“The unexamined life is not worth living” – Socrates
Philosophy 2010-0004: Introduction to
Philosophy
Fall 2009
Instructor Information:
Dr.
Jennifer Mundale
Office Phone: 823-5076 or Philosophy Department: (407) 823-2273
Email: jmundale@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu
Office hours: T 3:00-5:00, Th 11:00-1:00, and by appt.
Office: 230 Psychology Building
Website:
http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~jmundale
(will be activated by Aug. 31)
Required Texts:
You do not need to buy any textbooks for this class. A variety of online resources and handouts
will provided free of charge. Note,
however, that this is not an online
course. It is a face to face
course. You are responsible for knowing
the content of the lectures and for anything that is discussed in class. I do not distribute lecture notes, and regular attendance at lectures is
essential to the successful completion of the course.
Course
Description:
This is an introductory level course in philosophy, with no prerequisites. The
course is intended to introduce students to some of the major philosophical
fields, figures and topics.
Course Goals and Objectives:
Students
will gain a basic familiarity with such major fields as ethics, ontology,
epistemology, philosophy of mind, and logic/critical thinking. Specific topics
will include theories for evaluating the moral status of our actions, common
reasoning errors, the origins and status of our knowledge, the mind body
problem, and others. More broadly,
students will develop their abilities to 1) analyze meanings and assertions
from diverse philosophical texts, and 2) think critically about philosophical
concepts, assertions, and arguments from diverse philosophical texts.
Requirements:
Regular attendance and thoughtful preparation will be essential to your
successful completion of this course. Excessive absence will lower your final
grade. Meaningful class participation will figure positively in determining
your final grade. Disagreement and debate in the exchange of philosophical ideas
are natural, though you must observe a courteous, respectful attitude toward
others in the class. Disruptive or discourteous behavior will not be tolerated
and may result in a lowered grade, a failing grade, or dismissal from the
class. If you miss class, you are responsible for the material covered in the
missed class, as well as for any missed announcements or handouts.
Email
Requirements:
In order to
complete this course, you must have a functional e-mail account that you check
regularly; more specifically, you must regularly check the one that is listed
in eCommunity. Some class announcements
and some reading materials will be distributed exclusively through the e-mail
listed in eCommunity. It is up to you to
insure that you receive them, and you are responsible for the contents of class
e-mailings. Please note the following
new university policy:
“To comply
with new University policy, as of September 28, 2009 eCommunity will only allow
a Knights E-Mail address for students. If you already have a Knights E-Mail
address, eCommunity messages will be sent to your Knights E-Mail account. If
you do not yet have a Knight's E-Mail address, you must get a Knights E-Mail
account to avoid missing important class communications. Please visit http://www.knightsemail.ucf.edu/
for more information.”
Makeup Policy:
Do not come to
class if you have the flu. It is important not to infect other
students. See your doctor if you believe
you have the flu; they may give you antiviral medication that will diminish its
severity. Because you are allowed to
drop one of the three scheduled tests, a makeup may not be required. Occasionally, more dire circumstances arise
for students, and those I will consider on a case-by-case basis, assuming one
consults me in a timely and responsible manner.
Lateness on test days:
Students
who arrive late for a quiz or exam will not be allowed to take the exam unless
no student has yet left the classroom. If no student has left the room,
you will be allowed to take the exam without any penalty to your grade, but you
will not be given extra time to complete it.
Class Decorum:
How you handle yourself reflects upon who you are, so behave in a way that shows
respect for yourself and for those around you. Please turn off your cell phone
before you come to class. You are expected to arrive on time and stay for the
duration of the class. Coming late, stepping out, and leaving early are
generally discourteous and can be disruptive. It is understood that urgent
situations may arise which make these things necessary and excusable. In all
other cases, this behavior should be avoided. If such behavior becomes
excessive, it will be considered disruptive to the class and represent grounds
for lowering your grade, failing you in the course, and/or taking disciplinary
action. If you know that you will need to leave early, please tell me before
class that you will need to do so.
