IMPORTANT
STUFF: There is a quiz on the syllabus due Thursday 3PM.
Please take it right away. If you take it before the deadline,
I'll add two percentage points to your First Midterm Exam.
If
you don't take the Syllabus Quiz by the deadline, you may be
dropped from the course for non-participation.
If you decide this class is not for you, please drop right
away on MyLane,
as there is no guarantee
you will be dropped for non-participation and there are
other students waiting to get in.
If you don't drop by
11:59pm Sunday, you will be charged for the class. Also,
after Sunday the class will be recorded on your transcript,
and even if you drop it will be listed with a"W" (withdrawn)
next to it. The last day to drop or change your grading option
to pass/no pass is always Friday of the 8th week, which this
term is
March 2,
5pm.
MORE IMPORTANT STUFF: This course requires testing at
an LCC campus lab or with approved proctor.
You
cannot take exams at home. If you live outside the
greater Eugene area and can't make it to the
Instructional
Testing Center, Cottage Grove Center or Florence Center,
you will have to
arrange a proctor. Tests are multiple
choice and true false and should take you less than an hour.
See the sections on exams below for more information.
There
are two sections of this class:
The Studio Classroom Section (CRN 31025)
meets TR 1-2:50pm in
Building 2, Room 214. The classroom is
equipped with TV cameras and broadcasts class
sessions live on on Lane-TV. You get to be on TV
with your instructor - how cool is that?! If you're shy, don't
worry; the cameras will usually be pointed
the professor or showing a digital slide or
whiteboard.
You'll have to sign a release to allow
non-commercial use of your image and voice as a
condition of attendance the first day.
Students
registered in the Online Video
Section (CRN
31026)
may watch the live
stream at
http://www.lanecc.edu/it/media/live-classroom-streaming
(it take a while to buffer -
get on a few minutes early and be patient)
or watch/record the broadcast on Lane-TV (Comcast
Cable, Channel 23)
or watch recordings of the class posted to YouTube
by early evening. Requirements for both sections are
exactly the same.
TEXT:
Borrowdale, Theories of Reality: An Introduction to
Metaphysics, Fifth Edition (available at the LCC Titan
Bookstore)
REQUIREMENTS
| FIRST MIDTERM EXAM |
Begins: Thursday,
January 25 at 3:00pm
Ends: Thursday, February 1 at 7pm
|
35% of grade |
SECOND MIDTERM EXAM
|
Begins: Tuesday, February 20
at 3:00pm
Ends: Tuesday, February 27 at 7pm
|
35% of grade
|
| FINAL EXAM |
Begins: Thursday,
March 15 at 3pm
Ends: Thursday,
March 22 at 5pm |
30% of grade |
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.
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 fields, 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 many women
philosophers. This should in no way be seen as casting
aspersions on women as a class of people. 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 religion courses. The wisdom
traditions of other civilizations, particularly
indigenous cultures, are covered in history and
cultural anthropology courses.
ATTENDANCE POLICY FOR CLASSROOM
STUDENTS (CRN 31025)
: 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, please 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 view 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.
VIEWING THE CLASS VIA
LIVE STREAM, CABLE OR YOUTUBE : If you are enrolled in the Online
Streaming/YouTube/Cable Television section (CRN
31026)
, 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.
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 the Center 221B (in the
Library). 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 or
consulting your Moodle Calendar. Hours for
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 15
(Martin Luther King Day) and Monday, February 19th
(Presidents' Day).
EXTRA CREDIT EXAM: There is an 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 your First or Second
Midterm Exam score, whichever is lower. If you score lower
than either midterm, it will have no effect.
The Extra
Credit Exam cannot be used to replace a missing exam. If
you miss one of the midterms, you will receive a zero on that
exam and the Extra Credit Exam will have no effect.
MAKE-UP EXAM POLICY:
Since you will have at least a week to take each midterm exam,
you will be expected to meet the deadline. You may contact me
before the deadline via
Moodle messaging (not email) or in person to request an
extension without penalty. If you miss the Final Exam due to
some unforeseen circumstance, send me a Moodle message ASAP to
discuss options.
PENALTIES FOR CHEATING: Students caught cheating will
be given an
F in the course
(not just on the exam). Security measures in the lab are
excellent, with mirrors, cameras and watchful staff who send
immediate reports of incidents directly to me.
GRADING: At
the end of the term, the class will be graded on the
following absolute scale. Any extra credit work (with the
exception of the Extra Credit Exam) 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 or in-person office visits. We can also set up an
appointment to talk on the phone or via a conferencing app
like Skype. 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.
CLUB, CREDIT AND WORK STUDY OPPORTUNITIES: I am the
faculty advisor for Young Americans
for Liberty, a locally controlled, independent student
club dedicated to individual rights, personal
responsibility, limited government and the principles of
reason, freedom, tolerance and compassion. The club
currently meets Tuesdays 12-1 in Building 1, Room 212,
though is open to moving the time or adding a second meeting
to accommodate schedules. For more information, check out YAL on OrgSync
and click the Join button to be updated on club activities.
You can also check out YAL
at LCC on Facebook. 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 assistant to help with some
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