BELLEVUE COLLEGE
(formerly
Bellevue Community College)
PHIL&101
Introduction to Philosophy Spring Quarter 2012
TTh 12:30 to 2:40 Rm.
C168
Instructor: Dr. Tablan ftablan@bellevuecollege.edu
R230-K
Office Hours: TTh 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM
I. COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course introduces some of the
traditional problems in philosophy (e.g., reality, human freedom, existence of
God, morality, identity). Students examine works by classical and contemporary philosophers
and develop basic philosophizing skills such as critical reasoning, conceptual
analysis, formulating philosophical questions, writing skills, argument
strategy and tactics.
Requirements
In-class
Participation (5%); Assignments (5%); Class activities (15%); 2 Philosophical
Essays (30%); Long Exams (20%); Final Exam (25%)
About the
Requirements:
Examinations: There will be
two in-class long exams and a final exam, which will consist of short
answer/multiple choice questions and essay problems on the materials covered.
In addition, there will be a number of assignments and class activities that will be given regularly throughout the
quarter. The final exam will be held on its scheduled day. Long exams will be
held on the second half of the class. The passing score for any exam is 60% of the total items. I do not
believe in grading on a curve because it
only encourages mediocrity and resentment among students.
Reading
Assignments:
Being a text-based course, it is the students’ responsibility to do their own
reading of the assigned text before coming to class. (If you do not do the
reading, you will find the discussions much more difficult to follow.) The
expectation is not for the students to have “mastered” the material, but that
they are able to participate in an intellectual conversation about its main
topic, answer some discussion questions, accomplish active learning exercises,
test or resolve some objections to the texts, and suggest passages and/or
issues that would be helpful to tackle in class. Instructional procedure will
take the form of commentaries, interpretations, explanations, applications, and
critical questions on some of the major points and difficult passages of the
text. It will not be a paragraph-by-paragraph lecture of its content. All
students are required to have a copy of the course textbook and to bring it to
class every meeting. (Kessler, Gary. 2007 Voices of Wisdom A Multicultural
Philosophy Reader USA: Thomson Wadsworth 6th or 7th Edition. It is highly encouraged that you look
for used copies which are less expensive.)
Class
Participation:
Discussion is a very important part of the course. Students are expected to
bring to class insights, issues, interpretation, comments, critiques, and
questions regarding the required readings for the purposes of information
sharing, argument, and informal debate. People learn in different ways. Some
learn by thinking out loud while others need to listen a while before forming
their own conclusions. However, even for more reserved students, classroom
discussion is an important way to think through questions and ideas. While I do
not give graded recitation, I shall take your regular attendance and consistent
thoughtful engagement in class as the basis for in-class participation.
Attendance: It is your
responsibility as students to attend all classes on time. Class attendance is
monitored but not graded. Poor
attendance may affect your grade because if you miss class, you miss the
discussions, important announcements, active learning exercises, group
activities, and the opportunity to ask questions and get answers. If you miss class, it is your responsibility
to update yourselves with missed assignments and readings. You are likewise
accountable for any announcements, changes in syllabus or class calendar, and
schedules of exams and quizzes whether you have been attending class or not. It
is highly encouraged that you establish a connection with a classmate for notes
and assignments if you are late or absent.
Philosophical
Papers:
Students will be asked to submit two papers (4 to 5 pages each excluding
bibliography, size 12 font, one-sided double-spaced) throughout the quarter.
They must be cleanly typed and proofread, and pages must be numbered. For these
assignments, students have to do independent reading and interpretation of the
texts. If necessary, use footnotes and bibliography. It will be my pleasure to help and/or discuss
your essay with you, but I will not do any editing of your paper nor give a
grade in advance.
