TEXT: Borrowdale, Theories of Reality: An Introduction to Metaphysics, Fifth Edition (available at the LCC Titan Store).

IMPORTANT: There is a quiz on the syllabus due Wednesday by 4pm. 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 the first week and there may be other students waiting to get in. If you don't drop by Sunday, January 13, 11:59pm, you will be charged for the class. If you drop the class after the 4th week, the class will be recorded on your transcript with a "W" (withdrawn) next to it. The absolute 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 1 at 11:59pm. If you do not drop by this deadline, you will receive a grade, which will most likely be a D or an F if you do not take all of the required exams.

CONTACTING THE INSTRUCTOR: Please use Moodle messages to contact me. I will do my best to reply within 24 hours, excluding Saturdays and holidays. You may receive a notification and copy of Moodle messages in your email. Please don't reply to those directly; log into Moodle and reply there. Using Moodle messages consistently also allows us to track any ongoing issues by scrolling up in the message history. Replying to email notifications or using email to contact me will result in a delayed response and the 24 hour rule will not apply. My students come first; using Moodle for communication will ensure your message gets the priority treatment it deserves. Finally, before contacting me with a question about the class, please review this syllabus to see if your question isn't already answered below.
 
THIS IS AN ADULT LEARNING SPACE: Expect to come into contact with ideas with which you disagree and to have your beliefs challenged. Students will be treated as mature, responsible adults, capable of engaging in adult conversations which may touch on topics such as race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, sexual relations, cultural differences, morality, politics and religion. It is a prerequisite of this course that you possess, or be willing to develop, the ability to discuss controversial issues in a calm, rational and respectful manner. 

TRIGGER WARNING: This class includes frank discussions about death and several seconds of surgical footage in a documentary film. For help with post-traumatic stress or emotional fragility, please visit the Counseling & Career Center.  If you would like to improve your tolerance for subject matter and ideas you may currently find distressing or offensive, I encourage you to remain in the class but with the understanding that thinking about, discussing and critically evaluating this material in a mature and responsible manner is a course requirement.

ACADEMIC FREEDOM OF THE INSTRUCTOR: "The professional freedom of faculty includes the right to explore and discuss controversial issues and divergent points of view..." -- Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Lane Community College Educational Association and Board of Education, Section 15.3. This section also notes that this includes "criticizing, and advocating their point of view concerning the policies and programs of the college," which the instructor has been known to do from time to time. Another relevant section of the faculty contract is Section 16.3, Civic Life, which states, "Each faculty member is also a citizen of his or her nation, state and community; and when he or she speaks, writes or acts as such shall be free from institutional censorship."
 
ACADEMIC FREEDOM OF STUDENTS: "Each faculty member is entitled to and responsible for protecting freedom in the classroom in discussion and presentation of subject matter." -- Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Lane Community College Educational Association and Board of Education, Section 15.2. Voicing an opinion that differs from that expressed by the instructor will never be penalized, though there may be occasions when debate must be curtailed in the interest of adequately covering course material. The instructor encourages the voicing of dissenting opinions, especially on controversial issues and when backed by convincing reasons and supporting evidence. This enlivens class, provides an alternative viewpoint, fosters critical thinking and may end up enlightening the instructor, who occasionally realizes he has been wrong about something. Please couch dissenting opinions in a constructive and respectful manner in order to keep the exchange of ideas civil.

USE OF HUMOR: The instructor frequently employs humor to lighten the mood as well as to illustrate points, add color and make learning fun. This should in no way be interpreted as disparaging any individual or group. Students will always be treated with the utmost respect and will never be mocked or ridiculed.

CONCERNS: I want this class to be a positive learning experience for you. If, at any time, you have a concern, grievance or complaint about the course, please speak with me about it directly in office hours or via Moodle message. You have my personal guarantee that I will hear you out, reflect carefully on what you have to say and that it will have no bearing on your grade. Because the class uses objective testing in Instructional Testing Services (with a record of scores on the server), you have additional protection. My only request is that, if I have some feedback for you, you consider it in the same spirit. I'd rather correct any problems than have you be disgruntled for the rest of the term (which is likely to negatively affect your performance in the class) only to complain about it in student evaluations. Why not alert me to a problem when I can actually do something about it? In the unlikely event that you remain dissatisfied, you can still take your concern to the Dean of the Social Science Division. I am a reasonable, fair and kind human being and care about my students, so I'm sure we will be able to work something out. Addressing any concerns early, honestly and directly will result in a better outcome for both of us.

