NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE
COURSE SYLLABUS
COURSE AND INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Course title: Introduction to Philosophy
Course prefix, number, and section number: PHIL1301
Semester/Year of course: Summer 2022
Semester start and end dates: July 11-Aug 11
Modality (Face to face/Synchronous or Asynchronous online/Hybrid):
Class meeting location, days, and times:
Lab meeting location, days, and times:
Semester credit hours: 3
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.
Course prerequisites: None
Required course materials: Cahn. Classics of Western Philosophy. 8th edition. Hackett Publishing. ISBN 978-8-872-20859-9
Name of instructor: Jack O’Connor
Office location: Cor 337
Telephone number: 940-498-6258
E-mail address: joconnor@nctc.edu
Office hours for students: M-F 8-10am
SYLLABUS CHANGE DISCLAIMER
The faculty member reserves the right to make changes to this published syllabus if it is in the best interest of the educational development of this class. Any such changes will be announced as soon as possible in person and/or writing.
SUMMARY OF COURSE ASSIGNMENTS
List of graded assignments:
Grading Policy and Procedures:
You will be evaluated in four ways in this class. The first is through Reading Quizzes, the second is through Summary Papers, the third is through Argumentative Papers, and lastly, a comprehensive Final Exam. The Reading Quizzes will be short multiple choice tests based on an assigned reading. They are intended to encourage you to read the text and are more about literal comprehension than full understanding of what you read. They are more about focusing you on key parts of the reading. The Summary Papers are short (2-3 pages) written summaries of each of the thinkers. They will be due in a sequence encouraging you to pace yourself through the course. The point is for you to quicken your understanding of the philosophical systems we study, and coherently communicate that understanding. The final part of the evaluation is the Argumentative Paper. These papers will be longer (3-5 pages) and will ask you to evaluate different perspectives on an issue and to argue for one side. The Final Exam will be during exam week and will be comprehensive. More details will be given in the last couple weeks of the course. Here is the weighted breakdown of the elements:
- Reading Quizzes – 10 (8 of which will count) = 30% Note: I drop 2 Quizzes
- Summary Papers - 9 (7 of which will count) = 30% Note: I drop 2 Summaries
- Argumentative Papers – 2 (both will count) = 30% Note: I drop 0 Argumentative Papers
- Final Exam = 10% Note: The Final Exam is mandatory
A = 90-99, B = 80-89, C = 70-79, D = 60-69, F = 0-32, Plagiarized Papers = F as 0 (zero)
Final grade scale:
Late work policy: You may request one extension for written work. See full syllabus for details.
SEE CANVAS FOR THE COMPLETE COURSE CALENDAR, OUTLINE, DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF GRADED WORK, AND OTHER RELATED MATERIAL.
COURSE POLICIES
Academic Integrity Policy: Academic Integrity: I believe that education serves a higher purpose and as such, I take plagiarism very seriously, and will penalize students who commit it with the full extent of NCTC policy. I do not tolerate plagiarism because education is about “turning souls toward the truth,” as Plato explains in the Republic, and so my purpose is to open students to a higher truth. Hence this course is a public service aimed at enlightening citizens in this republic. Plagiarism disrespects this important mission. I believe that the role of education is crucial to a free republic, and is about nurturing the intellect so that citizens can appreciate the Artes Liberalis (the arts of a freeperson). Thus education is about helping people to think beyond the practical and to make them aware of less obvious truths essential for a democracy; it is not something to be simply gotten through as easily as possible. For this reason, scholastic dishonesty demonstrates that one does not care for the true value of education, but cares only for a grade, and is therefore cheating not only him or herself, but also the other students and the taxpayers of the State of Texas and Cook County who have provided the resources for students to be educated. So, to discourage this fraudulent behavior, I will not hesitate to enforce all available consequences open to us in punishing instances of scholastic dishonesty. You will receive a "1" (out of either 10 or 20) on the assignment in the first instance as a code for me to recognize, and I will submit a Scholastic Dishonesty Report Form (see the first module for the form) to inform the Registrar’s Office.
Attendance Policy: Attendance Policy: This is an online course, so attendance is a bit tricky. For official purposes, "attending" will be related to your record of turning in assignments. I can see specifics about your page views and all through Canvas, but as per NCTC's policy, online attendance will be measured by submissions. So, if you stop attending, your final date of attendance will be the last assignment you turned in. Attendance is required in this course, but I will not include attendance as part of your grade, and leave you to take responsibility for your performance. However, I strongly caution you NOT to miss these "lectures" (the videos I have made to explain the readings) for Philosophy can be a tricky subject. Most people who do not want to “attend” the lectures end up Googling things and try to get through the quizzes and papers that way, without doing the work assigned in the course. As tempting as this is, it will not make you successful. I have assigned very specific passages with specific intents…Google does not know what I have assigned and why, so don’t be surprised if you do not do well by not “attending” the lectures I have posted. Either way, attendance is up to you, as are its consequences.
Withdrawal Policy: I will not initiate the withdrawal process, so make sure that you take care of such things properly.
A student may withdraw from a course on or after the official date of record. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate and complete a Withdrawal Request Form.
Last day to withdraw from the course with a “W” is:
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 an application of philosophical concepts to various aspects of life.
Evaluate the personal and social responsibilities of living in a diverse world.
Core Objectives:
Critical Thinking
Communication
Personal Responsibility
Social Responsibility
COLLEGE POLICIES