Philosophy 1
Introduction to Philosophy
Spring 2016
Syllabus
Instructor:
Office:
Office Hours:
E-Mail:
Website:
Michael Rooney
C-417 (mailbox in C-321)
T, 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
msrooney@pasadena.edu
http://www.pasadena.edu/faculty/msrooney
Class Hours:
(section #32350) F, 7:00 a.m. to 10:10 a.m., in R-403
Required Texts:
Epstein, The Pocket Guide to Critical Thinking 4e (ISBN 978-0-9815507-7-0)
Hales, This Is Philosophy: An Introduction (ISBN 978-0-470-65883-3)
Course Description:
This course introduces philosophy to beginners. We discuss some basic issues in metaphysics, the theory
of knowledge, and ethics. In the theory of knowledge, we see how reasoning arrives at true beliefs, to
what extent can we know beliefs to be true, and how reliable science is. In metaphysics, we examine the
nature of mind and self, the existence of God, and free will. We also examine the objectivity of ethics and
some major moral theories.
Course Objectives (Student Learning Outcomes):
On completing this course, students are expected to
(1) identify and explain the philosophical topics covered,
(2) analyze the strengths and weaknesses of major positions on these topics,
(3) define and understand concepts essential to these topics, and
(4) reason clearly and well about these topics.
Coursework:
The objectives listed above are tested by a midterm and a final exam. The midterm is 20% of your grade.
The final exam, which is cumulative, is 35% of your grade. Exams consist of multiple choice and short
answer questions directly based on the readings.
In-class participation is 15% of your grade, so each unexcused absence lowers your grade by one
percentage point. You are expected to contribute to class discussion and group activities over the course
of the semester. Absences may be excused due to accident, illness, injury, jury duty, or the death of a
close family member, but such situations must be documented for any absence to be excused.
The remaining 30% of your grade is determined by a paper. This assignment is designed to test your
ability to think rationally and clearly about some of the philosophical issues raised in this course. This
paper must be typed and double-spaced (in either 10- or 12-point font size). The instructions will be
given in class, and then posted on the website.
I expect the paper to follow the instructions, be clearly written (including proper grammar and usage), be
accurate (showing you correctly understand ideas from the course), and be logically argued (see The
Pocket Guide to Critical Thinking for an explanation of logical argument). Exercises that meet all of those
expectations (with at most minor errors) receive an A grade. B papers have only one major error. C
papers have two or more major errors, but still could be revised to be good papers. In D papers, the
errors are so major that it would be easier to write a new paper than to fix the original. F papers show
flagrant lack of effort or understanding.
Grading Policies:
At the end of the term, I total all your points from attendance/participation, the paper, the midterm, and
the final exam. If you have 90% or more of the total possible points, you will get an A. Other letter
grades follow on a standard decimal scale (80% for a B, 70% for a C, 60% for a D).
Missed Coursework: Assignments must be turned in, and exams must be taken, on the scheduled dates. I
do not accept late work. If you are not in class when an assignment is due, you are responsible for
emailing it to me, or for having someone bring the work to class or my mailroom box before the class
meeting when the assignment is due. If an excused absence prevents you from doing work or taking an
exam, then the value of the missed work or exam will be added to the value of your final exam.
Plagiarism on any work (including copying answers from other students, or unacknowledged use of
material you didn’t write) is grounds for an automatic F (zero) for that assignment, and may be reported
to the College. Don’t ever steal someone else’s words without crediting who said it.
Extra Credit: There will be occasional opportunities for extra credit, usually from in-class activities and
assignments.
Appealing grades: I give some feedback on all graded work, and go over correct answers to exam
questions orally. However, if you do not understand why you received a specific grade, I can explain it in
greater detail. To do so, you must submit a written request, explaining and specifying your question and
(if you disagree with the grade) giving reasons why your work should have received a different grade. I
then review your request and give a written decision within one week.
Course Schedule
Date
Reading to be done
1.15
PGCT Chapter 1; TIP Preface (in class)
1.22
TIP Chapter 7 through ¶58; PGCT Chapters 2-4
Clifford, “The Ethics of Belief”,
Gettier, “Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?”
1.29
TIP rest of Chapter 7; PGCT Chapters 5 and 7
Descartes excerpts
Epstein, “Models and Theories”
2.5
TIP Chapter 1; PGCT Chapter 12
Plato, Euthyphro
Radiolab, “The Good Show”
2.19
TIP Chapter 2 through ¶36
2.26
TIP rest of Chapter 2
3.4
Finish TIP Chapter 2
Midterm Examination
Work to be turned in
Spring Break
3.18
TIP Chapter 3 through ¶48
Anselm and Aquinas excerpts
3.25
TIP rest of Chapter 3
Pascal and Hume excerpts
4.1
TIP Chapter 4 through ¶41; PGCT Chapter 15
4.8
TIP rest of Chapter 4
4.15
TIP Chapter 5 through ¶54
4.22
TIP rest of Chapter 5; Chapter 6 through ¶31
4.29
TIP rest of Chapter 6
5.6
Final Examination (8:00 am – 10:00 am)
Paper Due