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 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 the empirical evidence. Philosophy is about asking questions, especially questions no one else wants to ask or answer. Philosophy even questions the unquestionable, including things considered to be "common sense," such as the existence of an external world of matter, free will, God, the soul, an afterlife, or the existence of universal, objective moral values (or perhaps the unquestionable certainty of our age is the dogma that morality is culturally relative or completely subjective). Philosophy uses conceptual analysis as its primary tool. Properly analyzing concepts requires the rigorous definition of terms, so the precise use of language is very important to philosophers, or at least to the good ones. This goes all the way back to Socrates. Fuzzy language evinces fuzzy thinking.

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 class 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 sex, your gender, your sexual orientation, your culture or your "race." It's not about your faith or "how you were raised." Please avoid referring to these things in class unless they have some direct bearing on the issue at hand (some of these things will come up in our discussions of personal identity and free will). 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 until the beginning of the feminist movement in the 19th century. This was true of most other academic fields due to the institutionalization of pre-modern gender roles. Because this is a survey class concerned with major historical figures and basic concepts in metaphysics, we won't be reading many women philosophers.

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 social and political concepts on which the United States was founded. Like the scientific method and industrial production techniques, Western concepts such as individual rights, separation of Church and State, democratic self-government, meritocracy and free market capitalism have been adopted by many non-Western societies and diffused throughout the world. This is yet another reason to focus on theories of value that arose from and influenced the development of the Western World and, consequently, the rest of human civilization. The traditions of other civilizations, including indigenous cultures, are covered in history, cultural anthropology and ethnic studies courses.

Finally, it is important to understand that "Western" is just a conventional term for ideas which first emerged in Western Europe. An idea's place of origin or the particulars of the person who first developed or expounded it has nothing whatever to do with its truth value or importance in increasing human understanding. Newton and Leibniz discovered calculus around the same time and each accused the other of stealing his discovery. Yet calculus is neither essentially a British idea nor a German idea, nor is it a European or "white male" idea. Who was first to discover it, where he lived and the details of his ancestry and nationality are irrelevant to the validity and usefulness of calculus. So it is with all intellectual discoveries and theoretical innovations, including those in metaphysics.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Theories of Reality (metaphysics) attempt to discover and describe the underlying nature of existence. Possible topics include the nature of the self, the relationship between matter and consciousness, free will, the existence of God, death, and the meaning of life. These topics may be approached from the perspective of both Eastern and Western philosophy.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: The objectives for 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, and (5) bring their conclusions about ultimate reality to bear on their other beliefs, values, goals and way of life.
EXAMS: You will have a window of several days during which you must take each exam, including the final, in Instructional Testing Services, (located in CEN 311 on the Main Campus), or at the Cottage Grove Center, the Florence Center, or with an approved proctor (see section below). Exams are taken via Moodle but with a test setting which restricts access to LCC testing centers (or approved proctors). Exams cannot be taken at home. Opening and closing times of exams are listed in the table above and may also be seen by clicking on the exam name in the main course view. Hours for Instructional Testing Services may be found at https://www.lanecc.edu/its/hours. Hours for Cottage Grove Center and Florence Center are different and may be found at https://www.lanecc.edu/cottagegrove/hours and https://www.lanecc.edu/florence/florence-hours (Florence asks that you call to check availability - see the link for details).

You must arrive one hour before closing. You will need an official photo I.D., such as a state-issued driver's license, state-issued I.D. card, student I.D. card, passport or "green card." Unfortunately, LCC bus passes no longer qualify as valid photo I.D. You will need to know your L Number and MyLane PIN to log into Moodle. If there is more than one exam open or you've been granted an extension to take an exam late, make sure to tell the testing personnel which exam you would like to take so they don't give you the wrong one by mistake. If English is your second language, dictionaries will be on hand for you to use. If your native language isn't a common one, please contact Instructional Testing Services ahead of time to make sure they have your language. Unfortunately, you are not allowed to use your own paper or electronic dictionary.

The exam format will be multiple choice and true/false questions. During the exam you may use a 3 x 5 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.

Once you take your exam, you'll immediately receive your score as well as be able to see the questions you missed along with the correct answers. Please give yourself time to review the exam right after you take it, as you will not be able to review your exam from home. Reviewing your exam will be especially helpful to you if you plan on taking the Extra Credit Exam, which will cover the same material. If you wish to review your exam at a later date, you will have to see the Philosophy Tutor. A small curve be may included which will add to your raw score. Your adjusted score can be viewed by clicking on "Grades" on the side bar in Moodle.

Instructional Testing Services (and everything else on campus) will be closed Monday, January 21 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) and Monday, February 18 (Presidents Day).
 
