Philosophy 10: Introduction to Philosophy Spring 2014
Section E5239 TTH 8:30-9:55 HU 217
Section E5240 TTH 10:05-11:30 SC 240
Section E5703 MW 3:45-5:10 EHS
Course Website: http://www.redwoods.edu/Instruct/JJohnston
Instructor: John Johnston
Email: John-Johnston@redwoods.edu
Office: CA 129
Office hours: MTWTh 11:40-1:05 & by appt.
Phone: 707-476-4375
Contacting your instructor: The best way for you to contact me is via email. Doing so enables me to send to you any course
documents handed out in class or PowerPoint presentations we discussed. When you email me, be sure to put PHILOSOPHY 10
in the subject heading so I don’t mistake your email for junk mail and delete it. Also, if you type in my email address correctly,
I’ll get your email. If you don’t, I won’t. Each semester, I hear from many frustrated students who don’t include the dash between my
first and last name and others who think my last name is spelled “Johnson” instead of “Johnston” or my first name is spelled “Jhon.”
So when you send me an email, make sure you type my address carefully.
Recommended Preparation: English 150 or equivalent
What you need for this course:
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Lawhead, William F. The Philosophical Journey: An Interactive Approach 5th OR 6th ed.. NY: McGraw Hill, 2011 (5th) &
2013 (6th). ISBN 5th ed: 978-0-07-353587-6 ISBN 6th ed.: 978-0078038341
Daily (including weekends) access to an internet-connected computer.
Obsessive commitment to being on time and prepared.
Burning curiosity.
Boundless enthusiasm.
An unquenchable thirst for knowledge.
Steadfast dedication to your learning.
Course Description (from the CR Catalog)
An introduction to the central and enduring philosophical problems and the arguments historical and contemporary philosophers
have made about them. Topics to be addressed include epistemology; metaphysics; the relation between the mind and the body;
the nature of free will; the existence of God; the foundations of morality; aesthetics; and social justice. Emphasis is on using
methods of philosophic inquiry to develop and defend individual responses to perenial questions.
Course Outcomes/Objectives:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to
1. Apply the key concepts and methods of philosophic inquiry.
2. Summarize and evaluate the theories and arguments of major philosophers in response to central and enduring philosophic
questions.
3. Develop and support one's own philosophic positions in response to central and enduring philosophic questions
A More Detailed Description of this Particular Course
I sometimes think the subtitle for this course should be “How to think about really, really weird things.” After all, consider how you’d
respond to someone who walked up to you and asked you any of the following questions:
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What is the “stuff” the universe is made of?
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Is it really true that one event can actually cause another event to happen? For example, how do you know one pool ball
striking another causes the other ball to move? Can you point to the “causation?” How do you know it’s not just coincidence
that things happen one after the other?
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And really, how do you know you really know anything? You may think something, believe something….but how do you
actually know you know anything? Where did this knowledge come from? Was it in you all along and you just forgot it
(Plato thought so); or did you have to draw in sense data from the physical world with your eyes and ears and fingers and
tongue and nose and imprint this sense data on the blank slate of your brain (John Locke thought so); and if you did draw
sense data in through your senses, how come it didn’t imprint on your brain as a disorganized mess of chaotic stimuli? Did
you have some pre-existing knowledge that gave form to the sense data and made it understandable (Kant thought so).
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And if the knowledge you have about the world is based on the sense data that you brought in (and where is this “in,”
anyway?) and then used some pre-existing knowledge to give shape to the sense data, what does that say about the nature of
this thing you call “reality?” Is “reality” an actual physical place or thing that has some concrete features “outside” of
yourself? (and what’s the “self” you claim when you use the word “myself”) How do you know that the world is as it
appears to be? How do you know your mind isn’t shaping the sense data into a mental experience that doesn’t reflect what
reality is like at all? I mean, really, how do you know?
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And I guess I’m assuming in asking all of this that you prefer truth and accuracy to lies and inaccuracy. But is that true? If
you’re like most people, you generally prefer the truth to lies, but why? The truth is often painful and lies can be
comfortable. So why do you value the truth more than lies?
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And speaking of assumptions, I’m assuming you actually exist. I’m assuming I exist. But how do we know we’re not
dreaming right now….yes, here we are in our intro to philosophy class reading this syllabus, the instructor is pacing around
the room and fiddling with the computer in his ball cap, and I’m wondering why I’m reading all this weirdo stuff…..sounds
like it could be a dream? So how do you know you’re not dreaming right now? Or how do you know you’re not a zombie? I
know you don’t believe you are. But no zombie knows he’s a zombie. So how do you know you’re not one?
