Professor Alexandru Manafu
alexman@yorku.ca
Office Hours:  By appointment in S414 A Ross Building

We’ll be tackling the question about the meaning of life by looking at a class of less nebulous and slightly more manageable questions, such as: What does a good life consist in? Can we create our own meaning in life? Is life without God absurd? Is death something bad? Given that life involves suffering, would it be better not to bring any children into existence? Would immortality be bad? Should we transcend our human condition and become posthuman (e.g., enhance ourselves with technology, upload our minds, etc.)? For most of these questions we’ll be considering both the pro and the con answer, typically by considering two opposing readings.

Technical requirements for taking the course: Laptop computer capable of accessing eClass will be required for the final exam.

There is no required textbook. All the readings will be made freely available on eClass.

• Tutorial participation: 30%
• Two essays: 40% (20% each)
• Final exam on campus, on eClass, during the official exam period: 30%

The grading scheme above will be respected strictly. For ethical reasons, I do not revise the grades of students, nor do I allow students to do extra work to boost their marks.

Details about the assignments will be announced in class in due time, and it will be posted on eClass. Check eClass frequently for updates.

in-person lectures and tutorials (attendance mandatory)

By the end of this course, you will:

• Become familiar with the various approaches to the question of life’s meaning including nihilism, existentialism, hedonism, theism, objectivism, transhumanism.
• Be able to summarize, analyze, and engage critically with the various philosophical positions studied.
• Be able to formulate your own philosophical positions and defend them with cogent arguments.
• Learn to appreciate unfamiliar ideas and points of view and expand your intellectual horizons.
• Become aware of the value and relevance of philosophy for the modern individual.
• Make steps toward constructing your own view about the meaning of life.

Course Policy on AI

In this course, the use of AI tools for the writing of the essays or the exam is strictly forbidden. Engaging in AI-assisted work without approval not only violates the Senate Policy on Academic Honesty, but it may also constitute cheating or plagiarism under that policy (see: https://www.yorku.ca/laps/decisions-petitions/academic-honesty/gen-ai/). According to §5.2a of York’s Academic Conduct Policy, even unintentionally using AI when it is not permitted can be deemed academically dishonest (see: https://www.yorku.ca/unit/vpacad/academic-integrity/ai-technology-academic-integrity/). Failure to comply may result in disciplinary actions under the Academic Conduct Procedures (see: https://www.yorku.ca/unit/vpacad/academic-integrity/avoiding-a-breach/).

Plagiarism Policy

ANY ASSIGNMENT WITH A TURNITIN SCORE ABOVE 15% WILL BE INVESTIGATED.

Depending on the case, the assignment will incur a penalty and/or the Course Director together with the Undergraduate Program Director will open a formal AH (academic honesty) case.

Following the investigation of your assignment, any point above a 15% Turnitin score will be translated into a 5% penalty. For example, an assignment which gets a Turnitin plagiarism score of 17% will incur a penalty of 10% points, so that the new maximum grade for that assignment will be 90%.

As a result of the AH case that will be opened you risk EXPULSION FROM THE UNIVERSITY. If your assignment has a Turnitin score of 15% or more you can revise your assignment and resubmit it, as long as the deadline has not yet passed.

For information on what counts as plagiarism please see the Senate Policy on Academic Honesty, as well as talk to me or your TA. Recycling or using in this course work that was submitted for another course constitutes self-plagiarism. Approach me or your TA for tips on how to avoid a high Turnitin score. One good tip is to avoid long quotes and uses paraphrases instead.

Exam

There will be a final exam, whose date will be set by the registrar, and it will take place in person, on campus, during the official examination period. The exams will cover all the materials discussed in the lectures, including the readings. It will contain mainly multiple-choice answer questions. The exam will be written on campus, but it will be on eClass; for this reason, every student must bring their own laptop. Students must ensure that their laptops are charged and they can access internet over WiFi. Every YorkU student has a user ID and a password, and you will need that in order to access the exam on eClass.

Tutorial participation

Tutorial participation is mandatory, and it will contribute significantly to your grade. Your tutorial participation mark will be awarded entirely by your tutorial leader.

Late assignments and Extensions

An extension without penalty for up to one week is possible and it will be granted automatically (do not ask for my permission). After the one-week extension expires, a second extension will not be granted, and a late penalty of 5% per day applies.

Missed exams or tests

The exam date will be set by the registrar. If you miss your exam due to extenuating circumstances you must email me before the beginning of the exam, explaining your situation and attaching the relevant documentation. Make-up exams will be organized only in extremely rare circumstances, and only if there are sufficient reasons for doing so.

Assignment submissions

I do not receive any assignments by email. All work must be submitted electronically, on eClass. In addition to electronic submission, you will have to submit a hard copy of your assignment to your TA, if your TA asks for it. The details of the hard copy submission will be determined by your TA, and all inquiries regarding hard copy submission should be directed to your TA.

Student questions

Students are encouraged to feel free to interrupt and ask questions before/during/after the lectures, and also during office hours, which can also be requested by appointment.

Office hours

My office is S414A Ross. For information about office hours please check the course’s eClass page or email me. Students are encouraged to come to the office hours and ask questions about the concepts taught in the course, homework assignments, or anything they deem necessary. To accommodate students’ schedule, office hours can also be set by appointment (just email me or come talk to me after class).

Recordings policy

You do not have permission to record, duplicate, copy and/or distribute the lectures or lecture materials, slides, etc. without permission from the instructor (these acts can violate not only copyright laws but also FIPPA).

IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT EVERY STUDENT MUST READ:

Engaging in AI-assisted work without approval not only violates the Senate Policy on Academic Honesty, but it may also constitute cheating or plagiarism under that policy (see: https://www.yorku.ca/laps/decisions-petitions/academic-honesty/gen-ai/). According to §5.2a of York’s Academic Conduct Policy, even unintentionally using AI when it is not permitted can be deemed academically dishonest (see: https://www.yorku.ca/unit/vpacad/academic-integrity/ai-technology-academic-integrity/). Failure to comply may result in disciplinary actions under the Academic Conduct Procedures (see: https://www.yorku.ca/unit/vpacad/academic-integrity/avoiding-a-breach/).

PLAGIARISM IS A SERIOUS ACADEMIC OFFENCE AND IT WILL NOT BE TOLERATED IN THIS COURSE! IF YOU ARE UNSURE WHETHER YOUR WORK IS SAFE TO SUBMIT, EMAIL ME OR YOUR T.A.

ALL YOUR ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE SUBMITTED THROUGH TURNITIN, A PLAGIARISM-CHECKING SERVICE THAT OUR UNIVERSITY SUBSCRIBES TO AND THAT WILL BE ACCESSIBLE TO YOU THROUGH ECLASS.

EXCERPT FROM SENATE’S POLICY ON ACADEMIC HONESTY:

2.1.3 Plagiarism is the misappropriation of the work of another by representing another person’s ideas, writing or other intellectual property as one’s own. This includes the presentation of all or part of another person’s work as something one has written, paraphrasing another’s writing without proper acknowledgement, or representing another’s artistic or technical work or creation as one’s own. Any use of the work of others, whether published, unpublished or posted electronically, attributed or anonymous, must include proper acknowledgement.