THEORIES OF REALITY
PHL 203 - Winter 2020
MW 2-3:50 - Building 19 - Room 234 (CRN 30707)
Online (CRN 30708)
Prof. Borrowdale

OFFICE HOURS
MW 1-2 and by appointment in Center 410J;
Zoom, Skype and phone appointments by request

TEXT: This course uses Open Educational Resources (OERs) embedded in Moodle; there is no text to purchase.

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. Try to take this quiz early so you don't miss the deadline. If you decide this class is not for you, please drop right away on MyLane as there is no guarantee you will be dropped by the instructor. This will also help out students on the wait list who would like to add and get started with the class. If you don't drop by Sunday, January 12, 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 If you drop the class after the 4th week, the class will be recorded on your transcript with a "W" (withdrawn) next to it.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 of a 10 week class, which this term is February 28 at 11:59pm.

CONTACTING THE INSTRUCTOR: Please use Moodle messages to contact me. I will do my best to reply within 24 hours. 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. Before contacting me, please review this syllabus to see if your question is already answered here.
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, including evaluating, criticizing, and advocating their point of view concerning the policies and programs of the college..."-- Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Lane Community College Educational Association and Board of Education, Section 15.3. According to this section of the faculty contract, the instructor is free not only to discuss contentious, hot-button issues which have the potential to offend you, but to approach them from viewpoints which diverge from the mainstream and deviate from what you might consider "acceptable" opinion. Academic freedom is essential to fostering robust discussion of intellectual issues and the social progress that results from such discussions. Before reacting in knee-jerk fashion to an idea, please try to remember that what offends our sensibilities is often a product of our culture, mass media, upbringing, peer group and personal history rather than any quality intrinsic to the idea itself. Also keep in mind that these things change over time. Many ideas that were considered dangerous, controversial or offensive in the past are now part of the unquestioned status quo. Your job as a thinking person is to sort feeling from fact and to separate rationality and morality from cultural prejudice and personal bias. This type of self-examination is a big part of what it means to be a philosopher.

Faculty have wide discretion in how they treat academic subjects in the classroom. Although this class will explore a diversity of opinions, some ideas will be emphasized over others. Beliefs which enjoy institutional support from the college may be singled out for scrutiny, as explicitly allowed in Section 15.3 above. Ideas which predominate in academic culture and the social sciences or among college students may face special criticism, while minority or neglected viewpoints may be given special consideration. This is because critical thinking is most important when it comes to beliefs you are likely to have uncritically adopted (or dismissed) due to various dominant social influences. Considerations of "balance" in this course are approached from the institutional level. So, for example, if the college as an institution and the majority of courses favor or promote one view on a controversial issue, this class may balance that out by emphasizing an opposing view.

The instructor attempts to give the best argument for many different views. Just because an argument in favor of a particular view is given in class, podcasts, the text or other external resources does not necessarily mean that it is the instructor's view on the subject. In fact, you may notice that the instructor will make arguments for views which are logically incompatible with one another. Therefore, it makes no sense to assume that every time a view is being presented, the instructor believes it and is attempting to persuade you to accept it. It is up to you to sort through the competing claims and arguments presented in this class and decide for yourself which views to accept.
 
If you disagree with or take offense at any of the views expressed in this class by the instructor or in course materials, may I suggest: (1) try to keep an open mind (2) reflect on why you find certain beliefs or opinions vexing or upsetting and use this as an opportunity for self-exploration, to practice self-management skills and to develop your capacity for tolerance of ideas which differ from your own (3) remind yourself that emotions are an unreliable guide to objective reality and that the feelings we associate with certain ideas are often accidents of birth, culture and personal experience (4) keep in mind that exploring or understanding an idea isn't the same as approving of or accepting it and (5) engage the instructor in civil discussion or debate in class sessions, online forums or privately in office hours.

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." This means that faculty have an absolute right to express themselves outside the classroom without fear of retribution from the Administration. Therefore, if you encounter the instructor outside the classroom, acting in his capacity as a private citizen, you should recognize that his views do not necessarily represent those of the college and that the college recognizes his right to speak, write and act according to the truth as he sees it and the dictates of his own conscience.

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. 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 concerns 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. The Dean's first suggestion will probably be that the three of us meeting to discuss the issue. He is a busy man doing important work for the college. Why not see if we can work it out between us first? Addressing any concerns early, honestly and directly will result in a better outcome for both of us.

REQUIREMENTS
ATTENDANCE (MW 2-3:50 section)
PODCAST QUIZ (online section)
 Attendance taken each class hour
Podcast Quiz due before 11:55pm each week
 25% of grade
FIRST MIDTERM EXAM Opens: Thursday, January 23 at 9am
Closes: Thursday, January 30 at 7pm 		25% of grade
SECOND MIDTERM EXAM
 Opens: Thursday, February 20 at 9am
Closes: Thursday, February 27 at 7pm 		25% of grade
COMPREHENSIVE MIDTERM EXAM
 Opens: Monday, February 24 at 9am
Closes: Wednesday, March 11 at 7pm 		Replaces lowest midterm.
See below for details.
FINAL EXAM Opens: Thursday, March 12 at 9am
Closes: Wednesday, March 18 at 7pm 		(25% of grade)

WHAT PHILOSOPHY IS: Philosophy is the 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. 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, 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. 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.

 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.

