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PHIL& 101, Introduction to Philosophy, Syllabus COURSE

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PHIL& 101, Introduction to Philosophy, Syllabus COURSE PHIL& 101, Introduction to Philosophy, Syllabus Item number: 1905, Section: E, Winter 2017 Meets: DAILY at 12:30pm-1:20pm in R210 Instructor: Benjamin Hole E-mail: [email protected] Office location: B100 Office Hours: Daily, 10:20-10:35, and via email COURSE INFORMATION This course introduces some current and traditional problems in philosophy. Students examine diverse views and arguments and develop basic philosophy skills including critical reasoning and conceptual analysis. Specific questions include the following. What is Philosophy? What makes me the same person over time? Does God exist? How can we know? What is knowledge? Can we have knowledge of an external world? What is valuable? What makes an action morally permissible or impermissible? Do we have a duty to aid the less fortunate? Is abortion morally permissible? We will examine these questions and various answers to them through reading several philosophical texts, both historical and contemporary. We will pay particular attention to different methods of philosophical argumentation. Students will be encouraged not only to master the material itself but also to develop their own critical and philosophical skills. The format of this course will be a mixture of lecture and discussion. There are two main objectives: (1) to familiarize you with the ethical theory and controversies surrounding certain contemporary moral issues, thus helping you develop reasoned views on these (and related) issues, and (2) to help you sharpen your ability to think clearly and critically about such issues. BOOKS AND MATERIALS REQUIRED Required Philosophy: The Quest for Truth, Edited by Louis P. Pojman and Lewis Vaughn, Oxford University Press; 8th edition (2012). o PDFs of readings will be posted to accommodate earlier editions of the textbook; speak to me if you need help finding a reading. Turning Technologies Clicker There will be required PDF readings posted on the course website as well. Week Readings 1. 1/2-1/6 Syllabus Editors: “What is Philosophy?” (1-2; 33-52) Plato: “Socratic Wisdom” (1-18) 2. 1/9-1/13 Editors: “Knowledge” (185-188) Descartes: “Cartesian Doubt and the Search for Foundational Knowledge” (188-195) Editors: “Philosophy of Mind” (282-285) Descartes: “Substance Dualism” (285-292) 3. 1/16-1/20 Editors: “Philosophy of Religion” (53-58) Thomas Aquinas: “Five Ways” (58-61) St. Anselm and Gaunilo: “The Ontological Argument” (100-103) B.C. Johnson: “Why Doesn’t God Intervene to Prevent Evil?” (120-125) 4. 1/23-1/27 Editors: “Who am I? Do we have personal identity?” (360-364) John Locke: “Our Psychological Properties Define the Self” (365-368) In-class movie: The Singularity is Near Ray Kurzweil, Singularity Q&A (link) Nick Bostrom, Simulation Argument MP3 (15 minute podcast for philosophy bytes) 5. 1/30-2/3 Nick Bostrom and Rebecca Roache, “Ethical Issues in Human Enhancement” (Link) Editors: “Ethics” (474-477) Rachels: “Morality is Not Relative” (483-492) Rachels: “Divine Command Theory” (551-553) 6. 2/6-2/10 Jeremy Bentham (PDF) Robert Nozick, “The Experience Machine” (PDF) John Stuart Mill: “Utilitarianism” (537-543) 7. 2/13-2/17 Editors: “Do we have obligations to help the poor and hungry?” (712-714) Peter Singer, “Famine, Affluence, and Morality” (714-723) Garrett Hardin, “Living on a Lifeboat” (723-735) 8. 2/20-2/24 Immanuel Kant, “The Moral Law” (525-537) Thomas Mappes: “A Liberal View of Sexual Morality and the concept of Using Another Person” (PDF) 9. 2/27-3/3 Editors: “Contemporary Moral Problems” (645-647) Pope John Paul II, “The Unspeakable Crime of Abortion” (PDF) Mary Anne Warren, “On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion” (661-667) 10. 3/6-3/10 Don Marquis, “Why Abortion Is Immoral” (647-660) Judith Jarvis Thomson, “A Defense of Abortion” (667-679) 11. 3/13-3/17 Rosalind Hursthouse, “Virtue Ethics and Abortion” (PDF) Final review 12. Final Exam on Bellevue College Calendar Quarter Starts January 3, 2017 Holiday January 16, 2017 College issues day (no class) February 9, 2017 PD Day (no class) February 20, 2017 PD Day (no class) March 7, 2017 Final exams March 21-23, 2017 Quarter Ends March 23, 2017 COURSE OUTCOMES After completing this class, students should be able to: Distinguish and describe the major branches of philosophical inquiry Identify philosophical issues and explain them using basic philosophical vocabulary Discuss positions and arguments relevant to philosophical issues Formulate and evaluate philosophical arguments Motivate and explain their own philosophical views HOW OUTCOMES WILL BE MET “When students know the goals, are given opportunities to practice and get feedback, and are able to show their level of understanding— learning is supported.”1 STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO FAMILIARIZE THEMSELVES WITH THE GRADING MECHANICS AND TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR REGULATING THEIR OWN LEARNING PROCESS. This involves reading the syllabus carefully, thinking strategically about your performance in class, and being communicative with your instructor. Think metacognitively about your learning. Metacognition is the process of reflecting on and adjusting your own thinking. These thought processes help monitor and control your learning when you, for example: assess the task at hand, assess your own skills and knowledge, plan an approach to a task, apply strategies and monitor progress, reflect on whether approach is working, and/or make adjustments to your approach. Keep the final paper and exam in mind and continually think about ways to do well in the areas where you will be assessed. Discussion Participation 10% Clicker Quizzes 15% Midterm Exam 15% Outline of Final Paper 5% Peer Review of Final Paper 5% Final Paper 25% Final Exam 25% Total 100% GRADING Discussion Participation (10%): All students are expected to play an active role. Such participation presupposes regular attendance. Credit will be given for active engagement with the material, and for helpful interactions with others. We aim to establish an environment where mutual respect is accompanied by serious reflective engagement with the material. There is a grading rubric for your participation grade, also posted on the course website, which clarifies expectations and defines the elements of quality class participation. Active involvement in your learning increases what you remember, how well it is assimilated, and how you apply what you have learned in new contexts. You must, for example, articulate your thoughts about the topics discussed in class and submit them for critical examination by your peers. In listening to peers, you hear many different ways of interpreting and applying class material and therefore are better able to integrate and apply ideas to many examples. Clicker Quizzes (15%): Graded multiple choice and discussion questions will take place via Turning Technologies Clickers. These “quizzes” will be given randomly during most class sessions throughout the quarter. Some questions will be based on the readings to make sure you’re reading carefully and following along. Many questions will have no right or wrong answer and will just ask for your opinion about something we are discussing. Each student’s lowest five quiz grades will be dropped. This means that students can miss up to five quizzes without negatively impacting their overall grade. Each full day of Clicker questions will count as one “quiz”. This policy is designed to allow for unexpected technical problems (i.e., malfunctioning clicker) and absences (i.e., due to illness). Because of this, students will not be allowed to take make-up quizzes. The point of the daily quizzes 1 Ambrose, et al., How Learning Works: Seven Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching (Jossey-Bass, 2010), 85. is to serve as low-stakes opportunities for assessment and to make sure that you are following the course material. Midterm Examination (15%): There will be an online midterm examination on 2/7. It will consist of multiple choice and short essay questions. The point of the exam is for you to show that you are familiar with a broad range of concepts and skills used in the class. Although the exam will be scheduled during class (with some leeway), since it is online, you will not be expected to attend in person. There is no in-person class the day of the midterm. Outline of Final Paper (5%). There will be an outline of your final paper due on 2/24, 11:59pm. The point of this assignment is to give you an opportunity to receive feedback on your argumentative structure before you submit your final paper. A prompt will be posted on the course website. Peer Review for Final Paper (5%). There will be a peer review for the final paper on 3/6. The point of this assignment is for you to collaborate with a peer to improve your final paper by reviewing the grading criteria and discussing how well your paper meets those standards. Participation in the review requires a full draft of the paper. You will be graded on the basis of participation and good faith effort. Final Examination (25%): There will be an online final examination, as scheduled by the College (https://www.bellevuecollege.edu/courses/exams/). It will consist of multiple choice and short essay questions. The point of the exam is for you to show that you are familiar with a broad range of concepts and skills used in the class. Although the exam will be scheduled during class (with some leeway), since it is online, you will not be expected to attend in person. There is no in-person class the day of the final. Final Paper (30%): The point of the paper is for you to demonstrate that you are familiar with a philosophical issue and are able to critically evaluate that view with philosophical rigor. Your critical evaluation is an opportunity for you to demonstrate the philosophical skills you have practiced throughout the term.
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