Tutorials
and Consultation:
Every reasonable effort will be made to
assist you for any problems or difficulties you may encounter with any aspect
of this course. I will never be offended by your questions or comments about
papers, class schedule, reading materials, class discussions, grading, study
habits and so on. For brief consultations,
you can see me after class. Emails are the most efficient means by which we can
communicate outside the classroom. It is strongly advised that you get an
acknowledgement that I have received your email. Save a copy of my email
acknowledgement for your reference. Every student is required to have a public
email (I will not send blind carbon copy to anyone). While I send class updates
and class assignments though email from time to time, this is only as a form of
courtesy.
This is not an online course. All
announcements and assignments should be given in class.
III.
TENTATIVE COURSE OUTLINE AND READING ASSIGNMENTS (This schedule is for planning purposes only.
It may be changed by the instructor depending upon the students’ interests, the
ability of the class to absorb the materials, and the composition of the
class.)
Part I: INTRODUCTION.
What is Philosophy? (week
1)
A
Definition of Philosophy.
What
is Rationality?
Part II: ETHICS.
Introduction
How Should One Live? (week 2 to 4)
The
Buddha and the Middle Way. Buddha: The Four Noble Truths.
Walpola
Rahula: The Fourth Noble Truth.
Aristotle
on Happiness and the Life of Moderation. Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics.
Socrates
on Living the Examined Life. Plato: The Apology.
The
Song of God. Bhagavad-Gita.
How Can I Know What
Is Right? (week 5 to 7)
Introduction
The
Categorical Imperative. Immanuel Kant: Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals.
Utilitarianism.
John Stuart Mill: What Utilitarianism Is.
An
Ethic of Care. Nel Noddings: Caring.
Moral
Relativism. David Wong: Relativism.
Part III:
METAPHYSICS.
What Is Really Real?
(week 8)
Introduction
The
Dao. Laozi: Dao De Jing.
Platonic
Dualism. Plato: The Republic.
Are We Free or
Determined? (week 9)
Introduction
We
Are Determined. Robert Blatchford: Not Guilty.
We
Are Free. Jean-Paul Sartre: Existentialism.
Karma
and Freedom. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan: Karma and Freedom.
What Am I? (week 10)
Introduction.
You
Are Your Mind. René Descartes: Meditation VI.
You
Are an Embodied Self. Eve Browning Cole: Body, Mind, and Gender.
You
are not a Machine: John Searle: Can Computers Think?
Are Religious Claims
True? (week 11)
Introduction
Arguments
for God’s Existence: Anselm of Canterbury: The Ontological Argument
St
Thomas Aquinas: The Five Ways.
IV. CLASS POLICIES
1. I
have a little difficulty in hearing so please speak slowly, loudly and clearly
whenever you talk in class.
2. Before
coming to class, students must have enough sleep and rest. Take a cup of
coffee/tea, or soda that has caffeine. Eat lightly. Some people get sleepy
after eating a heavy meal. Eating during class is not allowed.
3. All
written assignments or papers are due at the beginning of the class on the
submission date. Lack of access to a computer and/or computer glitches are not
acceptable excuses for failing to hand in assignments on time. Late submission
for any requirement, for whatever reasons, is subject to a substantial grade
reduction – 10% deduction for every meeting. If you cannot come to class, you
can submit your paper in advance or ask
one of your classmates to do it. Late papers cannot be left in my
faculty mailbox without my permission. No late requirements will be accepted
one week after the due date.
4. Email
submission is NOT allowed.
5. Students
are expected to plan their schedules in advance having the dates of the exam in
mind. If you miss a long exam, the only acceptable excuse is serious physical
injury/illness and a note from a hospital or doctor. There will be no make-up
for missed class activities.
6. It
is the responsibility of the students to arrange for make-up work at the
convenience of the instructor. All make-up work must be completed within one
week upon returning to class.
7. Students
who are absent are accountable for all the lectures, handouts, discussions, and
announcements that are given during the class
8. An
incomplete grade is given only if the student has completed substantial
requirements of the course but failed to take the final exam. If an incomplete
is granted, the student must complete the academic work according to the BC
policy.