Academic
Dishonesty:
I do not tolerate cheating, plagiarism, or
other forms of academic dishonesty and will punish cheaters to the fullest
extent allowed through the Office of Student Conduct. If you don’t have
enough integrity to do your own work, drop the class now and re-examine your purpose
in life and at UCF. The following guidelines are reproduced for your
information from the UCF Golden Rule
(http://www.goldenrule.sdes.ucf.edu/conduct.html):
Academic Dishonesty/Cheating
A.
Cheating is a violation of student academic behavior standards. The common
forms of cheating include:
Unauthorized
assistance: communication to another through written, visual, or oral means.
The presentation of material which has not been studied or learned, but rather
was obtained through someone else’s efforts and used as part of an examination,
course assignment or project. The unauthorized possession or use of examination
or course related material may also constitute cheating.
Plagiarism:
whereby another’s work is deliberately used or appropriated without any
indication of the source, thereby attempting to convey the impression that such
work is the student’s own. Any student failing to properly credit ideas or
materials taken from another is plagiarizing.
Any student
who knowingly helps another violate academic behavior standards is also in
violation of the standards.
Basis for
Grades:
Three Incremental Tests - 60% ( 30% each, drop lowest of three)
One Quiz – 10% (over logical/critical
thinking skills)
Final Exam (cumulative for entire
course) - 30%
- I will use the plus/minus grading convention (A, A-, B+, B, B-, etc.).
- Quality class participation will
help your overall course grade.
Test Dates:
Wed.,Sept. 23 Sept. 30th
– Test 1 [MOVED to Sept. 30th]
Wed., Oct. 28 – Test 2
Wed., Nov. 18 - Quiz
Wed., Dec. 2 – Test 3
Wed., Dec. 9 - Final Exam (7-9:50 p.m. in regular classroom)
Important
Dates on the UCF Academic Calendar
First Day of Class: Monday, August 24
Drop Deadline/Last Day for Full
Refund: Thursday, August 27
Add Deadline: Friday, August 28
No Class: Labor Day, Monday,
September 7
Withdrawal Deadline: Friday, October
16
No Class: Veteran's Day, Wednesday,
November 11
No Class: Thanksgiving, November 26 -
28
Last
Day of Classes, Monday, December 7
Final Exam Period:
December 8-14
Commencement: December 18-19
Preliminary Schedule.
(Keep checking for updates to links and possible modifications).
The schedule may be modestly revised, depending
on class interest and progress. With the
exception of the first day of class, please have readings completed before
class on the day they are scheduled.
Week One, August 26:
Introduction to Class
Optional
– highly recommended: YouTube
Video.
Week Two, September 2:
Personal Responsibility, Existentialism
Week Three, September 9:
Introduction to Ethical Theories
Week Four, September 16:
Introduction to Ethical Theories (cont’d)
Readings for
September 16: Finish September 9
readings, begin Nicomachean Ethics, Book I and Book II
only, plus this online
handout.
Week Five, September 23:
Introduction to Ethical Theories (conclude, Review, Test 1)
Week Six, September 30:
Review, Test 1
Week Seven, October 7:
Introduction to Epistemology and Ontology
Week Eight, October 14:
Introduction to Philosophy of Mind
Readings for
October 14: Descartes’ First
Meditation and Second
Meditation; also, skim through Introduction,
Preface to the Reader, and Synopsis See also this helpful link for a Philosophy of
Mind basic glossary.
Week Nine, October 21:
Introduction to Philosophy of Mind (cont’d)
Week Ten, October 28:
Introduction to Philosophy of Mind (Conclude, Review, Test 2)
Week Eleven, November 4:
Introduction to Critical Thinking
Week Twelve, November 11:
Veteran’s Day Holiday
Week Thirteen, November 18:
Introduction to Critical Thinking (cont’d.)
Week Fourteen, November 25:
Week
Fifteen, December 2 (Last Day of Class):
FINAL EXAM: December 9, 7-9:50 p.m. in regular classroom