I’m getting ahead of myself. We’ll deal with the zombie possibility later this semester. In fact, we’ll deal with all these questions and
a thousand more.
And we’ll all seem like weirdoes for spending time on this stuff.
But really, we shouldn’t feel like weirdoes. Questions about what is true and real and good are questions that make us human and
questions that humans have been asking for thousands of years. These are the kinds of questions kids ask about their new and strange
world before they’re taught not to ask these questions. No, the questions aren’t weird. It’s the time period in which we are asking
them that’s weird. The “normal” questions of our day are questions that help us “fit in” and function in our society. Questions that
help us do some task better or more efficiently are good questions in our culture, and the kinds of questions I’ve posed above may be
fun around the campfire, but they are seen largely as a waste of time. And people who waste time on them are weirdo flakes.
Hmmm….I think I just called you a weirdo flake. Welcome to the club. I’m your leader.
Anyway, this course may seem like a trip down the rabbit hole, but I think of it as trip not into incoherence and confusion but a trip
into the roots of our thinking and knowledge. In the end, we’re looking for this to be a long, strange trip (as the Grateful Dead sang),
but a good trip.
Course Requirements (the things you need to do in order to succeed in this course)
Struggling: It is a requirement of this course that you struggle. Your book and I are not simply going to present a body of
information for you to consume and then regurgitate on exams or in reports. We will explore complex philosophical questions, and if
you don’t struggle with these, it means you’re either a god (in which case we’ll make an exception) or a human being thinking about
these things only superficially. In other words, if you don’t struggle, it probably means you are not thinking. And if you’re not
thinking….well, what’s the point of taking a philosophy course if you’re not going to think until your brain is on the verge of melting?
Philosopher’s Notebook: Your Philosopher’s Notebook is a collection of informal but polished writing in response to prompts on the
course schedule related to our reading and discussion (“informal but polished” means that notebook entries are not formal essays but
are crafted, typed, edited responses—handwritten Philosopher’s Notebook entries will not be accepted). The purpose of the
Philosopher’s Notebook is to record your attempts to work out the ideas we’re grappling with and to explore your questions and
insights. It should demonstrate that you are engaged in the course material, and to demonstrate your engagement, your entries should
make clear that you are thinking effectively about the material we are studying and that you are reflecting on and refining your
thinking during class. Hence, I expect the typed Philosopher’s Notebook entries you bring to class to submit will include hand written
notes and revisions based on our class discussion. IMPORTANT NOTE: YOU MUST BRING THE ASSIGNED NOTEBOOK
ENTRY TO CLASS ON THE DAY IT IS DUE TO RECEIVE CREDIT FOR THE ENTRY. Please be sure to remember the
previous sentence and the next sentence. Your Philosopher’s Notebook entries may not be turned in via email, may not be submitted
before or after class, may not be submitted by a classmate or friend on your behalf, and cannot be made up. Also, handwritten and
electronic Philosopher’s Notebook entries will not be accepted under any circumstances. In other words, you must submit in person a
paper copy of a typed Philosopher’s Notebook entry during the class meeting at which it is due to receive credit.
No Questions Asked (NQA): Attached to this syllabus are two “No Questions Asked” slips. If you do not have the assigned
Philosopher’s Notebook entry prepared for submission during the class meeting at which it is due, you can submit a “No Questions
Asked” slip and not receive any penalty. IMPORTANT NOTE: NQA slips may not be turned in via email, may not be submitted
before or after class, and may not be submitted by a classmate or friend on your behalf. You must submit an NQA slip in person
during the class meeting at which the Philosopher’s Notebook entry is due.
Philosophical Inquiry: We will write one essay that explores three questions:
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3.
What is real and what exists?
How does one acquire knowledge about what is real and what exists?
How does one determine the right way to act?
The prompt for this assignment, which describes the specific requirements and due dates, is linked on the course schedule, and we’ll
work through draft responses to the three focusing questions over the course of the semester. The essay will be scored as “exceeds
expectations,” “meets expectations,” or “does not meet expectations,” and although you can submit the essay only one time for a
score, you can submit drafts for feedback and are encouraged to meet with me in my office outside of class to discuss your essay’s
strengths and areas for improvement before you submit it for a score.
All essay drafts will be submitted through our class MyCR site as Microsoft Word files (.doc or docx). You may not submit your
essays as Google docs, as PDF’s, or with any file suffix other than .doc or .docx. I will read, comment on, and return your drafts
through MyCR. If you do not have off-campus access to Microsoft Word, you can use the computers in the CR library to format and
submit your essays. I will not accept paper copies of drafts of the essay or the final essay.
