EN208/2, Philosophy

Spring 2012, National Campus

Course Syllabus

Instructor: Christopher Ross Perkins, Assistant Professor

Office Hours: MWF 9-10, TTH 8-9

Office Location: Lang/ Lit Office No. 4, New Building

Class Time/ Room: 3:00-3:55, MWF, B205

Email/ Phone: rperkins@comfsm.fm, extension 224

You grade will be based on the following:

Research Paper                        20%

Tests/ quizzes                          20%

Summaries                               20%

Journals                                   20%

H/W and C/W                        20%

Total                                        100%

Course Description: 

This course introduces students to the nature of philosophy and philosophical thinking.  Major areas of philosophical inquiry developed in the western tradition are considered.

A.  PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES (PLOs): 

The student (singular) will be able to:

1. Enrich and deepen self-knowledge by exploring different academic experiences.
2. Articulate and understand their experiences through effective writing, reading, speaking, and various modes of artistic expression.
3. Demonstrate fundamental knowledge and basic skills appropriate to their personal and
   professional goals in their chosen area of specialization.

B.  STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (SLOs)- GENERAL:  ]

The student will be able to:

1. Read philosophical literature and extract the information essential to the author’s position and method of argumentation.
2. Explain how the philosophical ideas and concepts discussed are interrelated to one another.
3. Employ philosophical techniques and methodologies in providing justification for the student’s own views and beliefs.

C.  STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (SLOs)-SPECIFIC: 

      The student will be able to: 

General SLO 1.  Read philosophical literature and extract the information essential to the author’s position and method of argumentation.

General SLO 2.  Explain how the philosophical ideas and concepts discussed are interrelated to one another.

General SLO 3.  Employ philosophical techniques and methodologies in providing justification for the student’s own views and beliefs.

D.  COURSE CONTENT

1. Creative thinking.
2. Logic, argument. and reason
3. Hume – Dialogues concerning natural religion.
4. Descartes – Meditations.
5. Aristotle – Nichomachean ethics.
6. Spinoza – Ethics.
7. Kant – Metaphysics.
8. Mill – Utilitarianism.
9. Plato – The Republic.
10. Locke – Human understanding.
11. Neitszche – Morals.
12. Sarte – Being and nothingness.

E.  METHODS OF INSTRUCTION

The instructor may use but is not limited to lecture, discussion, group discussion, group presentations, projects, quizzes, tests, videos, computer software and exercises in order to achieve the stated objectives of the course.

F.   REQURIED TEXT(S) AND COURSE MATERIALS

Warburton, Nigel. Philosophy: The Classics. Routledge, 2006.

Supplemental supporting materials will provided by instructor.

G.  REFERENCE MATERIALS

Many supplemental supporting materials are available through the Learning Resource Center and online.

H.  INSTRUCTIONAL COSTS

NONE

I.   EVALUATION

NONE

L.  CREDIT BY EXAMINATION

NONE

Attendance Policy

For MWF classes, students who miss more than 6 classes will automatically fail the course.  For TTH classes, students who miss more than 4 classes will automatically fail.  There is no difference between excused and unexcused absences.  If you are more than 10 minutes late, that also counts as an absence.

Academic Honesty Policy

The COM-FSM academic honesty policy applies to this course (see attachment).

Students found guilty of academic dishonesty, cheating, plagiarism and facilitating academic dishonesty will be liable to dismissal or suspension from the college.  A first offence will result in a “0” on the assignment and a second offence results in dismissal from the class and reporting your name to appropriate authorities.

Assignments:

Late assignments will not be accepted; if you are late turning an assignment in, you will earn zero points for that assignment.  An assignment is late if it is not submitted in the classroom at the beginning of class in which it due.  Likewise, if you are absent the day of a written test or quiz, you will earn zero points for the assignment.

***Important note: you are responsible to find out what you missed when you are absent.  To do so, you can 1) talk to me during my office hours or 2) you can ask a fellow student.  If homework is due on the day of your return you must turn in the homework assignment in order to get credit, if not, you will earn a zero points.

Additional Class Policies:

Be respectful of one another. No betelnut, gum chewing or spitting ion class.  Cell phones must be turned off during class: if your cell phone makes noise during class, you will be asked to leave and will be marked absent for that session.

Reading Assignments:

There is a reading assignment for almost every class.  You are responsible to read each assignment before coming to class; the readings will be discussed in class (see attachment).

Journals:

I will give you a topic 14 topic throughout the semester and you will be required to write one full page typed on the topic.  Most topic will related to what we are reading, some will relate to what we will be reading.  All journals must be typed, double spaced, font size 12, Times New Roman.  Each journal must be one complete page or more, points will be deducted for any journals that are not a complete page.  Journals will be collected at mid-term and at the end of the semester.

Course structure:

Week1: Introduction, What is Philosophy? Logic

Weeks 2-3: David Hume Chapter 11, worksheet, test

Weeks 4-5: Rene Descartes Chapter 5, worksheet, tests

Weeks 5-7: John Locke Chapter 8, worksheet, test

Weeks 8-9: David Hume Chapter 10, worksheet, test, journal #1 due

Weeks 10-11: John Paul Sartre Chapter 22, worksheet, test

Weeks 12-13: Plato Chapter 1, worksheet, test

Weeks 14-15: Immanuel Kant Chapter 14, worksheet, test

Weeks16-17: John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, Chapters 9 and 6, worksheet, test

Week 18: Journal #2 due, Research Paper due.

Course structure is subject to change