Always under construction,
NEWEST announcements at the TOP of the list
(Last modified April 21, 2009)
Professor Stern
Phone: (818) 677-4853
Sierra Tower, Room 508
Office hours: Tu Th 9:30 - 10:30 AM and 2:00 - 2:30 PM
Email: cindy.stern@csun.edu
Additional term paper topic suggestions
(posted April 21, 2009)
Seven additional suggestions for term paper topics have been posted on webCT in the 'Assignments'
section. The new suggestions are more specific than those listed in the original term paper
assignment posting.
Schedule update as of April 21
(posted April 21, 2009)
The schedule web page and the printer-friendly schedule have been updated, taking into account
cancellation of our April 14 and April 21 meetings.
Schedule update as of March 30
(posted March 30, 2009)
The schedule has been updated to reflect the fact that the class did not meet on Thursday, March 26.
The printer-friendly schedule has also been updated.
On Thursday, April 2, we will discuss the reading previously listed for March 26, now listed for
April 2. The reading previously listed for April 2 has been removed from the schedule, leaving the
remainder of the schedule unchanged. Of course, it may change later. Stay tuned!
Midterm paper assignment revisions
(posted March 20, 2009)
A revised version of the midterm paper assignment is now available on WebCT. It shows the new
due date announced in class yesterday, additional details in the instructions for turning in your
paper, and a correction in the background information for topic #4.
The due date for the midterm paper has been extended. The paper is due on Monday, March 30,
at 9 AM. (The assignment originally specified that the paper was due Sunday, March 29 at 10 AM.)
Please see the revised assigment on WebCT incorporating all the changes.
Thursday, March 26
(posted March 20, 2009)
This class will not meet on Thursday, March 26. By then, you will have received my comments on
your paper draft. Use this time to work on revisions to your paper.
Loss of this class meeting will necessitate changes in our reading schedule. Watch
this page and the schedule page for the changes, to be determined later.
Items on reserve at Oviatt Library
(posted March 16, 2009)
All the items designated on the schedule of readings as on reserve at Oviatt Library are now
available through the library’s course reserve system. Three are available in electronic form.
For the others, you will need to go to the library reserve desk (4th floor).
Items available in electronic form are pdfs. If you do not have software that will open them,
download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader from
For access to items that are available in electronic form:
In the “Quicklinks” list (far left), click on “Course Reserves”
To sign in, enter the same userID and password you use for webCT
Search course reserves (If you use course number, there is sure to be only one.)
For items marked “Electronic Copy Available“, click on the title.
For Media Identification
The userID and password are the same as for webCT
Ignore the “Name” and “Barcode” boxes at right under “Other”
The course password has being sent to you by email
Reading schedule revised as of March 10
(posted March 10, 2009)
The schedule of readings has been updated again to reflect the changes made last week (an extra day
spent on Goldman last week, deletion of the DeRose selection, and 2 days spent on Putnam this week).
Midterm paper assignment on WebCT
(posted March 4, 2009)
Your midterm paper assignment is now on WebCT. Before turning in the paper itself (due
March 29), you will be required to turn in a thesis statement (the main claim you will be
arguing for) and a draft. Please note the due date for each item.
You may choose one of the five suggested issues to address. If you prefer to write on
alternative, you should request my approval sufficiently early to revise your thesis, if necessary,
before the thesis statement due date. Two necessary, though not sufficient, conditions for
approval are that your alternative be related to the assigned readings in epistemology, and
that you be arguing for a claim.
Short writing assignment due 8 AM Saturday, February 28
(Posted February 22, 2009)
In class on Thursday, February 19, I announced that I would soon put a new short writing assignment
on webCT. The assignment is there.
Reading schedule revised as of February 19
(Posted February 22, 2009)
The schedule web page and the printer-friendly version linked to it have been updated to reflect
the modifications in our reading schedule that were announced in class on Thursday, February 19.
Reading schedule revised as of February 10
(Posted February 11, 2009)
The selection in our text by Oakley has been inserted in the reading schedule, to be discussed in
class on Tuesday February 17. The schedule web page and printer-friendly schedule have been revised
accordingly. (The readings previously scheduled for February 17 - March 12 have
all been shifted back one meeting, and the selection previously listed for March 17 has been
deleted from the schedule.)
First short writing assignment due 6 AM February 11
(Posted February 7, 2009)
As announced in class on Thursday, February 5, the first short writing assignment has been posted
on WebCT and is due early Wednesday morning.
Reading schedule revised as of February 5
(Posted February 7, 2009)
On February 5, we continued our discussion of Fumerton's article. As announced during that
class, we will discuss BonJour's article (previously scheduled for February 5) on February 10.
Alston's article, previously listed for February 10, has been deleted from the reading schedule.
The schedule web page and printer-friendly schedule have been updated to reflect these changes.
Reading schedule revised
(Posted 8:30 AM, January 28, 2009)
Readings that were originally scheduled for January 27 are being deleted from the schedule.
Readings for January 29 remain unchanged. The schedule web page has been revised accordingly.
The printer-friendly version will be updated later in the day.
Course now on WebCt (Posted January 24, 2009)
This course is now on webCT. Lecture notes will be posted regularly. Each set of notes will
begin with the number of the week, followed by 'a' for Tuesday's notes and 'b' for Thursday's
notes. Notes will usually consist of the outlines shown on the screen in class, converted to
text (in a PDF).
Library session in Thursday, January 22
(Posted January 20, 2009)
We will start our class meeting with our library session, meeting at 4 PM in Oviatt room 168 (Lab C).
Changes in schedule of assignments
(Posted January 20, 2009)
For Thursday, January 22, read Descartes' Meditation #1 (pp. 515-518 in the required textbook)
before reading the selections from Locke and Hume. Discussion of the Hume selection is likely to be
carried over or delayed until Tuesday, January 27.
The readings that were scheduled for March 19 and March 24 have been reversed on both the
schedule web page and the printer-friendly version.
