Introduction to Philosophy Syllabus

 

Course Syllabus: PHIL106_Spring 2018.pdf

 

Santa Ana Community College inspires, transforms, and empowers a diverse community of learners.

 

 

 

PHIL 106: Introduction to Philosophy

 

Santa Ana College                                                                                          Jesse D. Slavens

Room: D-105                                                                                                  Slavens_Jesse@sac.edu   Monday/Wednesday 7:05 – 8:30

                                                                                                                

Office Hours: I will be available to meet with students on Mondays and Wednesdays after 10:30 a.m. I will not be available to meet with students for more than a few minutes after class. I recommend you make an appointment at least 24 hours before a meeting. Priority will be given to students who have made an appointment.

 

Email: I am happy to communicate by email if you cannot make it to office hours. Emails will be answered within 24 hours. What this means for you is that I may not read your email until the next day if you send it during office hours and I am meeting with a student, or if you send it after office hours. It is strongly recommended that any important emails be sent as early as possible.

 

Canvas: This course will utilize the Canvas course site. I will regularly post announcements, reading assignments, study questions and other course material on the course website. Additionally, important exam and assignment dates will be posted on the Canvas calendar – including any changes to assignment dates.

 

Course Overview

This course provides an introduction to the study of philosophy by close examination of some of the most important historical and contemporary issues in the philosophical tradition. Philosophers since Plato (427 – 347 BC) have confronted us with questions such as: What is human nature? What kinds of things can humans actually know? What is the nature of God and of universal truths? How should we treat each other? What principles should govern a just society? What is the best way to live? Philosophy is characterized by these traditional questions, but it is also characterized by the types of responses to these questions. Philosophy challenges us to go beyond beliefs based upon things such as authority, tradition, or public opinion. A philosophical response is based upon reasoned, critical reflection of the subject at hand. That is, a philosophical response argues for what is most reasonable to believe by closely scrutinizing the strongest reasons for a variety of given positions. Philosophy challenges us to critically examine ourselves and our beliefs, with the hope of gaining a better understanding of who we are and how we should live.

 

Learning Outcomes

• To understand, and develop sustained analytical responses to, key historical and contemporary philosophical doctrines and arguments concerning issues relating to human nature, the mind and consciousness, epistemology, metaphysics, religion, and ethics.

 

• To synthesize ideas from different philosophical readings in order to grasp larger philosophical conceptions and viewpoints.

 

• To write effective essays that demonstrate knowledge of the course material related to the essay thesis and that analyze the material in a clear, systematic, original, thoughtful, and well-developed manner.

 

• To engage in critical discussion and dialogue with other class members about the philosophical doctrines and arguments covered throughout the course.

 

Required Course Resources

 

Textbooks:

Feinberg and Schafer-Landau, Reason and Responsibility, 15^th edition

Additional readings will be posted on Canvas.

 

These textbooks are available at the Don Bookstore.

 

Supplies:

You are responsible for supplying THREE Bluebooks for class exams. Failure to bring a Bluebook to either exam may result in the student not being able to take the exam, which will result in an “F” on the exam.

 

 

**Please read the following Course Requirements and Course Policies carefully. By taking this course you agree to abide by ALL of the Course Requirements and Course Policies outlined herein. If you do not agree to abide with any course requirement or policy you must drop the course immediately.**

 

 

Course Requirements

 

Readings

Philosophy requires the critical reading and studying of challenging texts. Accordingly, assigned material must not only be read but also carefully studied before class. Each student is expected to participate actively during class and this includes being able to answer questions about the readings, as well as participate in small group discussions related to the readings. Reading homework will be assigned throughout the semester.

 

Participation

Philosophy is not the mere learning of information. Philosophy is fundamentally the acquisition and practice of a rational and logical method of thinking. This method cannot be acquired without use. Therefore, in addition to writing, we will use this method of rational thinking in discussion about the material. Such critical discussion is an essential part of this course. Accordingly, every student is expected to actively participate in class discussion and small groups.

 

You cannot participate if you are not present. Thus, regular attendance is necessary for receiving full participation credit. Regular absences (see “Absence Policy” below) will count against the student’s total participation points.

 

Participation will account for 10% of the student’s final grade.

 

Reading Homework

I will be assigning reading homework throughout the semester. Homework may take the form of an outline or may be short-answer questions. An outline may be for a particular section, an entire article, or you may be asked to outline and compare two articles. All homework must be completed by the assignment due date, and no late or “make up” homework will be accepted.

 

I will provide an example of how to complete these assignments. All homework must be TYPED (12 point font) and in complete sentences.

 

Exams

All exams will be given in class. Each exam will consist of short answer questions and may have one short essay question. The student will be given essay questions to study before the exam. Some of these questions will appear on the exam. The student will select one question to answer. Which units are covered by each exam will be settled one week prior to each exam.

 

Except for legitimate and verifiable emergencies, there will be no make-up exams. What counts as a legitimate emergency will be determined by the instructor. Verification will be required.

