Introduction to Philosophy – PHIL 1301 – Houston Community College
Instructor: Jay Michael Arnold Email: jay.arnold@hccs.edu
About the Course
I invite you to join me in this class as we think about and discuss some of the most important questions that face all of us. Questions like: What is the meaning of life? Does God exist? Can we know anything for certain? How do we decide right from wrong? Why does evil exist? What is justice? Do my personal choices have any meaning?
Required Texts:
Plato, 5 Dialogues
Rene Descartes, Meditations on the First Philosophy & Discourse on Method
Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
Mahatma Gandhi, Selected Political Writings
Course Synopsis
In this course I will provide a survey of the principle philosophers, ideas, debates, topics and concepts related to western philosophy. My lectures and our discussions will include, but not be limited to an examination of the works of Pre-Socratic Greek Philosophy, Socrates, Plato,
Aristotle, St. Thomas Aquinas, Rene Descartes, Immanuel Kant, Mary Wollstonecraft, Karl
Marx, Gandhi, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir and Albert Camus.
Course Requirements
There will be 4 exams.
Each exam will be worth 25% of your overall final grade in this class.
All exams will be 20 multiple-choice questions. You will use a scantron. Exams will not be cumulative. Exams will not be open-notes unless otherwise designated by the professor.
Exam 1 will be a take-home exam.
Exam 2 will be in class.
Exam 3 will be a take-home exam.
Exam 4 (final exam) will be in class on the date designated by the department.
If you do not have an official excuse from the college, then there will be no make-up exams offered. You must take each exam on the day designated by the professor. No exceptions.
If you do not turn in a take-home exam on the day designated by the professor, then your exam will be penalized 20 points. No exceptions.
Each exam will be worth 25% of your overall grade (or 100% combined).

Grading
In this class, I shall use the following scale:
A: 90% or higher; B: 80-89.9%; C: 70-79.9%; D: 60-69.9%; F: 0-59.9%
Drop Policy
The official drop date for the class is available on the academic calendar. You must drop yourself from this class.
If you simply stop attending class, I will not drop you from the class roster and then you will receive an Incomplete (I) as your course grade.
Medical Disabilities
If you have a medically certified handicap that impedes your ability to do the work in this course, please see me as soon as possible.
Policy on Rescheduled Work
Exams and quizzes can be rescheduled only at my discretion, and any rescheduled work needs to be completed in a timely manner. If I agree to a rescheduling, there may or may not be a penalty, depending on whether you have an appropriate excuse. Only two sorts of excuse automatically count as appropriate: (i) a medical emergency, and (ii) the death of a near relative. Both require written documentation , and I need to be notified as soon as possible about the problem. (Waiting to notify me until the next class meeting is an unacceptable delay.) Extenuating circumstances will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. I need to know about other potentially extenuating circumstances as far in advance as possible, and they too require written documentation.
Whether excused or not, the content and structure of a rescheduled exam or quiz may differ from those of the original. There will be no early scheduling of exams.
Office Hours
I am available outside of class (by email appointment) to answer any questions or address any concerns that you may have. I will be on campus periodically throughout the week.
Policy on Cheating & Plagiarism
Cheating on an exam or quiz are serious offenses. Academic dishonesty will be punished, and the penalty may include failure in the course.