I currently teach two courses in which I use the text Philosophy and the City: Classic to Contemporary Writings. One course is a philosophy elective offered in a traditional semester format. This syllabus is organized in such a way that we take two quick trips through the history of philosophy in relation to the two major philosophical questions--what is a city? what is citizenship? We then spend the rest of the course focused on questions that have emerged primarily in modernity. In this version, I integrate the use of case studies from part II of the book into a study of readings from Part I. Another course is offered as a seminar for adults in the local community. This course is designed to be participatory in nature; the seminar participants read brief selections each week and are charged with representing that philosopher's view in relation to one of the major issues raised in the Philosophy Matters/City Matters section (Part II) of the book: What is a City? What is Citizenship? Understanding Urban Identity and Diversity; The Built Environment; and Social Justice and the Ethics of the City. I invite instructors to share their syllabi on the Philosophy and the City affinity group on the Public Philosophy Network site; membership is free.
|
|