FIRST MIDTERM EXAM	Begins: Thursday, January 26 at 3:00pm Ends: Thursday, February 2 at 7pm	30% of grade
SECOND MIDTERM EXAM	Begins: Tuesday, February 21 at 3:00pm Ends: Tuesday, February 28 at 7pm	35% of grade
FINAL EXAM	Begins: Thursday, March 16 at 3pm Ends: Thursday, March 23 at 5pm	35% of grade

WHAT PHILOSOPHY IS: Philosophy is an attempt to come to a systematic understanding of the objective world through the use of reason. The philosophical approach is assumes a commitment to follow the truth wherever it leads, however uncomfortable it may make us and in spite of what we may wish to be true. It strives for logical consistency and agreement with known empirical facts.

WHAT PHILOSOPHY IS NOT: Philosophy is not about exploring your "personal beliefs." Nor is it about your feelings (please avoid the phrase "I feel" when expressing your point of view in the classroom or online forums, as hopefully what you have to say is based on more than your subjective emotional state). Philosophy is not about your identity, your gender, your culture or your "race." It's not about "how you were raised." Please avoid referring to these things in class unless they have some direct bearing on the issue at hand. Although there is an historical tradition associated with philosophy, it is not primarily about history, and even though understanding their historical or cultural context may help us understand the ideas of particular philosophers, it is the ideas themselves with which philosophy is concerned.

CONTRIBUTIONS OF WOMEN AND NON-WESTERN CULTURES: There were few women philosophers of note until the beginnings of the feminist movement in the 19th century. This was true of most other academic or otherwise, due to the institutionalization of pre-modern gender roles. Because this is a survey class concerned major figures and concepts in metaphysics, we may not be reading any women philosophers. This should in no way be seen as casting aspersions on women as a class of people, but to arbitrarily select a female author based purely on her gender, regardless of objective merit, intellectual influence or contribution to the field, would be an act of sexism and educational malpractice. Along those same lines, for various complex historical and cultural reasons, philosophy emerged and flourished in the West and is the heritage of Western Civilization. It uniquely sowed the seeds for the scientific and industrial revolutions in Western Europe, leading to our modern technological world (as well as providing the political concepts on which the United States was founded). Although we will discuss some Eastern traditions, the character of Eastern philosophy is very different from Western philosophy and treated covered in more depth in our religion courses. The wisdom traditions of other civilizations, particularly indigenous cultures, are covered in history and cultural anthropology courses.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: The objectives are this course are for students to (1) come to a clearer understanding of metaphysical issues through the study of classical and contemporary theories (2) acquire some factual knowledge about the history of philosophy and important philosophical thinkers (3) come to their own conclusions about which theories are best or most likely to be true, even if those conclusions are of a tentative nature (4) acquire critical and analytical reasoning skills along the way (5) bring their conclusions about ultimate reality to bear on their other beliefs, values, goals and way of life.

ATTENDANCE POLICY FOR CLASSROOM STUDENTS (CRN 31069): It will be very difficult to succeed in this class without regular attendance. Some material may appear on the exams which is not covered in the text, and students with sporadic attendance almost always do poorly on exams. After the first week, do not burden the instructor with messages about absences of one or two class days due to illness or other contingencies. With up to150 students per term and the rate of absenteeism being what it is, such "courtesy" calls or emails are a nuisance. On the other hand, if you must be absent for more than a week due to serious illness, military service, business travel, family emergency, and so on, don't hesitate to contact me if you must take an exam at a later date or require other help. If you don't require special accommodation, please simply download the podcast and check for any new announcements or handouts on Moodle.

If you are sick, please stay home and rest. Coming to class sick will prolong your own illness and infect others. Also, please refrain from visiting my office if you still have flu or cold symptoms. Send a Moodle message or email or you can try to reach me by phone during office hours.

VIEWING THE CLASS VIA LIVE STREAM, CABLE OR YOUTUBE : If you are enrolled in the Online Streaming/YouTube/Cable Television section (CRN 31802), you may watch the class live at home or later via YouTube or your DVR. The class is broadcast live TR 1:00 - 2:50pm at http://www.lanecc.edu/it/media/live-classroom-streaming and on Comcast Cable Ch. 23. Video of class sessions are also available on YouTube by early evening, with links posted in the "Video Archives of Classes" forum. Occasionally the YouTube links may be posted the next day due to technical or staffing issues. Regular viewing is essential to succeeding in this class. Some material may appear on the exams which is not covered in the text, and lecture and class discussion will clarify what you read. If you watch the YouTube recording or record the class to watch at a later time, you should watch or listen to each broadcast before the next one airs in order to keep up with the class. You are also encouraged to take notes when watching, as with any other class.

COTTAGE GROVE STUDENTS (CRN 31163): You will participate in the class via two-way interactive video conferencing at Cottage Grove Center, room CG 110.  As with the classroom section, it will be very difficult to succeed in this class without regular attendance. Some material may appear on the exams which is not covered in the text, and students with sporadic attendance almost always do poorly on exams.

PARTICIPATION: Students may email liveclass@lanecc.edu with questions or brief comments during the broadcast. Please only use this email during class time; otherwise, use the contact information above. Students in the Studio Classroom or Cottage Grove IP video section should feel free to ask questions, raise objections or otherwise comment during class.