 

I understand that things come up which conflict with school – sometimes life gets in the way. However, if something comes up that prevents you from taking the exam on the assigned date it is your responsibility to arrange to take the exam before the scheduled exam date. Arranging to take the exam early requires contacting me at least one week before the exam date, receiving communication from me giving permission to reschedule, and receiving an approved time and date for taking the exam. Emailing or calling me the day before (two days before, etc.) an exam does not count as “rescheduling an exam.” No exams will be given after the scheduled exam date.

 

Term Paper

There will be one term paper due during the semester. The term paper is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your knowledge of course material as well as to apply the methods of logical analysis and argumentation to one complex philosophical problem.

 

Except for legitimate and verifiable emergencies, extensions or any exception regarding submitting the paper must be made by email at least one week before the paper due date.

 

No “re-writes” will be granted. It is strongly recommended that the student start thinking of a paper topic early (at least by the middle of the semester), as well bring an outline and rough drafts to me to review. I am happy to review multiple drafts of a paper. However, priority will be given to students who have not yet received feedback. If necessary, meetings about papers will be limited to 15 minutes per student. If you do not make an appointment to talk about your paper at least two weeks before the due date, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to meet with you.

 

The term paper must be:

1. In 12 point Times New Roman font and double-spaced with standard margins. (Standard margins are 1-inch top and bottom; 1-inch right and left.)
2. At least five (6) FULL pages and no more than ten (10) pages as formatted on Turnitin.com. The page count does NOT INCLUDE references, a cover sheet, or any pages other than the actual text of the essay. 20% will be deducted from the final grade of a term paper for every incomplete or missing page. A full page of double-spaced, 12 point font text in Times New Roman is at least 16 lines of text.  
3. Carefully proofread. Grammatical and spelling mistakes will count against your grade.
4. Of entirely original work. This requirement includes work done by the student in prior or different classes, and especially work submitted on a midterm or final exam for this course. Properly cited quotations are, of course, acceptable but may not constitute more than 10% of the total text. Any form of plagiarism, regardless of the quantity of plagiarized material, will result in an “F” on the term paper.

 

 

COURSE POLICIES

 

Grading

The course grade (final grade) will be calculated according to the following scale:

            A = 90 - 100    percentage of total possible points

            B = 80 - 89      percentage of total possible points

            C = 70 - 79      percentage of total possible points

            D = 60 - 69      percentage of total possible points

            F =    0 - 59      percentage of total possible points

 

The graded course requirements are weighted as follows:

Participation:                10%

Homework:                  20%

Term Paper:                  20%

Exam 1:                       15%

Exam 2:                       15%

Exam 3:                       20%

There are no exceptions to this grading policy. There is no extra credit. Late assignments or make-up assignments must be in accordance with the requirements stipulated in “Course Requirements” above. In general: Late assignments or make-up assignments will only be granted in the case of legitimate and verifiable emergencies. All other exceptions to submitting an assignment (i.e., final paper or exam) other than on the scheduled date will require the student to submit the assignment before the scheduled date and request approval from the instructor no later than one week before the scheduled submission date.

 

Attendance

“No shows” will be dropped and their places given to students on the waitlist after the FIRST day of class. Attendance will be taken each day on Canvas. If you are late, it is your responsibility to ensure you are marked “present” after class.  

 

You may be absent a total of five (5) times prior to the drop deadline (May 6, 2018). These five absences may be for any reason (e.g., job interview, illness, 6-foot swell, etc.). Every absence will count toward these five absences, and thus no absence will be excused. A student who has more than five (5) absences before the drop deadline may be dropped from the course.

 

Students will be penalized for absences after the first three (3) absences. Three (3) points will be deducted from the student’s total accumulated points for every absence after the first three absences.

 

Arriving 10 minutes or more after the beginning of class will count for one absence. Leaving class early at all without prior permission from me will count as an absence.

 

Course Disruption

Each student has the right to participate in this class – whether through listening to a lecture, another student’s contribution, or contributing to class discussion – free from disruption. Likewise, I have the right to teach the course free from disruption. Accordingly, no unnecessary disruption of any kind will be tolerated in this course.

 

Unnecessary class disruption includes, but is not limited to: (1) the use of electronic devices including cell phones, tablets and laptops other than for the purposes of taking notes; (2) having non-participatory, off topic, or private conversations in class; (3) doing work for other courses in class; (4) any noise or behavior that unnecessarily distracts other students or the instructor; (5) arriving late or leaving early. Students who disrupt class will be asked to leave the class session and will be counted as absent.

 

Electronic Devices

The personal use of cell phones for any reason is not allowed in class. Texting or taking calls during class will count as disruptive and the student will be asked to leave immediately and counted as absent. Laptops may be used for note-taking only. I may ask an individual student to put away his or her laptop or generally disallow laptop use at any time if they become disruptive or distracting to any student -- including the student using the laptop.

 

Class Recording

No audio or video recording may be made of any class session or portion of a class session by any means (e.g., cell phone, tablet, video recorder, etc.) without my written permission. Accommodation will be made for students with disabilities; however, these accommodations must be made through the Santa Ana College Disabled Students Program & Services (DSPS: https://www.sac.edu/StudentServices/DSPS/Pages/default.aspx).

