PHIL 3380-050: Contemporary Continental Philosophy

May 6, 2024 – August 7, 2024

Professor: Devin Zane Shaw, Ph.D.

Contact: shawd3@douglascollege.ca

Thursdays, 6:30pm–9:20pm

Room: Anvil Office Tower AOT 910/911

Office Hours: By appointment

Summer Institute 2024: Emancipatory Futures 

This year in the Summer Institute we will explore how several philosophers have explored the meaning and potential of emancipatory futures. The idea of an emancipatory future, while often dismissed by defenders of the status quo as utopian, has played an important role for philosophers who have sought to justify revolutionary social and political struggles. During this semester, we will engage with three books that touch on this theme: Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex, Manon Garcia’s We Are Not Born Submissive, and Glen Sean Coulthard’s Red Skin, White Masks. Therefore, the emancipatory futures in question—and the themes of freedom, collective action, and political struggle—will take on concrete dimensions of thinking about feminist futures beyond patriarchy, and the futures of Indigenous resurgence and decolonization.

Enrolment

Prerequisites: 9 prior credits in Philosophy or permission of the instructor.

Enrolment Requirements: Douglas students who have met the prerequisites can enrol directly.

PHIL 3380: Contemporary Continental Philosophy is open to all post-secondary students with 9 credits in Philosophy (or suitable equivalents) and may transfer as third-year credit to universities across British Columbia, including UBC and SFU. Students currently enrolled in a BC post-secondary institution do NOT need to apply for admission to Douglas College in order to take this course. Students may apply to enroll into PHIL 3380 by completing and submitting the enrolment form and accompanying documents to Don Reimer, Associate Registrar (reimerd1@douglascollege.ca), as per instructions on the form. All applications will be reviewed by the instructor. Please contact Dr. Shaw with any questions.

June 20th, 2024 

6:30pm–8:00pm

NW N2203

“Towards an anti-imperialist fish science: 

moving beyond ‘braiding’ knowledges to fishy refraction”

Zoe Todd, Simon Fraser University

Abstract:

This talk applies a Critical Indigenous Studies lens to the popular frameworks of ‘braiding’, ‘weaving’, ‘ethical space’ and ‘two-eyed seeing’ mobilized by provincial, federal, academic, and NGO bodies in fish conservation in so-called Canada today. Drawing on Aileen Moreton-Robinson’s (2015) concept of the ‘white possessive’, Audra Simpson’s (2014) articulations of anthropology’s evacuation of Indigenous sovereignty from western imperialist anthropology; Glen Coulthard’s (2014) critiques of ‘settler politics of recognition’; and Jessica Kolopenuk and Kim TallBear’s work in Indigenous Science and Technology Studies — I propose an alternate anti-imperialist fish science and metaphysics, grounded in quantum mechanics and Indigenous sovereignties.

Biography:

Zoe Todd is a fish philosopher, artist, and troublemaker working towards establishing better ways to honour our obligations to fish.

A reception will follow the Keynote Address

These required textbooks are available at the Douglas College Bookstore:

• Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex. Trans. Constance Borde and Sheila Malovany-Chevallier (New York: Vintage, 2011). ISBN: 9780307277787
• Manon Garcia, We Are Not Born Submissive: How Patriarchy Shapes Women’s Lives (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2021). ISBN: 9780691223209.
• Glen Sean Coulthard, Red Skin, White Masks: Rejecting the Colonial Politics of Recognition (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2014). ISBN: 9780816679652.

Additional readings may be supplied on Blackboard in PDF format.

Course Evaluation

1a) Two essays, each worth 35% of the final grade. Essays must follow accepted academic conventions and must each be around 3000 words in length. Each essay must directly address material found in the course texts and must demonstrate some degree of familiarity with secondary literature on its topic. A short essay proposal (no more than 250 words) must be submitted and approved for each essay before students may proceed with their writing. 

• First essay is due no later than June 13^th, at the beginning of class.
• Second essay is due July 25^th, at the beginning of class.

1b) A short essay proposal (~250 words), worth 5% of the final grade, must be submitted and approved for each essay before students may proceed with their writing.

• First essay proposal is due no later than June 6^th, at the beginning of class.
• Second essay proposal is due no later than July 18^th, at the beginning of class.

2) Research discussion, worth 20% of the final mark. This interview should be scheduled with the instructor sometime between August 1st and August 15^th. It has no pre-set questions and will generally focus upon philosophical questions which arise out of student’s completed essay work. 

Late Assignment Policy

I will accept at no penalty any work that is submitted after the deadline but before I finish grading the submissions from this class that were handed in on time. I only accept late work submitted after I have completed grading on-time submissions for full credit when we have made prior arrangements. I grade late work as I can fit it into my schedule and at a minimum with a 10-percent penalty. If an assignment is handed in more than two weeks overdue without prior arrangement, I may refuse to grant any credit, but I will assess this on a case-by-case basis.

The Summer Institute for Continental Philosophy is directed by four Douglas College faculty, philosophers who have specialized in this area of Philosophy:

Dr. Devin Zane Shaw completed his PhD at the University of Ottawa. He is the author of three books, Philosophy of Antifascism: Punching Nazis and Fighting White Supremacy (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2020), Egalitarian Moments: From Descartes to Rancière (Bloomsbury, 2016) and Freedom and Nature in Schelling's Philosophy of Art (Bloomsbury, 2010). He has also published articles in the area of political philosophy. 

Dr. John Bruin received his PhD from Guelph/McMaster with a dissertation on Husserl which was subsequently published by the University of Ottawa Press in 2001 under the title Homo Interrogans. Dr. Bruin has also published articles on Heidegger.

Dr. Robert Nicholls (retired) completed his PhD at the University of Waterloo in 1988 with a dissertation entitled Sense and Existence: Heidegger 1925-29. Dr. Nicholls has published essays on Nietzsche, Husserl and Heidegger, as well as in the areas of literary theory, philosophy of education and Eastern philosophy.

Dr. Mano Daniel (retired) completed his doctorate at the University of Waterloo with a dissertation on the work of Hannah Arendt. He co-edited the book Phenomenology of the Cultural Disciplines, and  has written papers in the areas of  environmental sustainability; philosophy of biography; philosophy and public policy; and the nature of apology.