PROCTORED TESTING FOR REMOTE STUDENTS: 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  Consortium of College Testing Centers at http://www.ncta-testing.org/cctc. A per test fee is usually required; fees will vary by institution.

EXTRA CREDIT EXAM: There is an optional Extra Credit Exam, based on the material from the First and Second Midterm Exams. 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.

EXAM DEADLINE POLICY: Since you will have at least a week to take each exam, you will be expected to meet the deadline; however, you may contact the Philosophy Assistant before the deadline via Moodle messaging to request an extension without penalty. Please include the date you would like the exam extended to in your message. The Final Exam closes WEDNESDAY 7PM of Final Exam Week. Since Instructional Testing Services on the main campus closes for the term Thursday at 5pm, extensions are not possible past that time.
 
PENALTIES FOR CHEATING: Students caught cheating will be given an F in the course.

GRADING: Exams may be curved upward, based on the distribution of scores. This is done by adding a certain number of points to every student score. At the end of the term, the class will be graded on the following absolute scale, with course totals rounded to the nearest whole number:

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%

GETTING HELP: If you are having difficulties with the class, please see the Philosophy Tutor as soon as possible. The tutor's walk-in hours and contact information to make an appointment are linked at the top of the main course page in Moodle. The tutor can go over your exam with you and help you to improve your grade on the next one as well as the Extra Credit Exam. Please see the tutor first about issues involving understanding basic concepts and improving your test grade.

ADVANCED QUESTIONS: If you have a particular issue from lecture, readings or videos which you would like to explore, discuss (or perhaps debate) in more depth than is practical in the classroom, please visit me during my office hours. I am also happy to help clear up any questions you may still have after seeing the tutor.

TECHNOLOGY USE AND HELP: This course requires you to use (but not necessarily own) a computer, tablet or smart phone. The syllabus, schedule, announcements, supplementary material and resources, and grades are all distributed via Moodle. Campus labs are staffed with people who can help you if you are new to computing devices or have difficulty using them. Visit the Student Help Desk (SHeD) website at https://www.lanecc.edu/learningcommons/student-help-desk, call them at 463-3333 or visit them on the 2nd floor of the Center Building, Learning Commons, Library, Room 221B. A list of campus computer labs and hours may be found at https://www.lanecc.edu/it/computerlabs.

PHILOSOPHY CLUB: A few students are interested in resurrecting the recently inactive Philosophy Club. Join on OrgSync to be updated on club activities. Extra credit opportunities may be possible this term. Stay tuned.

COOPERATIVE EDUCATION OPPORTUNITY: I am the faculty advisor for Young Americans for Liberty, a locally controlled, independent student club dedicated to limited government, individual rights, personal responsibility and creating a free society guided by reason, tolerance and compassion. If you're interested in earning 2 to 3 credits in Cooperative Education (Political Science) helping out with the club, send me a Moodle message. For more information on the club, check out YAL at LCC on OrgSync and click the big green Join Now button to be updated on club activities.

COURSE SCHEDULE AND OUTLINE

Readings should be completed before the beginning of the class week in which they occur in order to participate intelligently in the discussion or to follow the discussion in the audio podcast (and do well on the quizzes).

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

WEEK 2: Ontology and the Mind-Body Problem: Idealism, Dualism vs. Materialism, Functionalism, Artificial Intelligence (Ch. 2)

WEEK 3: Personal Identity (Ch. 3)
College closed Monday for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
First Midterm Exam opens Thursday 9am

WEEK 4: Life After Death: Cryonics and Near Death Experiences (Ch. 4)
First Midterm Exam closes Thursday 7pm

WEEK 5: Life After Death: Reincarnation, Ghosts, Religious Arguments (Ch. 4, supplements)

WEEK 6: Free Will: Determinism vs. Libertarianism (Ch. 5)

WEEK 7: Free Will: Compatibilism (Ch. 5)
College closed Monday for President's Day
Second Midterm Exam opens Thursday 9am

WEEK 8: Does God Exist?: The Ontological Argument, The Cosmological Argument (Ch. 6)
Extra Credit Exam opens Monday 9am
Second Midterm Exam closes Thursday 7pm
Deadline to drop class or change grading option on MyLane Friday 11:59pm

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

WEEK 10: Does God Exist?: The Moral Argument, Religious Experience, Revelation (Ch. 6, supplements), The Meaning of Life  (Ch. 7)
Extra Credit Exam closes Wednesday 7pm
Final Exam opens Thursday 9am

FINAL EXAM WEEK
Final Exam closes Wednesday 7pm