9. All
returned materials should be kept until the official final grade is given. Back
up all written assignments to insure against loss.
10. The
use of laptop during class is not allowed without permission from the
disability center.
11. No
student will be permitted to rewrite a submitted paper. It is understood that
all papers submitted are in their final
version.
12. Letter
grades (A, A-, B+, etc.) are assigned only at the end of the quarter.
13. The
final grade is non-negotiable. No extra credit.
Disability Resource
Center (DRC)
Students with
disabilities
who have accommodation needs are required to meet with the Director of the
Disability Resource Center (room B132-G; 425-564-2498 or TTY 425-564-4110) to
establish their eligibility for accommodation. The DRC office will provide each
eligible student with an accommodation letter. Students who require accommodation
in class should review the DRC accommodation letter with the instructor during
the first week of the quarter.
Student Code
“Cheating,
stealing and plagiarizing (using the ideas or words of another as one’s own
without crediting the source) and inappropriate/disruptive classroom behavior
are violations of the Student Code of Conduct at Bellevue College. Examples of unacceptable behavior include,
but are not limited to talking out of turn, arriving late or leaving early without
a valid reason, allowing cell phones/pagers to ring, and inappropriate behavior
toward the instructor or classmates. The
instructor can refer any violation of the Student Code of Conduct to the Vice
President of Student Services for possible probation or suspension from
Bellevue College. Specific student
rights, responsibilities and appeal procedures are listed in the Student Code
of Conduct, available in the office of the Vice President of Student Services.” The Student Code, Policy 2050, in its entirety
is located at: http://bellevuecollege.edu/policies/2/2050_Student_Code.asp
Affirmation of
Inclusion
Bellevue
College is committed to maintaining an environment in which every member of the
campus community feels welcome to participate in the life of the college, free
from harassment and discrimination. We value our different backgrounds at
Bellevue College, and students, faculty, staff members, and administrators are
to treat one another with dignity and respect. Part of this respect involves
professional behavior toward the instructor, colleagues, and the class
itself. Disruptive behavior is
disrespectful behavior. The Arts and
Humanities Division honors the right of its faculty to define "disruptive
behavior," which often involves such things as arriving late, leaving
early, leaving class and then returning, talking while others are trying to
hear the instructor or their group members, doing other homework in class,
wearing earphones in class, bringing activated beepers, alarm watches, or
cellular phones into class, inappropriate comments or gestures, etc. http://bellevuecollege.edu/about/goals/inclusion.asp
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Grading Criteria for
Essays 1. Completion of the Requirements 25 points Answers to the guide questions/paper
instructions; accomplishment of the paper’s objective; effective title and conclusion;
grammatically correct sentences; footnotes and documentation (when
applicable); careful proofreading; appropriate manuscript form; clean typing
and printing; pages are numbered and stapled. 2. Quality of Ideas 35 points New insights, creativity and originality;
persuasiveness of arguments; absence of fallacies; appropriate examples;
complexity of ideas and arguments; appropriate awareness of opposing views;
range and depth of analysis; range and depth of interpretation. 3. Organization and Development 25 points Clarity of thesis statement (when
applicable); logical and clear
arrangement of ideas; good development
of ideas through supporting details,
examples, evidence and quotations from the text; effective use of
transition; unity and coherence of paragraph 4. Clarity and Style 15 points Ease of readability; clarity of arguments and
sentence structure; appropriate audience; gracefulness of sentence structure;
appropriate variety of sentence structure. |
Grade Description 5
if your answer is both complete and perfect (has no
mistakes) 4
if your answer is complete but imperfect or perfect
but incomplete 3.5
if your answer is both imperfect and incomplete 3
if your answer is half correct and half wrong 2
if your answer is “more wrong” than “correct”, or
if your answer is relevant
but it is not the exact answer to the question. 1
for trying 0
no answer or its equivalent
Policy On Grading Essay Test