PHIL 1301: Introduction to Philosophy

Spring Semester - 2019

Matthew Lampert

Email: mlampert@nctc.edu

Monday/Wednesday

Corinth Campus 256

Course Description:

 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.

 Philosophy asks fundamental questions about the meaning and purpose of life, truth, morality, social justice, the existence of God, the nature of beauty, etc. This course introduces students to such questions through an encounter with the ideas of some of the great philosophers in history. Special attention will be paid to methods philosophers use to achieve their insights.

 This course is built around reading and writing, and a lot of both will be expected from you. First and foremost, however, the class is about thinking. “I don’t know” is never an acceptable answer: as we will see, it’s not about what you know. Even if it was possible, I don’t expect you to know it all; I do, however, expect you to think. Furthermore, I don’t expect you to agree with all of the texts, or even with me! In most other classes (math, science, etc.), the professor is giving you the indisputable facts; in this class, I ask that you question everything.

Textbooks and Bibliography: 

• CWP: Steven M. Cahn, ed., Classics of Western Philosophy, 9^th ed.  (Hackett Publishing). ISBN 9781603847438
• Canvas: Supplementary texts as necessary on Canvas (in .pdf format)

Course Projects and Requirements (Evaluation): 

1. A course journal. For each class period, I will give you one or more response question(s); a few paragraphs should be sufficient in each case, but journals will be graded on relevance, completeness, and use of course material (your journal responses should show that you have read, and are applying, the assigned reading). Journals will be kept throughout the semester, and I will collect them at the end. Journals should be typed, and handed in printed, in accordance with course policies (see below). Late journals will be accepted (in person, printed) during the final exam week only, and will receive only ¾ credit, unless specific alternate arrangements have been made with me ahead of time.  30%
2. Weekly in-class quizzes (see schedule for specific dates); at the end of the semester, your lowest quiz score will be dropped; the rest will be averaged for your quiz grade. You must be present to take the quiz, which will be given at the very beginning of class—quizzes will not be sent home, nor given as make-ups. A missed quiz is a zero.   30%
3. A short mid-term essay assignment. This will be a short (2-5 page), formal writing assignment, intended to demonstrate your ability to critically read and respond to the course material. A full description of the assignment will be handed out early in the term.   20%
4. Class participation is very important. This includes not only attendance (see below), but also active involvement in class discussion. I expect that each student will come in with some thoughts to share on each topic of discussion.   20%
   

Relevant Policies: 

1. Attendance means being present for the entire class. Either show up on time and stay for the entire session, or don’t show up at all; arriving late, or coming in and out during class, is disruptive and will not be tolerated. In case we’re unclear: a minute late is still late.
2. Academic honesty is taken very seriously. In a philosophy class, this means that sources used in papers or journals should be cited somehow (MLA style, Chicago style, etc.), and quotations from any text clearly indicated. It also, more importantly, means not taking credit for the work of another. Plagiarism, handing in papers downloaded off of the internet, or any other case of a student handing in something he or she has not written will be grounds for immediate failure of the class, no exceptions. If you have any questions at all, please consult the college’s policy, and/or see me directly: “I didn’t know this wasn’t okay” is not an excuse.
3. All handed in work must be typed, and I ask that you go through the step of spell-checking them first as well. If you do not have a computer or printer, you should plan on using the available computer labs at school.
4. Your journal must be submitted in class, in print-form (i.e., not hand-written), on the due date to be considered on time. Do not email your journal to me. I will not accept your journal via email. For that matter, bringing your laptop to the front of the room to show me that your work is done doesn’t count as being on time either. Print it before class, or it’s late. If your journal is not handed in during class on (or by) the date it’s due, you will have only one week to hand it in late. All journals handed in late will be penalized 25%.
5. Turn all cell phones off before entering the classroom, out of respect to fellow students and the discussion. Any student interrupting class with a cell phone or other noisy electronic device may be asked to leave the class for the day.
6. Numerical grading scale breakdown: At the end of this semester, I will assign you a letter grade based upon the percentage of the total points available for the semester that you have earned. My grading scale is as follows. A: 100%-93; A-: 92.9-90; B+: 89.9-87; B: 86.9-83; B-: 82.9-80; C+: 79.9-77; C: 76.9-73; C-: 72.9-70; D+: 69.9-67; D: 66.9-60; F: 59 or below.

Learning Goals: 

At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:

1. Read, analyze, and critique philosophical texts.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of key concepts, major arguments, problems, and terminology in philosophy.
3. Present logically persuasive arguments both orally and in writing.
4. Demonstrate critical thinking skills in evaluation an application of philosophical concepts to various aspects of life.
5. Evaluate the personal and social responsibilities of living in a diverse world.

Course Outline/Sequence of Subjects: