Introduction to Philosophy
PHIL1301
Brandon Watson
Spring 2009
[003] MW 12:00-1:15
[013] MW 2:50-4:05
Contact
Email: bwatson2 [at] austincc.edu
Office Hours: MW 1:25-2:25 PB4
Course Website: http://bwatsonspring09.blogsome.com
Course Summary & Rationale
Students will be introduced to various significant philosophical issues and thinkers and to the practice of philosophical analysis. There are no course prerequisites for Introduction to Philosophy. A passing score or the equivalent on the reading and writing portions of the TASP is required.
Philosophy is one of the principal forces that have shaped Western civilization and history, so a basic understanding of the methods and subject matter of philosophy affords a deeper understanding of ourselves and an informed grasp of the present. In addition, critical thinking skills are so central to the methods of philosophy that the study of philosophy provides an excellent opportunity to learn and practice those skills in a focused way.
Course Objectives
1. Students will demonstrate improved critical reading, thinking, and writing skills.
2. Students will be able to reason philosophically about issues of both personal and universal significance.
3. Students will be able to identify major divisions and concepts in philosophy.
Course Materials
Plato, Gorgias.
Boethius, Consolation of Philosophy.
Hume, Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding
There will also be minor additional readings on particular topics; these will be either available online or made available in class by the instructor.
Instructional Methodology
Class activity will typically involve lecture and class discussion, with some group activities scattered throughout. There are several quizzes and students will write their own philosophical dialogue. In addition, students will be required to collect work done during the course into a final portfolio. The purpose of this approach to instruction is (1) to instruct students in those elements that will serve as a firm foundation to any further philosophical course or activity; and (2) to encourage philosophical reflection, and articulation of that reflection, on topics covered in the course.
Course Assignments and Evaluation
During the course, students will create a three-part course portfolio. This portfolio will have three sections, the first two of which will be handed in separately from the third. Students are responsible for handing in all required materials. A and B grades can only be received on sections of the portfolio that contain all required materials. (Checklists of required materials will be made available.) This portfolio is intended to let the student show that they have developed a basic foundation in philosophy and have begun to engage in serious philosophical reflection. Think of it as a sort of artist's portfolio for the art of rational thinking.
(I) Logic Section: This will consist of several in-class micro-quizzes and the major logic quiz, which is take-home. The grade for this section primarily comes from the latter; however, students are responsible for making sure that they have all the review quizzes.
(II) Gorgias Section: This section will be a project devoted to interacting with the text and arguments of Plato’s Gorgias. More details will follow at a later date.
(III) Miscellaneous Section: The required elements of this section of the portfolio are as follows:
(1) Philosophical Dialogue and Outline: Students will write their own short philosophical dialogue, consisting of at least five to six pages, on any topic they choose. An outline of the dialogue is also required. More details will follow at a later date.
(2) Quizzes: There will be (besides the logic quiz) two take-home quizzes. One will be on the history of philosophy and one will be cumulative for the term. These quizzes will be devoted primarily to terms and names, but will also have short answer questions.
(3) Exhibits of Found Philosophy: Philosophical issues are constantly being raised and considered all around us. Sometimes the philosophical discussion of these issues is good and sometimes it is bad; sometimes the topics discussed are of major importance and sometimes they are relatively minor; sometimes their philosophical character is explicitly recognized and sometimes it is not; but it takes surprisingly little searching to find examples of philosophical topics, questions, and discussions in everyday life. Students should provide three examples of such found philosophy. Examples might be from newspaper articles, opinion columns, comic strips, transcripts of conversations, advertisements, or any number of other sources. The exhibits should each include the example, where it was found, and a short discussion (it usually need not be more than a brief paragraph) pointing out how it exemplifies philosophy in everyday life.
Students are strongly encouraged, in addition, to submit relevant supplementary materials with the Miscellaneous section of the portfolio, in order to show their interaction with philosophical issues and topics during the course: journal entries, poems, short stories, dialogues, drawings, additional exhibits of found philosophy, or anything else relevant to the philosophical content of the course. Such supplementary materials will be taken into account in determining the grade for this part of the portfolio.