COMPUTER USE: This course requires you to use (but not necessarily own) a computer. Testing, distribution and archiving of notes and handouts and reporting and calculation of grades are all done via Moodle. Campus labs are staffed with people who can help you if you are new to computers or have difficulty using them. Visit the Student Help Desk (SHeD) website at https://www.lanecc.edu/atc/student-help-desk, call them at 463-3333 or visit them in Building 2, Room 121/122. Campus computer labs and hours may be found at https://www.lanecc.edu/cit/computer-lab. Please make sure your current email address is in your myLane account and Moodle profile.

EXAMS: You will have a window of several days during which you must take each exam in Instructional Testing Services in the  in CEN 311 on the Main Campus or at the Cottage Grove Center or with an approved proctor. Exams cannot be taken at home. You will need a photo I.D. and to know your L Number and myLane PIN to log into the test. The exam format will be multiple choice and true/false questions. During the exam you may use a 3 x 5 card note card (both sides) or a piece of paper measured with a ruler and cut to the same size. The final will not be comprehensive. Opening and closing times of exams are in the syllabus and may also be seen by clicking on the exam name in the main course view as soon as the date is set. Lab hours for the Instructional Testing Services are posted at https://www.lanecc.edu/learningcommons/its. You must arrive one hour before closing. See http://www.lanecc.edu/laneonline/test-proctoring for details on proctoring if you are taking the course from out of the greater Eugene area. If you need help locating a proctor, try The National College Testing Association at http://www.ncta-testing.org/cctc/. A per test fee is usually required, though fees will vary by institution. Note: LCC Testing labs will be closed Monday, January 16 (Martin Luther King Day) and Monday, February 20th (Presidents' Day).

The optional Extra Credit Exam, based on the material from the First and Second Midterm Exams. It opens Monday of Week 8 and closes Friday of Week 10. It will replace the lowest of your First or Second Midterm Exam scores. If it is lower than either, it will have no effect. In order for it to count, you have to take both midterms. It is not a substitute for taking either midterm or the final exam.

MAKE-UP EXAM POLICY: Since you will have at least a week to take the exam, you will be expected to meet the deadline. If you may contact the instructor before the deadline via Moodle messaging, email or in person to request an extension without penalty.

The Final Exam must be completed by THURSDAY 5PM of Final Exam Week.  Since the lab closes at 5pm and I will be determining grades Thursday night, MAKE UPS ARE USUALLY NOT POSSIBLE for purposes of Winter Term grades. If you have a legitimate excuse for missing the Final, see me Spring Term about a make-up and grade change.
 
PENALTIES FOR CHEATING: Students caught cheating will be given an F in the course.

GRADING: At the end of the term, the class will be graded on the following absolute scale. Extra credit work does not count towards the A+.

A+ 97% -100%	A  93% - 96%	A-  90% - 92%
B+  87% - 89%	B  83% - 86%	B-  80% - 82%
C+  77% - 79%	C  73% - 76%	C-  70% - 72%
D+  67% - 69%	D  63% - 66%	D-  60% - 62%
	F 0% - 59%

AVAILABILITY OF THE INSTRUCTOR: I am available by Moodle messaging, email, phone, or in-person office visits. If you are having difficulties with the class, please contact me as soon as possible; I am here to help. If you performed poorly on your first exam, please come by office hours or make an appointment to see me to see what we can do to improve your next exam score and the Extra Credit Exam, which will replace your lowest midterm score. I am also available to discuss any issue in the class which has piqued your intellectual curiosity, or which you find interesting or important, outside of the realm of assignments and testing.

CREDIT AND WORK STUDY OPPORTUNITIES: I am the faculty advisor for Young Americans for Liberty, a student club dedicated to the principles of reason, freedom and tolerance and compassion which meets Tuesdays 12-1 in CEN 308. If you're interested in doing an internship through Cooperative Education (Political Science) to earn 2 or 3 credits helping out with the club,  send me a Moodle message. Also, if you have Federal Work Study, I could use a new Philosophy/Religion assisant to help with research and clerical work.

COURSE OUTLINE

WEEK 1: What is Reality? What is Truth? What is Philosophy? (Ch. 1)

WEEK 2: The Mind-Body Problem (Ch. 2)

WEEK 3: The Mind-Body Problem/Personal Identity (Ch. 2 & 3)

WEEK 4: Life After Death (Ch. 4) - Cryonics and NDEs

WEEK 5: Life After Death (Ch. 4) - Reincarnation

WEEK 6: Free Will (Ch. 5)

WEEK 7: Free Will (Ch. 5)/The Existence of God (Ch. 6)

WEEK 8: Does God Exist? (Ch. 6)

WEEK 9: Does God Exist? (Ch. 6)
The Teleological Argument
The Problem of Evil

WEEK 10: The Meaning of Life (Ch. 7), Review

Accessibility and Accommodations: To request assistance or accommodations related to disability, contact the Center for Accessible Resources at (541) 463-5150 (voice), 711 (TTY),  AccessibleResources@lanecc.edu (email), or stop by Building 1, Room 218.

Please be aware that any accessible tables and chairs in this room should remain available for authorized students who find that standard classroom seating is not usable.