ATTENDANCE (MW 2-3:50 section only): Lecture and discussion will help explain the reading and course concepts. It is unlikely that you can pass this class without regular attendance, which is worth 25% of your grade. Moreover, there will be some material presented in class which will be tested on but which is not in the readings and videos provided in Moodle.

AUDIO PODCASTS (online students only): Online students listen to the lecture/discussion from the MW 2-3:50 face-to-face classroom section. Recordings will be uploaded each Monday and Wednesday by 6pm. These audio podcasts will will help explain the reading and course concepts. Not listening to these recordings would be the equivalent of not going to a face to face class and attempting to pass by simply reading the textbook. There will be some material presented in these recordings which will be tested on but which is not in the readings and videos provided in Moodle. You may have to be signed into your LCC Google account to access these recordings. You can stream them from within Moodle or download them to your computer or phone and listen to them while doing routine household chores, exercising, commuting and so on.

PODCAST QUIZZES (online students only): To incentivize timely listening to the audio podcasts, a quiz will open each Thursday morning and close each Sunday before 11:55pm. The quiz will ask for "pass phrases" given each hour of the podcast (two each class, four per week) to demonstrate that you listened.

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 Comprehensive Midterm Exam, which will cover the same material. If you wish to review your exam at a later date, you will have to see me in office hours or review it in the Social Science Resource Center with a tutor (if available). 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.

 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.

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 instructor via Moodle message (not email)  to request an extension without penalty. Please include the class, the exam and the date you would like it extended to in your message. The Final Exam closes Wednesday 7pm of Finals Week. Extensions for it are only possible through Thursday 5pm, when the testing center closes for the term. If you miss the final due to some unforeseen circumstance or emergency situation, contact me via Moodle message for options ASAP.

PENALTIES FOR CHEATING: Students caught cheating will be given an F in the course.

COMPREHENSIVE MIDTERM EXAM: There is an optional Comprehensive Midterm Exam, based on the material from the First and Second Midterms. It will replace the lowest of your First or Second Midterm Exam scores. If it is lower than either or if you don't take it, it will have no effect. It is not a substitute for taking the Final Exam.

GRADING: There is no curve. At the end of the term, the class will be graded on the following absolute scale, with course totals rounded up 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 WITH THE CLASS: If you are having difficulties with the class, please see one of the philosophy tutors as soon as possible. The tutors' walk-in hours and contact information to make an appointment are linked at the top of the main course page in Moodle. The tutors can go over your exam with you and help you to improve your grade on the next one as well as on the Comprehensive Midterm Exam.

EARLY OUTREACH AND REFERRAL (EOR) PROGRAM: At Lane Community College, we want every student to be successful. The Early Outreach and Referral (EOR) Program is a campus-wide effort to support students early in the term when they first begin experiencing difficulty in a class. If I feel you are having difficulty in this class (ex. missing classes, missing assignments, and/or receiving low test or assignment scores) I may refer you to an Early Outreach Specialist. Once referred, an Early Outreach Specialist will follow up with you by phone or email to find out how to best support you by connecting you with necessary resources and helping you develop and implement a Success Plan, which may include individual tutoring or other additional services.

ADVANCED QUESTIONS: If you have a particular issue from the readings, videos, PowerPoints, study guides or other course resources which you would like to explore, discuss or perhaps debate in more depth than is practical given time constraints in classroom sessions or via Moodle messages, please visit me during my office hours. I am also happy to help clear up any questions you may still have after seeing one of the tutors.

TECHNOLOGY USE AND HELP: This course requires you to use (but not necessarily own) a computer, tablet or smart phone with access to the internet. The syllabus, schedule, announcements, supplementary material and resources, practice exam questions 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 TUTORING OPPORTUNITY: If you've had previous philosophy classes and earned a grade of A or A-, have done personal study in philosophy or are an excellent student interested in philosophy, there is an opportunity to earn 2 or 3 credits, paid for by the college, tutoring your fellow students. You would be spending about 7 or 10 hours per week, respectively, tutoring students in philosophy in the Social Science Resource Center, perhaps with some online tutoring as well. The credits would show up on your transcript as "Cooperative Education: Service Learning - Students Helping Students." If you have a Federal Work Study award, you could you could use your hours to be paid as well. If you have an interest in tutoring, please send me a Moodle message ASAP.

TITANS PHILOSOPHY CLUB: If you're interested in the Titans Philosophy Club, you can join on Engage to be updated on activities. If you'd like to apply to be the club President or be involved in getting things going this term, please send me a Moodle message.

POLITICAL SCIENCE INTERNSHIP 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 or 3 credits in Cooperative Education (Political Science) helping out with the club or apply to be President next year, send me a Moodle message. For more information on the club, check out YAL at LCC on Engage and join to be updated on club activities.

COURSE SCHEDULE AND OUTLINE

Readings will be available in Moodle and 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 Martin Luther King Day
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 Presidents Day
Second Midterm Exam opens Thursday 9am

WEEK 8: Does God Exist?: The Ontological Argument, The Cosmological Argument (Ch. 6)
Comprehensive Midterm 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)
Comprehensive Midterm Exam closes Wednesday 7pm
Final Exam opens Thursday 9am

FINAL EXAM WEEK
Final Exam closes Wednesday 7pm

Lane Community College (LCC) is dedicated to providing inclusive learning environments. The Center for Accessible Resources (CAR) coordinates all academic accommodations for students at LCC. If you anticipate or experience academic barriers due to a disability, to request assistance or accommodations, contact the Center for Accessible Resources (541) 463-5150 or accessibleresources@lanecc.edu.