• REQUIRED TEXTS
• GENERAL EDUCATION STATEMENT
• SPECIFIC COURSE OBJECTIVES
• COURSE REQUIREMENTS
• PROVISIONAL SYLLABUS

REQUIRED TEXTS:     back to top

Reason & Responsibility, edited by Joel Feinberg & Russ Shafer-Landau (11th edition).

GENERAL EDUCATION STATEMENT:     back to top

This course satisfies the “Philosophy and Religion” (C-3) section of the General Education Program. Courses in this section are designed to promote critical reflection on questions concerning the nature, meaning, and value of human existence, the world in which we live, and our relations with one another. Students should understand the sources and limits of knowledge, and they should appreciate and be able to assess different world views and moral teachings that have played central roles in human culture.

SPECIFIC COURSE OBJECTIVES:    back to top

1. To become aware of some of the most important and difficult problems in Western philosophy, problems posed as profound skeptical challenges to some of your most deeply held beliefs and convictions.
2. To learn and be able to use the philosophical tools needed to understand (and maybe resist) such challenges.
3. To draw from a number of different sources (primary texts, science fiction stories, and movies/TV programs) for illustration of the everyday, real life implications of such problems.
4. To discuss, think, and write critically about each of the problems and to reach (and be able to support) your own conclusions on the issues involved.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:     back to top

1. Attendance Policy:  In philosophy it is not enough that you've read the required texts; you really need some further guidance in order to understand what is sometimes extremely difficult material. That's where our in-class discussions come in. I can virtually guarantee that you will receive no higher than a C in the course if you are not in class almost every day, participating actively in the discussion and taking clear and copious notes. But words are cheap. Thus, I'm offering a bit of an incentive: if you have more than SIX unexcused absences, that alone will constitute sufficient grounds for your receiving an F in the course (it's up to my discretion - if I don't fail you, I'll definitely subtract at least two points for every class period you've missed (over the allowed six) from your overall point total). I will be taking attendance every day, so make sure you're here (on time) to sign in. If you have a reasonable excuse for missing a class period, please let me know in advance, if possible, to get it excused. If you miss a class for some unforeseeable reason (where you can't let me know beforehand), let me know why you did so (with documentation, if available) afterwards to get it excused. Whether or not your excuse is reasonable is up to me. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY - NOT MINE - TO MAKE SURE YOUR INITIALS ARE ON THE ATTENDANCE SHEET EACH DAY YOU ARE HERE. IF THEY ARE NOT, YOU WILL BE COUNTED ABSENT. In addition, if you show up more than TEN minutes after the class period has begun, you will not be allowed to sign in (again, without reasonable excuse).

2. Exams: There will be FOUR exams given during the semester, an exam at the end of each segment covered in class. The fourth exam will take place on the final day of class (covering only the last segment of material), so there will be no exams during finals week. Of these, I will count only your HIGHEST THREE scores toward your overall course grade. That way, if you have to miss an exam, or if you simply screw up badly on one of the exams, you will still be okay. This means there will be no make-up exams. However, if you simply skip an exam without giving me a reasonable excuse beforehand, I will give you a low F (50) for that exam and then I will include it as one of hte three exam scores that count for your overall course grade. Each of the three exams counted will be worth 28% of your overall grade, and they will each cover only material from the preceding segment. If I do not have at least three exam grades for you by the end of the semester, you will receive an F for the course (so if you miss more than one exam, for whatever reason, you're finished). The tentative dates of each exam are on the syllabus. All exams will be in-class, closed text, and closed notes. The exam questions will make reference to specific information from the lectures and the readings, so keep abreast of both. If you cheat in any way, you will receive an F for the course, and you will be reported to the Dean. All grading in the course will be done on the plus/minus grading system, with the following translation from points to letter grades: 98-100=A+; 92-97.9=A; 90-91.9=A-; 88-89.9=B+; 82-87.9=B; 80-81.9=B-; 78-79.9=C+; 72-77.9=C; 70.71.9=C-; 68-69.9=D+; 62-67.9=D; 60-61.9=D-; <60=F.

