Fall 2015 • Philosophy 1 (0978) ONLINE
Instructor:
Contact:
Office Hours:
Course Website:
Required Text:
Mia Wood
Email: woodmc@piercecollege.edu; nom de Skype: MiaWoodPierceCollege;
Faculty Web Page
By arrangement. I generally use Skype, but can also use other video conferencing
programs.
http://moodle.piercecollege.edu/
Lewis Vaughn, Great Philosophical Arguments, 1st edition (Oxford University
Press, 2012); ISBN: 978-0-19-534260-4
Course Description:
Philosophy 1 is a topical and historical introduction to theorizing about some classic questions in
philosophy. Among these questions are, ‘What am I?’ ‘Am I free?’ ‘Can I know anything?’ ‘What is
real?’ ‘What is a good reason to believe something?’ To help us understand and try some answers to
these questions, we will read some major thinkers from several traditions around the world.
Course Objectives:
1. To develop and exercise analytical and synthetic reasoning and writing skills.
2. To think deeply, carefully, and clearly about some of the fundamental questions concerning
knowledge, reality, and topics issuing thereof.
3. To gain an overview of some of the classic theories of knowledge and reality found in the history of
Western philosophy.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Having a syllabus and a discussion about the course should be sufficient to alert you to what may
reasonably be expected for you to get out of this course, but educational “theory” and policy being what it
is today, we also state and assess “SLOs”. I object to the policy for a number of reasons, but am
nevertheless required to state them on my syllabi. So, here are the Departmental Student Learning
Outcomes for Philosophy 1:
1. Students will have the ability to formulate some of the core questions of philosophy and understand
various philosophical responses to them in their historical and present context.
2. Students will have the ability to analyze and evaluate philosophical claims, arguments and theories
using rigorous philosophical methods.
3. Students will embody the qualities of an open-minded but critical thinker in the examination of
philosophical topics and problems, systems, and thinkers.
Quizzes: You will complete quizzes posted on Moodle. They are intended to evaluate your understanding
of the material. To that end, they are generally true/false and multiple choice. The window for completing
each quiz (both how many days you have and how long you have once you begin the quiz) is fairly large.
This means you should have ample time to complete each quiz. All the quizzes are timed, and you’ll be
able to access feedback once the quiz is closed.
Exams: There will be three assessments cover concepts from lecture and readings. These will involve
timed short answer and essay questions. You will be able to access feedback once the quiz is closed.
You’ll have one attempt to complete each exam, two hours to complete it, and you’ll be able to save and
return to your work until the deadline.
You will have an opportunity to write a practice exam, which I will read and on which I will comment.
This exam will prepare you for the sort of exam you’ll write for a score. Be sure to consult the essay
questions in the relevant part(s) of the text for samples — and I may take one of the questions for an
exam, so consider preparing in advance!
Grades: Exams and quizzes constitute your grade. You can find your scores in our Moodle Grade Book,
which is identified by a link on the left side of our main page.
Fall 2015 • Philosophy 1 (0978) ONLINE
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Three exams constitute 60% of your total score; each exam counts 20% toward your final score.
10 reading quizzes constitute 40% of your total score; each quiz counts 4% toward your final
score. (I will drop your lowest two quiz scores.)
Score Breakdown: 90-100% = A; 80-89% = B; 70-79% = C; 60-69% = D; 59% and below = F
Helpful Stuff
1. Online classes (courtesy of Dr. Cara Gillis): Consider the following questions (excerpted from
http://coursecatalog.com/dbpages/learn/asp_assess.htm) to help you determine if you’re ready for an
online class:
 Do you stay on task without direct supervision?
 Can you prioritize your own workload?
 Do you learn best from reading text and assignments?
 Do you enjoy learning new computer or technology skills?
 Do you usually understand written instructions?
 Would you plan to allocate as much time in your schedule for an online course as you would for a
more "traditional' face-to-face class?
 Do you learn well on your own?
 Do you enjoy taking on new projects?
 Do you stick to the job no matter what happens?
 Are you well organized in terms of time management?
 If you answered “yes” to these questions, then you are suited to an online class. If you answered “no”
to these questions, an online class may still be for you, but you need to think hard about how you will
stay motivated and on task.
Online classes (courtesy of Dr. Cara Gillis): Here are some thoughts about who may struggle with an
online course. Of course, this list is in no way meant to be definitive, rather it’s meant to highlight some
things or personality traits to be aware of:
 You’re a procrastinator: There are MANY things that need to get done in an online course and
many deadlines, you can’t succeed by putting everything off until the last minute.
 You don’t like to read: There is LOTS of reading in an online course, much more than in a
traditional course. If you don’t like reading, this will be challenging.
 It’s your first class in college or your first class back to college after a long absence: This is a
tricky one. If I can’t see your face when I’m explaining the material I can’t always tell if you
understand it. You’re going to be learning a lot of very dense material and if you’re out of
practice thinking “hard” then this course will be more challenging than a traditional course. That
being said, if this characteristic describes you, you’re more than welcome to chat with me about
all the readings.
 You’re already over-extended: This class is going to take up a lot of your time, much more than a
regular class. Don’t look at it like “easy” units. These are definitely harder, more time-consuming
units.
 Finally, online classes are not self-paced. The pace is set, you need to do the work to match it.