 

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

It is the student’s responsibility to familiarize himself or herself with the Santa Ana College Academic Honesty Policies, available here: https://www.sac.edu/StudentServices/AdmissionsRecords/Pages/Academic-Honesty-Policy-.aspx. Cheating and plagiarism of any kind and to any degree may result in an ‘F’ on all or part of an assignment and referral to the dean.

 

Plagiarism is the act of presenting another’s intellectual, artistic, or creative work as one’s own. One may plagiarize from any source, including public access sources (e.g., online encyclopedias), public domain sources, a textbook, and other students. One plagiarizes when he or she presents as his or her own the words or ideas, in part or whole, of any other author or thinker. Thus, it is not necessary to use the exact words of another author in order to plagiarize. One plagiarizes even if he or she only uses the ideas of another without giving credit.

 

Note well: I have a zero-tolerance policy for plagiarism. Any plagiarism whatsoever, on any assignment regardless of point value, will be penalized to the furthest extent allowed under Santa Ana College Academic Honesty Policy. Any assignments, including assessments and papers, which are identical or nearly identical will be considered plagiarized, and both student’s assignments will receive an “F”.

 

If you have any doubts or questions whatsoever about plagiarism, or whether your assignment includes plagiarized material, contact the instructor before you turn in an assignment.

 

TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE

 

 

Reading and Class Schedule

Week 1

Mon, 02/05 – Course Overview

Wed, 02/07 – Russell, “The Value of Philosophy”; Plato, Allegory of the Cave from The Republic

Epistemology

Week 2

Mon, 02/12 – Plato, Justified true Belief; Edmund Gettier, “Is justified true belief knowledge?”  

Wed, 02/14 –  Cormann, Lehrer, and Pappas, “An analysis of knowledge”; Feinberg, “A logic lesson”

Week 3

Mon, 02/19 – NO CLASS

Wed, 02/21 – Hume, “An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding”  

Week 4

Mon, 02/26 – Hume, “Inquiry” continued; Russell, “The Problem of Induction” (posted on Canvas)

Wed, 02/28 – Godfrey-Smith “Induction and Confirmation” (posted on Canvas)  

Week 5

Mon, 03/05 – Descartes, “Meditations, I and II”  

Wed, 03/07 – Descartes, continued; REVIEW  

Metaphysics

Week 6

Mon, 03/12 – EXAM 1

Wed, 03/14 – Descartes, “Meditations, V and VI”     

Week 7

Mon, 03/19 – Gertler, “In Defense of Mind-Body Dualism”

Wed, 03/21 – Chalmers, Mind/Brain Identity and the Hard Problem (Canvas); Jackson, “What Mary Knows”   

Week 8

Mon, 03/26 – Can Computers Think? (reading TBD); Searle, “Minds, Brains, and Programs”

Wed, 03/28 – FILM – TBA

Week 9

Mon, 04/02 – SPRING BREAK  

Wed, 04/04 – SPRING BREAK

Week 10

Mon, 04/09 –  d’Holbach, “The Illusion of Free Will”;

          Pereboom, “Why We Have No Free Will and Can Live Without It”

Wed, 04/11 – Frankfurt, “Alternate Possibilities and Moral Responsibility”

Week 11

Mon, 04/16 – Van Inwagen, “The Mysteries of the Free Will”

Wed, 04/18 –  REVIEW

Week 12

Mon, 04/23 – EXAM 2

Ethics and God

Wed, 04/25 – Introduction to Moral Philosophy; Feinberg, “Ethical Egoism”   

Week 13

Mon, 04/30 – Mill, “Utilitarianism”

Wed, 05/02 – Singer, “The Singer Solution to World Poverty”

Week 14

Mon, 05/07 – Kant, “The Good Will and the Categorical Imperative”  

Wed, 05/09 – O’Neill “A Simplified Account of Kantian Ethics” (posted on Canvas)

 

Week 15

Mon, 05/14 – Marquis, “Why Abortion is Immoral”; Thomson, “A Defense of Abortion”   

Wed, 05/16 – Dostoevsky, “Rebellion”; Mackie “Evil and Omnipotence”  

Week 16

Mon, 05/21 – Aquinas, “The Five Ways”

Wed, 05/23 – Craig, “New Atheism and Five Arguments for God”

 

EXAM 3 – DATE ASSIGNED DURING FINALS WEEK

 

 

Important Campus Resources

Student Services and Academic Accommodation

A student who feels he or she may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact Disabled Students Program & Services at (714) 564-6260 or visit DSPS online: https://www.sac.edu/StudentServices/DSPS/Pages/default.aspx. For students who have already been determined eligible for DSPS services, please provide the instructor with the proper form from DSPS in a timely manner, at the beginning of the semester and at least one week prior to the verified and identified need.

 

Learning Center

SAC Learning Center offers free academic assistance. They are located in Dunlap Hall Room D-307.

 

 

 

 

 

“Two things fill the mind with ever-increasing wonder and awe, the more often and the more intensely the mind of thought is drawn to them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me.”

                                                                                                            ––– Immanuel Kant