3. Reading Questions: In order to ensure that you are reading the required material, I will regularly assign Reading Questions, which will simply ask for short answers (e.g., one typed page) on some issue(s) in the assigned readings. These are due at the beginning of class on the due date; no late papers will be accepted, simply because we'll usually go over the answers to them in class the day they're due. If you enter class a bit late, turn it in immediately. Your scores on these will constitute 16% of your overall course grade. This is a fairly easy way to get an A+ for this portion of the course. There will be a total of twelve possible Reading Questions, which gives you plenty of chances to get a high score (as you'll see below). Here is how the grading works on these questions. You will be asked to write up a paragraph or two (in your own words) in answer to the question given about the reading. The idea is that these questions should be easy to answer if you've actually read the entire selection (which will generally be pretty short). There will be one of these due almost once a week, and they are available on the website. I will grade each one according to the following evaluative schema:

   Check-plus -- reserved for those entirely correct answers which also reveal a genuine understanding of/insight into the material (worth 3 points);

   Check -- reserved for those answers that get the general idea of what's going on and don't include anything significantly mistaken (most of you will get this score most of the time) (worth 2 points);

   Check-minus -- reserved for those answers that (a) have at least one significant mistake, (b) are utter bullshit, or (c) are incomplete in an important way (i.e., they don't address one or more parts of the question asked) (worth one point);

   Zero -- reserved for those answers that (a) are completely, utterly wrong, (b) are plagiarized, i.e., they are not written in your own words, or (c) are simply not turned in on time or at all (worth no points).

   At the end of the semester, I will add up all your points on the reading questions and then use the following translation schema to map them onto a 100 point scale: 20=100; 19=95; 18=90; 17=85; 16=80; 15=75; 14=70; 13=65; 12=60; 11=55; less than 11=50.  As you can see, if you get checks across the board on only ten of the reading questions, you'll get a 100 for this portion of the course. Once you reach 20 points, you no longer have to turn in any more (i.e., no extra points will be given).

4. Discussion is the life-blood of philosophy.  Without it, there's just a bunch of texts by rotting, fetid, dead white guys.  So what I'd like for us to create in here is a lively environment where we all contribute to the enterprise of making the issues relevant for our everyday lives.  This means talking to and communicating with each other, both in and out of class.  My hope, then, is that you'll jump in with your own thoughts whenever they arise; that is, whenever you have an objection, worry, question, or idea on the material, say something.  Of course, you should say something to all of us, not just the person seated next to you or some imaginary friend; no mumbling, grumbling, and/or mere gestures (obscene or otherwise) allowed.  I also understand that some of you have brilliant ideas but you're shy, or perhaps you view speaking up in class as a sign of disrespect to me or your classmates. I assure you first and foremost that I consider it a sign of respect when you speak up in class, and I hope that you will overcome your reservations for doing so as we go. But if you simply cannot overcome your aversions to public speaking, I hope you will at least e-mail me regularly with any questions/comments you have. To encourage all such forms of participation, I offer an incentive: if you are a regular contributor to our class discussions (or e-mails to me, or after-class conversations), I will count that in your favor in borderline final grade situations, giving you up to two points extra.  So, for example, if you've averaged an 88 (a B+), but you've contributed regularly to the discussion throughout the semester, I'll gladly kick your grade up to an A- (i.e., 2 points tacked onto your overall grade tally).  (Failing to participate, however, or staring at me with a surly expression all semester, will not result in a lower score, although perhaps it should.)
5. The deadline this semester for dropping a course with only the instructor's signature is Friday, February 14.  After that date, withdrawals will require additional approvals and can only be obtained for "serious and compelling reasons."  See Schedule of Classes, p. 16.

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