An Introduction to
Philosophy
Dr. Elizabeth Shadish
Online section 4884
Orientation Session
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Roster/Adding and Dropping
• If space permits, I will add at the end of
the session today.
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Review of Basic Course Information
Comments/Questions about Course
Content
Demonstration of Class Website
Features
While the Roster is Called…
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Your Orientation Quiz will cover the course
policies, syllabus and today’s orientation
information.
As an online class, it is essential that you
stay in contact with both myself and your
classmates.
• Plan to “check in” frequently and
regularly.
• Talk to each other!
Using the Syllabus
Assignments and Grading
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Orientation Quiz – from course
policies, orientation session, syllabus
and course description; in the
Quizzes and Tests area of our course
Introductions – in the Discussion
area of the course
Tests – MC/TF/Short Answer tests in
the Quizzes and Tests area of our
course
Service Learning Assignment
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6 hour community service
commitment
Discussions and a paper
Connection of philosophical concepts
to your service experience
Course Policies
Course Content
The love of (philo) wisdom (sophia)
“Philosophy begins in wonder” - Aristotle
If we’re free, why do we do what we don’t
want to do?
If we all have our own values, why does
every society agree that wanton murder
is wrong?
Some Useful Philosophical
Attitudes
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Open-mindedness
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Critical thinking
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A willingness to question …
Methods of Philosophy
Issues of meaning
Definitions, clarification, understanding
Issues of truth
Support, evidence, application of
principles
Issues of logic
Assumptions, implications
Your Resources
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You will have plenty of help – but
you must use it!
• Basic course material, of course!
• Each other
• Professor Accessibility
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eshadish@elcamino.edu
SOCS 213B – TTh, 8:30 – 9:30 am and T,
3:25 – 4:25 pm on campus; W and Th, 4 –
5 pm online (chat and email)
Text Website
http://www.thomsonedu.com/
Online Registration
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Those who have registered prior to
the start of the semester are already
“registered” to Blackboard.
Those who are adding the course
tonight or after will be registered to
both this course and the course
website within days of adding the
course.
Online Registration
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http://blackboard.cvc.edu
• Guidance-rich entry to the course
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http://cvc.blackboard.com
• Simplified entry to the course
Let’s go! See you in class.