founder or leader of said community and published and/or distributed by the 'official' body of that community. We'll consider these 'primary sources' in our work. Write up your analysis
Lab 9: Now start looking for 'unofficial' statements of the view - defenses of the view on forums or blogs by participants in the community, not the formal written work by the leader of the community (or officially recognized leaders). Do they echo the arguments of the formal work? Do they have new arguments? What is the difference between the 'fans' and the 'official' doctrine?
Lab 10: Find a secondary source *about* your community - that is, a critic or former member who analyzes the beliefs of the community, rather than particpates in them. Is the characterization of the community accurate?
Lab 11: Find an plausible alternative theory of the same evidence or phenomenon discussed by your BS community - i.e. ask yourself: 'what is my BS community trying to explain?', and then find alternative explanations for that same thing.
Lab 12: Look carefully at the evidence that is usually offered in support of your BS community - what alternative theories is that evidence used to support?
Lab 13: Thanksgiving
Lab 14: Presentations of what you have found. No need for a blog entry.
Dr. Peter Bradley