MLA Format: Essay drafts, the final essay, and the Philosopher’s Notebook must be double-spaced and typed in accordance with
MLA guidelines (MLA format is described in the “MLA Format” handout linked to each inquiry assignment).
Exam: There is one exam of approximately 350-400 questions for this class, and it will be completed in weekly question sets via
MyCR. Each week, there will be between ten and thirty multiple-choice and/or true/false exam questions posted to MyCR, and you
will have unlimited time and unlimited attempts to complete the exam questions. IMPORTANT: Although you have an unlimited
number of attempts for each exam question set and an unlimited amount of time to complete each question set, each exam question set
is open only until 8:30am (TTH classes) or 3:30pm (MW class) on the day it is due. Pay careful attention to the closing date of the
exam question sets. Once a question set closes, it will not be reopened for any reason, and your highest score on the question set is
your recorded score.
Attendance: From the CR Catalog: “Since regular attendance is a critical factor in student success, students at the College are
expected to attend all sessions of each class in which they are enrolled. In general, absences may be considered excessive when the
number of absences total the number of hours that the class meets during the week.” For this course, four absences may be considered
“excessive” and cause you to be dropped from the course via AP 5075 (that the CR policy number that allows instructors to drop you
for excessive absences). If you miss four classes, you must talk with me to find out if you can remain enrolled in the course. If you
simply stop attending the course, it is your responsibility to protect your transcript and initiate an official withdrawal. Any student
who is not withdrawn is still enrolled, and final grades reflect a student’s current level of activity and achievement. I cannot authorize
withdrawal after April 4, 2014, and I am required to issue grades for all enrolled students at the end of the semester. Do not have your
academic transcript blemished by an F for a class you stopped attending.
Academic Honesty: “Academic honesty” is a term that refers to your relationship to your college learning. If you are forthright in
your work—that is, if you do not share answers with other students, do not accept or steal test answers from other students, and do not
use the words or ideas of others as if they are your own in your essays, then you are academically honest. This is a label you should
cherish and protect. It is, essentially, the value of your word in college. If, though, you cheat (for whatever reason) or offer someone
else’s words or ideas as if they are your own (whether you do this intentionally or unintentionally) you may have committed academic
dishonesty. College of the Redwoods takes academic dishonesty very seriously. We’ll discuss in class how to avoid plagiarism and
how to preserve your status as an honest academic.
Grading: There are three categories of assignments that constitute your course grade, and each category is equally weighted:
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Philosopher’s Notebook
Philosophic Inquiry
Exam
None of your work in this course will receive a traditional letter grade or percentage (i.e. no “A, B, C” etc. or 92%, 77%, etc.).
Instead, your work will be judged as “exceeds expectations,” “meets expectations,” or “does not meet expectations.”
PHILSOPHER’S NOTEBOOK
Your Philosopher’s Notebook will be judged “exceeds expectations” if
 You submitted at least all but three Philosopher’s Notebook entries by the posted due dates (NQA slips do not count as
missed entries).
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It is clearly written.
It is organized (entries are labeled and dated).
It demonstrates engagement with the course material and questions posed.
Your Philosopher’s Notebook will be judged “meets expectations” if
 You submitted at least all but four or five Philosopher’s Notebook entries by the posted due dates (NQA slips do not count as
missed entries).
 It is clearly written.
 It is organized (entries are labeled and dated).
 It demonstrates engagement with the course material and questions posed.
Your Philosopher’s Notebook will be judged “does not meet expectations” if
 You did not submit six or more Philosopher’s Notebook entries by the posted due dates (NQA slips do not count as missed
entries).
 It is not clearly written.
 It is not organized (entries are no labeled and/or dated).
 It does not demonstrate engagement with the course material and questions posed.
PHILOSOPHICAL INQUIRY
Your Philosophical Inquiry will be judged “exceeds expectations” if
 You submitted at least one draft to the instructor for review before 4/1/14.
 Your final Philosophical Inquiry is submitted via MyCR for a score by 5/9/14.
 It is effectively written and organized.
 It effectively responds to the assignment.
 It effectively uses source material from the text to support a line of inquiry.
 It demonstrates serious engagement with the course material and questions posed.
 It demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of the issues and concepts under study.
 It meets the length and format requirements.
Your Philosophical Inquiry will be judged “meets expectations” if
 You did not submit at least one draft to the instructor for review before 4/1/14.
 Your final Philosophical Inquiry is submitted via MyCR for a score by 5/9/14.
 It is clearly written and organized.
 It responds to the assignment.
 It uses source material from the text to support a line of inquiry.
