NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE COURSE SYLLABUS

 

Course Title: Introduction to Philosophy
Course Prefix & Number: PHIL1301	Section Number:  410	Semester: 2018 SUM I
Semester Credit Hours: 3	Lecture Hours: 3	Lab Hours: 0
Course Description (NCTC Catalog): A study of major issues in philosophy and/or the work of major philosophical figures in philosophy. Topics in philosophy may include theories of reality, theories of knowledge, theories of value, and their practical applications.
Course Prerequisite(s): None
Required or Recommended Course Materials: Cahn.  Classics of Western Philosophy.  8th edition.  Hackett Publishing. ISBN # 978-0-872-20859-9   4  –  882-E scantrons

 

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Name of Instructor:	Seth Thompson
Campus/Office Location:	Corinth Campus, 315
Telephone Number:	940-548-6832
E-mail Address:	sathompson@nctc.edu

 

OFFICE HOURS

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
	9a-9:30a		9a-9:30a
Additionally, I will be holding virtual office hours on Fridays, 2p – 3p.

 

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

	At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:
	Read, analyze, and critique philosophical texts.
	Demonstrate knowledge of key concepts, major arguments, problems, and terminology in philosophy.
	Present logically persuasive arguments both orally and in writing.
	Demonstrate critical thinking skills in evaluation and application of philosophical concepts to various aspects of life.
	Evaluate the personal and social responsibilities of living in a diverse world.

 

GRADING CRITERIA

 

# of Graded Course Elements	Graded Course Elements	Percentage or Point Values
1	Reading Quizzes (10 out of 12 = 1% each)	15%
2	Exams (3 = 15% each)	45%
3	Final Exam	20%
4	Paper	20%

Grading Policy and Procedures:  You will be evaluated in four ways in this class.  The first is through Reading Quizzes, the second is through Exams, the third is the Final Exam, and the fourth is a Paper. The Reading Quizzes will be multiple choice and will be random in nature based on homework reading that is due for the day assigned on the lecture schedule. They are intended to ensure you’re keeping up with the reading schedule. I will give 17 reading quizzes at random but will only count 15. There will be three regular semester Exams that will have multiple choice and short answer components. The Final Exam will cover material from the entire course. Finally, the Paper will come at the end and will argue one side of a philosophical topic to be assigned in class.

• Reading Quizzes – timed multiple choice
• Exams – There will be three regular semester exams (the midterm and the final), and they will be composed of multiple choice questions followed by short answer questions.
• Final Exam – The final exam will consist of multiple choice questions and can span material from the entire semester.
• Paper – The paper will be an argumentative paper due at the end of the semester. More details will be provided in class.

 

Here’s the grading breakdown and rubric:

A = 90-99, B = 80-89, C = 70-79, D = 60-69, F = 0-32, Plagiarized Papers = F as 0 (zero)

 

COURSE SUBJECT OUTLINE

 

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

Summer I 2018 Schedule

 

WEEK	TOPIC	READING ASSIGNMENT All page #s are from the 8thedition of textbook	ASSIGNMENT DUE
WEEK 1
06/04	Introduction	Syllabus and Introduction to Philosophy
06/05	Fallacies and Definition	Euthyphro (18-26)
06/06	Why should anyone play fair?	Crito (40-46)
06/07	Problem of Justice	Republic (Bk I 327a-331d/Bk II 357a-367e)
WEEK 2
06/11	Justice in the State and Soul	Republic (Bk II 368a-376c, Bk III 412b-417b, Bk IV 427d-434e
06/12	Justice cont.	Republic (Bk IV 435a-445e, Bk VI 503a-511d, Bk VII 514a-521b)
06/13	The Human Good	Nicomachean Ethics, Books I (275-284)	EXAM 1
06/14	Wrongdoing and the Problem of Freedom	On Free Choice…Bk I-III (374 -389)
WEEK 3
06/18	Egoism	Leviathan, Intro and Chpts I-VI (562-576); Leviathan, Chpts XIII-XV
06/19	Knowledge, Mind  & Body	Descartes, Meditations I-IV (527-549)
06/20	Hume on Humans	Treatise, Books I and II (900-918)	EXAM 2
06/21	Problem of Conduct	Utilitarianism Books I and II (1187-1200)
WEEK 4
06/25	Problem of Conduct	Utilitarianism Bks III and IV (1200-1207)
06/26	Kant and Duty	Grounding…(1110-1149)
06/27	Exercise on Kant and Mill		EXAM 3
06/28	"Art as Imitation" and "The Nature of Dramatic Art"	Posted on Canvas
WEEK 5
07/02	"Metaphysics of Beauty" and "The Value of Art"	Posted on Canvas
07/03	The Good Life: Hedonism and its critics	Epicurus and Huxley on Canvas
07/04	Hedonism Critiques and Desire Satisfaction	Nozick and Taylor (Posted on Canvas)
07/05	FINAL EXAM

                                                          

 

Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is June 28, 2018.

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students in all classes for which they have registered.  All absences are considered to be unauthorized unless the student is absent due to illness or emergencies as determined by the instructor.  It is the student responsibility to provide documentation as to the emergency for approval and judgement by the faculty member.  Approved college sponsored activities are the only absences for which a student should not be held liable and only when provided by a college official ahead of the absence.  Valid reasons for absence, however, do not relieve the student of the responsibility for making up required work.  Students will not be allowed to make up an examination missed due to absence unless they have reasons acceptable to the instructor.  A student who is compelled to be absent when a test is given should petition the instructor, in advance if possible, for permission to postpone the exam.  Student will be dropped from a class by the Registrar upon recommendation of the instructor who feels the student has been justifiably absent or tardy a sufficient number of times to preclude meeting the course’s objectives.    Persistent, unjustified absences from classes or laboratories will be considered sufficient cause for College officials to drop a student from the rolls of the College. From Board Policy FC (LOCAL)

 

Additional Instructor-specific Absence Policy:

Unlike some classes that require a lot of memorization, philosophy is a discussion-based endeavor. Therefore, attendance is of utmost importance for the class to function efficiently. Students can have THREE absences, after which the student will lose half a letter grade for every class missed. I also expect students to arrive and be prepared by the start of class. Repeated tardies will translate into absences.