A small part of the final grade is course participation; as one part of this grade, the student will meet with the instructor (after the first three weeks of class and before the last week of class) twice outside of class hours to discuss any problems or difficulties with the course or its content.
The final grade for the course will break down in the following way:
Portfolio
Logic Section 30%
Gorgias Section 30%
Miscellaneous Section 30%
Course Participation 10%
Course Policies
Attendance: There is no penalty for failure to attend as such, but since course participation is part of the final grade, attendance is encouraged. Students who are unable to make a class are responsible for anything missed during their absence.
Withdrawals and Incompletes: Withdrawing from a course may affect financial aid, veterans’ benefits, international student status, or academic standing. Students are urged to consult with their instructor or an advisor before making schedule changes. Per state law, students enrolling for the first time in fall 2007 or later at any Texas college or university may not withdraw (receive a W) from more than six courses during their undergraduate college career. Some exemptions for good cause could allow a student to withdraw from a course without having it count toward this limit. Students are encouraged to carefully select courses; contact an advisor or counselor for assistance. See the Student Handbook, p. 22, for additional information.
Except in truly extraordinary circumstances, resorting to Incomplete grades is strongly discouraged.
Scholastic Dishonesty: "Acts prohibited by the college for which discipline may be administered include scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating on an exam or quiz, plagiarizing, and unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing outside work. Academic work submitted by students shall be the result of their thought, research, or self-expression. Academic work is defined as, but not limited to tests, quizzes, whether taken electronically or on paper; projects, either individual or group; classroom presentations, and homework." (Student Handbook, 2002-2003, p. 32)
Cases of scholastic dishonesty will be pursued according to the procedure set forth in the Student Handbook, “Student Rights and Responsibilities,” Section J, “Academic Dishonesty."
Academic Freedom: Students have the right to believe whatever they happen to believe and, within the appropriate constraints that follow from the organization of a course and its class meetings, to express those beliefs. Grades will never be based on the beliefs that a student maintains, but only on the quality of the philosophical work performed by a student in conjunction with the course.
Student Discipline: Students at the College have the rights accorded to all persons under the Constitution to Freedom of speech, peaceful assembly, petition, and association. These rights carry with them the responsibility for each individual to accord the same rights to others in the College community and not to interfere with or disrupt the educational process. As willing partners in learning, it is expected that students will comply with College rules and procedures. ACC students are recognized as responsible persons who neither lose the rights nor escape the responsibilities of citizenship. Enrollment in the College indicates acceptance of the rules set forth in this policy, administered through the office of the Campus Dean of Student Services. Due process, through an investigation and appeal process, is assured to any student involved in disciplinary action. (See the "Student Discipline Policy" in the Student Handbook, http://www.austincc.edu/handbook/policies4.htm for details.)
Office of Students with Disabilities: "Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented physical or psychological disabilities. Students with disabilities must request reasonable accommodations through the Office for Students with Disabilities on the campus where they expect to take the majority of their classes. Students are encouraged to do this three weeks before the start of the semester." (Student Handbook, 2002-2003, p. 14)
Brief Outline of Primary Topics
(1) General Introduction to Philosophy and to the Course
(2) Rudiments of Logic and Critical Thinking
(3) Ancient Philosophy
Major Unit: Plato on Sophists vs. Philosophers
Minor Unit: Aristotle on Causal Explanation
(4) Medieval Philosophy
Major Unit: Boethius on the Consolation of Philosophy
Minor Unit: Aquinas on the Ways to God
(5) Early Modern Philosophy
Major Unit: Hume on Human Understanding
Minor Unit: Descartes on the Cogito
(6) Brief Introduction to Feminist Philosophy
Depending on time available
A more detailed schedule of the course, including readings, will be made available at a later date on the course website.