 It demonstrates engagement with the course material and questions posed.
 It demonstrates a basic understanding of the issues and concepts under study.
 It meets the length and format requirements.
Your Philosophical Inquiry will be judged “does not meet expectations” if any of the following apply:
 You did not submit at least one draft to the instructor for review before 4/1/14.
 Your final Philosophical Inquiry is not submitted via MyCR for a score by 5/9/14.
 It is not clearly written and organized.
 It does not respond to the assignment.
 It does not use source material from the text to support a line of inquiry.
 It does not demonstrate engagement with the course material and questions posed.
 It does not demonstrate a basic understanding of the issues and concepts under study.
 It does not meet the length and format requirements.
EXAM
Your Exam will be judged “exceeds expectations” if
 You answer correctly at least 87% of the questions.
Your Exam will be judged “meets expectations” if
 You answer correctly between 75% and 86% of the questions.
Your Exam will be judged “does not meet expectations” if
 You answer correctly less than 75% of the questions.
Course Grades
Let “exceeds expectations” = E
Let “meets expectations” = M
Let “does not meet expectations” = D
EEE= A
EEM=B+
EMM=B
MMM=C
EED=D
EMD=D
MMD=D
MDD=F
DDD=F
Extra Credit: There is NO extra credit available in this course. But hey, just look at all the opportunity for credit you have available
in the required assignments.
Checking Your Grade
I will bring a grade sheet to each class meeting. It is your responsibility to check your grade regularly and keep informed about your
course performance.
Special Needs: If you have special needs due to a verifiable physical, psychological, or learning disability, you are legally entitled to
appropriate accommodations. The college offers a variety of services to support students with special needs, and you should talk with
me as soon as possible if you would like my help with arranging accommodations to ensure your success in this course. I’m eager to
help in whatever ways I can.
Non Students in Class: As per College of the Redwoods policy, only students currently enrolled in a specific section of a course may
attend class meetings of that course. This means that friends and children of enrolled students may not sit in on class meetings.
The Philosophy 10 Spring 2014 Schedule is available on the course webpage
No Questions Asked #1
Name:
Date:
Philosopher’s Notebook Entry #
No Questions Asked #2
Name:
Date:
Philosopher’s Notebook Entry #
Syllabus for: (name of class) Philosophy 10: Introduction to Philosophy
Semester & Year:
Course ID and Section Number:
Number of Credits/Units:
Day/Time:
Location:
Instructor’s Name:
Contact Information:
Spring 2014
PHIL 10Sections E5239; E5240;E5703
3
TTH 8:30-9:55 (HU217); TH 10:05-11:30 (SC240; )MW 3:45-5:10 (EHS)
Johnston
Office location and hours: CA 129 MTWTh 11:40-1:05
Phone: 707-476-4375
Email: John-Johnston@redwoods.edu
Course Description (catalog description as described in course outline): An exploration of the common
philosophical questions and some of the answers provided by ancient and modern philosophers. Included will be
deliberations about: the meanings of life, self, the existence of God, truth, morality and justice. Emphasis will be on
the necessity for each individual to have, and capably defend, his/her own responses to traditional questions.
Student Learning Outcomes (as described in course outline) :
1. Apply the key concepts and methods of philosophic inquiry.
2. Summarize and evaluate the theories and arguments of major philosophers in response to central and
enduring philosophic questions.
3. Develop and support one's own philosophic positions in response to central and enduring philosophic
questions
Special accommodations: College of the Redwoods complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act in making
reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. Please present your written accommodation
request at least one week before the first test so that necessary arrangements can be made. No last-minute
arrangements or post-test adjustments will be made. If you have a disability or believe you might benefit from
disability related services and may need accommodations, please see me or contact Disabled Students Programs and
Services. Students may make requests for alternative media by contacting DSPS.
Academic Misconduct: Cheating, plagiarism, collusion, abuse of resource materials, computer misuse, fabrication
or falsification, multiple submissions, complicity in academic misconduct, and/ or bearing false witness will not be
tolerated. Violations will be dealt with according to the procedures and sanctions proscribed by the College of the
Redwoods. Students caught plagiarizing or cheating on exams will receive an “F” in the course.
The student code of conduct is available on the College of the Redwoods website at:
http://redwoods.edu/District/Board/New/Chapter5/AP%205500%20Conduct%20Code%20final%2002-072012.pdf
Additional information about the rights and responsibilities of students, Board policies, and administrative
procedures is located in the college catalog and on the College of the Redwoods homepage.
College of the Redwoods is committed to equal opportunity in employment, admission to the college, and in the
conduct of all of its programs and activities.