 

Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is April 5, 2018.

 

DISABILITY SERVICES (Office for Students with Disabilities)

The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides support services for students with disabilities, students enrolled in technical areas of study, and students who are classified as special populations (i.e. single parents).

 

Support services for students with disabilities might include appropriate and reasonable accommodations, or they may be in the form of personal counseling, academic counseling, career counseling, etc.  Furthermore, OSD Counselors work with students to encourage self-advocacy and promote empowerment. The Counselors also provides resource information, disability-related information, and adaptive technology for students who qualify.

 

For support, please contact the counselors at (940) 498-6207 or (940) 668-4321.  Alternatively, students may stop by Room 170 in Corinth or Room 110 in Gainesville.

 

CORE CURRICULUM FOUNDATIONAL COMPONENT AREA (For classes in the Core)

o Communication

o Mathematics  

o Life and Physical Science

X Language, Philosophy & Culture

o Creative Arts

 

o Government/Political Science

o Social and Behavioral Sciences

o Component Area Option

o American History

 

REQUIRED CORE OBJECTIVES (For classes in the Core)

X  Critical Thinking

X  Communication

o   Empirical and Quantitative

o  Teamwork

X  Personal Responsibility

X  Social Responsibility

 

COURSE TYPE

o  Academic General Education Course (from ACGM but not in NCTC Core)

X Academic NCTC Core Curriculum Course

o WECM Course

 

STUDENT HANDBOOK

Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the student handbook and published online.

 

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:

Scholastic dishonesty shall include, but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, academic falsification, intellectual property dishonesty, academic dishonesty facilitation and collusion.  Faculty members may document and bring charges against a student who is engaged in or is suspected to be engaged in academic dishonesty.  See Student Handbook, “Student Rights & Responsibilities: Student Conduct ([FLB(LOCAL)]”.

 

There is a great temptation to cut and paste from the internet and other nefarious means of cheating on assignments, and while this might be more common today, it does not make it excusable. Everyone should know what plagiarism is, and if not, please seek to make sure you understand it.  This is the definition of plagiarism and collusion as quoted from NCTC’s Student Handbook:

 

“Plagiarism” shall be defined as the appropriating, buying, receiving as a gift, or obtaining by any means another’s work and the unacknowledged submission or incorporation of it in one’s own written work.

 

“Collusion” shall be defined as the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work for fulfillment of course requirements.

 

In order to preserve the sanctity of the mission of education, we will take all appropriate actions to prevent and to punish instances of scholastic dishonesty, up to and including the following consequences: 

 

First, the Philosophy Department uses a plagiarism-checking service to check written submissions, so be aware that your submissions will be vetted through this vehicle.

 

Secondly, a paper that demonstrates plagiarism will receive an F, and, the student may receive an F in the course.

 

Thirdly, students caught plagiarizing will be reported to the registrar’s office (via NCTC’s Scholastic Dishonesty Report Form).

 

ADDITIONAL POLICIES

Classroom Behavior: Each student is expected to be respectful to all others. This includes refraining from disrespectful comments in any discussion. We discuss contentious ideas in philosophy, so it is important that you stay level headed (even when you confront ideas that challenge your assumptions) and address the arguments being presented in a rational, rather than fallacious and emotional, manner.

 

Note on Extra Credit and Sympathy Points:  Many students begin to ask about “extra credit” projects toward the end of a given semester.  The answer to whether I will accept an extra credit assignment is no.  The reason is this: I expect that, as you have chosen to take this class, you will meet the requirements. This course starts on the first day, and you need to begin working to meet the requirements on that day. I do not think it fair to allow people “do overs” at the end of semester in lieu of working consistently throughout the semester. Hopefully, one of the skills you will learn here is to take responsibility for your own goals.

 

Also, many students contact me toward the end of the semester with various reasons for which they “need an A in this class.”  Again, if you need financial aid, or entrance to another program, or your parents will buy you a car if you get an A, these are all YOUR issues. I will not inflate a grade for any reason, so if you need an A in this class, begin to take responsibility now and work accordingly. Also, please avoid telling me long and personal stories in support of absences or poor performance. If you attend, make the best of it, if you do not, try to catch up, excuses are not necessary.[1]

 

Late Assignment / Make-up Policy:  There will not be make-up assignments, so if you miss one for any reason (with notable exceptions), you will receive a zero. This means that you should pay close attention to the calendar and schedule accordingly.   

 

Name of Chair/Coordinator:	Crystal R.M. Wright
Office Location:	Gainesville Campus, Room 824
Telephone Number:	940-668-7731, ext. 4320
E-mail Address:	cwright@nctc.edu
Name of Instructional Dean:	Dr. Bruce King
Office Location:	1525 W. California St., Gainesville, TX
Telephone Number:	940-668-4267
E-mail Address:	bking@nctc.edu

 

 

 

[1] Obviously, there are notable exceptions, like extended hospital stays. Under such conditions, you will have to consult me AND NCTC’s Office of Student Services with proper documentation.