PHIL 100/2: Introduction to Philosophy
Winter Quarter 2004
MWF: 12:30p.m.-1:55a.m.//CB Rm. 102
Instructor: Dr. Maria Paleologou
Office: Faculty Towers 101D
Office Phone Number: 664-2417
Email: mpaleologou@csub.edu
Office Hours: Monday: 2:00p.m.-5:00p.m. or by appointment
Website: http://www.csub.edu/~mpaleologou
Required Text: Falikowski, Anthony. Experiencing Philosophy. 1st edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice Hall, 2004.
Course Description: Philosophy is the love of wisdom, the seeking of truth. As lovers of wisdom in our
trek to find truth, we will investigate questions such as: “Does God exist?”, “Are morality and
knowledge a matter of opinion?”, “Does beauty exist in things themselves or it can be objectively
determined?” Our objective is to become critically minded and seek rational justifications.
How to Approach the Course
a.
Read the assigned material before you come to class.
b.
Come to class. Although there is no formal attendance policy, missing class will
influence your performance.
c.
Ask questions. Any time you are in doubt regarding the material or the course
mechanics, do not hesitate to ask. Philosophy is an active enterprise.
d.
Do well on the course requirements. To successfully finish this class, not only do you
need to show up for every class meeting, but also successfully pass the course
requirements.
Course Requirements: Grades for this course will be determined by:
a.
Unannounced reading quizzes worth 10% of the final grade
b.
Two Exams: A midterm (30%) and a comprehensive final (30%)
c.
Two short papers both worth 30% of the final grade.
Grade Distribution
A: 100-93
B+: 89-87
A-: 92-90
B : 86-83
B- : 82-80
C+: 79-77
C : 76-73
C- : 72-70
D+: 69-67
D : 66-63
D- : 62-60
F : Below 60
Course Policies
Make-ups: In general, make-ups will not be allowed. However, if you miss an exam or a quiz for
reasons that were beyond your control (illness, car accident) you must contact me either before class
or as soon as possible afterwards. The make-up may be granted upon proper documentation, i.e. a
doctor’s note, receipt from the mechanic. Failure to do so will result in a zero grade for the missed
assignment.
The reading quizzes will be unannounced and will be T/F statements. They will be given in the
beginning of the class meeting. Since they are worth 10% of your final grade, I highly recommend that
you do the assigned reading each class meeting.
The week before the midterm and the final you will be given a study guide with items that will help you
focus your studying. I highly recommend that you carefully work through the study guide since the
exam questions will come out of that guide. The final exam will be comprehensive.
The short papers will be two pages long, double spaced, typed. The paper topic will be announced in
class the week before it is due. These papers will be graded on the content, grammar and spelling. Late
papers will NOT be accepted.
During the semester I will be posting various announcements to my website. Make sure you check my
website as well as your emails regularly.
Academic Misconduct “ACADEMIC DISHONESTY (CHEATING) is a broad category of actions that
use fraud and deception to improve a grade or obtain course credit. Academic dishonesty (cheating) is
not limited to examination situations alone, but arises whenever students attempt to gain an unearned
academic advantage. PLAGIARISM is a specific form of academic dishonesty (cheating) which consists
of the misuse of published or unpublished works of another by claiming them as one’s own. Plagiarism
may consist of handing in someone else’s work, copying or purchasing a composition, using ideas,
paragraphs, sentences, phrases or words written by another, or using data and/or statistics compiled by
another without given appropriate citation. Another example of academic dishonesty (cheating) is the
SUBMISSION OF THE SAME, or essentially the same, PAPER or other assignment for credit in two
different courses without receiving prior approval.” (California State University, Bakersfield Catalog,
p.57) In such cases as the above, I will rigorously enforce the University’s policies as set forth in the
California State University, Bakersfield Catalog.
Harassment Policy. Written or spoken statements that can be construed as harassment will not be
tolerated and will be reported to the appropriate university office for proper legal investigation and
action. This includes, but is not limited to, comments based on race, ethnic origin, sex gender, disability,
or sexual orientation.
Reasonable Accommodations Policy: Any student in this course who has a disability that may prevent
him or her from fully demonstrating his or her abilities should contact me personally as soon as possible
so we can discuss accommodations necessary to ensure full participation and facilitate your educational
opportunities.
Rude Behavior: Out of self-respect and respect for others I expect that during lectures or class activities
you will refrain from (1) private conversations, (2) reading newspapers, doing crossword puzzles, etc.,
(3) receiving cell phone calls, and (4) starting pack up your belongings before class is over.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
--Week #1: Jan. 5 - Jan. 9
Jan. 5: Introduction to class
Jan. 7: Ch. 1, pp. 4-32
Jan. 9: Ch. 1, pp. 32-39
--Week #2: Jan. 12 – Jan. 16
Jan. 12: Ch. 3, pp. 124-139
Jan. 14: Ch. 3, pp. 139-155
Jan. 16: Ch. 3, pp. 156-165
--Week #3: Jan. 19 – Jan. 23
Jan. 19: No Class. Martin Luther King Day
Jan. 21: Ch. 2, pp. 42-63
Jan. 23: Ch. 2, pp. 63-96
--Week #4: Jan. 26 – Jan. 30
Jan. 26: Ch. 2, pp. 97-119
Jan. 28: Ch. 4, pp. 169-188
Jan. 30: Short Paper #1 due
Study Guide and review for the midterm
--Week #5: Feb. 2 - Feb. 6
Feb. 2: Ch. 4, pp. 189-203
Feb. 4: Ch. 4, pp. 203-228
Feb. 6: Midterm
--Week #6: Feb. 9 – Feb. 13
Feb. 9: Ch. 4, pp. 228-250
Feb. 11: Ch. 4, pp. 250-267
Feb. 13: Ch. 5, pp. 273-296
--Week #7: Feb. 16 - Feb. 20
Feb. 16: Ch.5, pp. 297-308
Feb. 18: Ch. 5, pp. 308-319
Feb. 20: Ch. 5, pp. 320-333
--Week #8: Feb. 23 - Feb. 27
Feb. 23: Ch. 5, pp. 334-346
Feb. 25: Ch. 5, pp. 346-356
Feb. 27: Ch. 5, pp. 356-364
--Week #9: Mar. 1 – Mar. 5
Mar. 1: Ch. 5, pp. 365-372
Mar. 3: Ch. 6, pp. 378-399
Mar. 5: Ch. 6, pp. 399-409
--Week #10: Mar. 8 - Mar. 12
Mar. 8: Ch. 6, pp. 409-419
Mar. 10: Ch. 6, pp. 419-442
Mar. 12: Short Paper #2 due
Study Guide and review for the final exam
--Week #11: Mar. 15
Review for the Final Exam: March. 15
FINAL EXAM: Friday, March 19 @ 11:00a.m.-1:30p.m.