2. Class Policies: Please review the current catalog’s Scholastic Policies section.
3. Additional Assistance: Anyone with a learning disability (e.g., dyslexia, test-taking anxiety, etc.)
should see me at once about any special accommodations that need to be made. You deserve to have
your learning needs accommodated! The Center for Academic Success and Special Services are
both terrific resources for anyone on campus! Off campus students should take advantage of
PierceOnline’s services, such as OWL: Online Writing Lab. I strongly encourage you to check out
OWL, since our course involves a LOT of reading and writing.
Fall 2015 • Philosophy 1 (0978) ONLINE
4. Academic Freedom: Both students and faculty have a constitutionally protected right of freedom of
expression, which deserves to be protected. For a fuller discussion, see me.
5. Three Attempts Policy: Familiarize yourself with the new statewide policy regarding how many
times you may attempt a class before you are ‘locked out’ of further attempts in the LACCD. See the
Pierce College Schedule of Classes, the Counseling Center, or me for more info.
6. If you need help paying for books and other college expenses, call the Financial Aid Office at (818)
719-6428
or
see
them
in
the
College
Services
Building
http://www.piercecollege.edu/offices/financial_aid
Fall 2015 • Philosophy 1 (0978) ONLINE
Week 1 (8/31-9/6)
Week 2* (9/7-9/13)
Week 3 (9/14-9/20)
Week 4 (9/21-9/27)
Week 5 (9/28-10/4)
Week 6 (10/5-10/11)
Week 7 (10/12-10/18)
Week 8 (10/19-10/25)
Week 9 (10/26-11/1)
Week 10 (11/2-11/8)
Schedule (Please note that this schedule is subject to revision.)
Introduction to the Class
How do you “do” philosophy? (Ch. 1, pp. 1-16)
Practice Quiz 1 closes 9/6 (11:55 pm)
Who cares? Some philosophical answers (Ch. 1)
Extra Credit Quiz (1 point toward your final
Plato: Socrates’ Examined Life (pp. 17-31)
score): Plato, Russell, and Frankfurt
Russell: “The Value of Philosophy” (pp. 32-35)
Frankfurt: “On Bullshit” excerpt (PDF on Moodle)
Philosophy of Religion (Ch. 2)
Aquinas: Summa Theologica excerpt (pp. 42-43)
Reading Quiz 1 closes 9/13 (11:55 PM)
Mackie: The Miracle of Theism excerpt (pp. 43-50)
Paley: Natural Theology excerpt (pp. 60-62)
Reading Quiz 2 closes 9/20 (11:55 PM)
Hume: Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion (pp. 62-72)
Anselm: The Ontological Argument (pp. 97-99)
Reading Quiz 3 closes 9/27 (11:55 PM)
Kant: Critique of Pure Reason excerpt (pp. 100-101)
Rowe: “The Problem of Evil and Some Varieties of Atheism”
Reading Quiz 4 closes 10/4 (11:55 PM)
(pp. 137-144)
Plantinga: “The Free Will Defense” (pp. 157-160)
Practice Exam
Epistemology (Ch. 3)
Descartes: Meditations on First Philosophy Excerpt (pp. 172Reading Quiz 5 closes 10/11 (11:55 PM)
175)
Practice Exam closes 10/11 (11:55 PM)
Grau: “Bad Dreams, Evil Demons, and the Experience Machine”
(pp. 175-182)
Exam 1 (Chs. 1-2)
Hume: A Treatise of Human Nature excerpt (pp. 188-201)
Hume: Enquiries Concerning Human Understanding excerpt
(pp. 232-242)
Locke: An Essay Concerning Human Understanding excerpt
(223-227)
Berkeley: Principles of Human Knowledge excerpt (pp. 215222)
Exam 1 closes 10/18 (11:55 PM)
Reading Quiz 6 closes 10/25 (11:55 PM)
Reading Quiz 7 closes 11/1 (11:55 PM)
Exam 2 (Ch. 3)
Exam 2 closes 11/8 (11:55 PM)
The Mind-Body Problem (Ch. 4)
Paul Churchland: Matter and Consciousness excerpt (pp. 264Week 11* (11/9-11/15)
Reading Quiz 8 closes 11/15 (11:55 PM)
273)
Nagel: “What is it like to be a bat?” (pp. 275-283)
Chalmers: The Conscious Mind excerpt (pp. 293-296)
Week 12 (11/16-11/22)
Searle: “Is the Brain’s Mind a Computer Program?” (pp. 318Reading Quiz 9 closes 11/22 (11:55 PM)
326)
Free Will and Determinism (Ch. 5)
Week 13* (11/23-11/29) d’Holbach: The System of Nature excerpt (pp. 339-343)
Reading Quiz 10 closes 11/29)
Sartre: “Existentialism is a Humanism” excerpt (pp. 356-361)
James: “The Dilemma of Determinism” (pp. 363-371)
Week 14 (11/30-12/6)
Frankfurt: “Freedom of the Will and the Concept of a Person”
Reading Quiz 11 closes 12/6 (11:55 PM)
(pp. 394-403)
van Inwagen: An Essay on Free Will excerpt (pp. 404-408)
Week 15 (12/7-12/13)
Reading Quiz 12 closes 12/13 (11:55 PM)
Galen Strawson: Agents, Causes, Events excerpt (pp. 419-425)
Week 16 (ends 12/20)
Exam 3 (Chs. 4-5)
Exam 3 closes 12/20 (11:55 PM)
*9/7 is Labor Day (no assignments due); 11/11 is Veteran’s Day (no assignments due); 11/26-11/27 is Thanksgiving Break (no
assignments due); 11/28-11/29 are non-instructional days (no assignments due).