Professor: Dr. Leonard O’Brian
Scottsdale Community College
Office: SB 120
Office hours: To be determined
Office telephone: 480.423.6212
Email: leonard.obrian@sccmail.maricopa.edu

Introduction to Philosophy

Syllabus

Course Purposes

This course introduces some of the Western tradition’s main philosophers.  By introducing these philosophers, the course introduces some of the tradition’s philosophical problems.

Introduction to Philosophy should be of value for three reasons.  First, the course raises the most important questions of life, questions about the meaning of life, about truth and beauty and morality, about religion and ultimate reality.  You’re already asking some of these questions.  The course should help you to approach them more effectively.

Second, the course contributes to preparing you for life's confusions, doubts, and uncertainties.  It examines great minds as they address complex questions carefully, methodically, and honestly.  The course should develop your own tolerance for uncertainty; your own resources for dealing with intellectual difficulties; your own persistence and composure and care in navigating the complex lives that we all actually live.

Third, the course assists you in pursuing your academic, occupational, and personal goals. The intellectual processes that you will practice with respect to distinctly philosophical issues also apply to most other kinds of issues with which you will grapple—including how to pursue your goals.  Doing philosophy not only teaches you to think philosophically; it teaches you to think.

Main Resources

  1. Leonard O’Brian, A Philosophical Journey (Kendall-Hunt, 2008)
  2. Harry G. Frankfurt, On Bullshit (Princeton, 2005)
  3. Lewis Vaughn, Writing Philosophy (Oxford, 2006)
  4. Routledge On-line Encyclopedia, under eReferences, SCC library homepage

The O’Brian is required; the Frankfurt and Vaughn recommended.  Generally, class discussions and lectures will follow the order of readings in A Philosophical Journey.  I may make changes to this order as we proceed; you are responsible for being aware of those changes. You must bring this reader to class each time we meet.

Professor Frankfurt distinguishes between lying and bullshitting.  Discussion of this distinction provides an occasion for examining another concept:  plagiarizing.  It is extremely important that you understand the concept of plagiarism because it is extremely important that you not plagiarize.  (See “Requirements: Ethical,” 7-9 below.)

Professor Vaugh’s book relates more closely to studying philosophy—or studying any discipline—than one might at first imagine.  At one level, this book should help you do well in the course partly because how well you write affects your final grade.  More fundamentally, however, writing well and thinking well contribute to each other.  Writing is not just some sort of craft that is tacked onto thinking:  The two are intimately interconnected.  Indeed, thinking, reading, writing, speaking, and listening are all intimately interconnected.  We might define Introduction to Philosophy as a course in which one learns to think, read, listen, speak, and write well, primarily on philosophical issues.  You will use Vaughn mainly on your own, though feel free to refer to him in class whenever you have questions about his advice.

Approach the Internet cautiously. The Routledge electronic encyclopedia is excellent. Wikipedia—though it may be improving—seems less than fully dependable; yet it may be more helpful than harmful when one needs a quick introduction to a subject. Similarly, Google can lead to quick assistance, but not all entries are authoritative. Google, however, can take you to the Stanford University encyclopedia of philosophy, which is authoritative. So far as the Internet is concerned, place confidence in Routledge and Stanford. If you use any electronic sources other than Routledge or Stanford, see the note below under “Intellectual Honesty.” (Scottsdale Community College generously pays for our access to the Routledge. The Stanford is free of charge, though Stanford University does accept tax-deductible donations.)
Remember libraries and bookstores. By examining books and professional journals in libraries, and in good bookstores such as Barnes and Noble, Borders, and Changing Hands, you can reasonably suppose that the materials upon which you are drawing have survived some process of expert evaluation. University presses—for example, Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Chicago, Princeton, or Yale—are especially dependable.

Using libraries and bookstores may take more time than the Internet, but the journals and books will have been juried and, so, can be counted on. Further, bookstores serve coffee. Bookstores facilitate encounter with that old source of human pleasure and stimulation: other people.

Requirements: Oral Participation

Philosophical growth requires your activity, emotional and intellectual. It requires participation. I want each person to contribute to the class. True, we differ, one from another, with respect to our readiness to express ourselves orally. If you are disinclined to speak, this class gives you the opportunity to begin to learn to ask questions. One reason that it does so is that you—and all of your classmates—will be confused. Confusion is good. It signals that questions may be forming, like disturbing clouds that precede a clarifying, nurturing rain. Confusion provides a reason not for silence but for speech. If you are confused, you thereby have an important contribution to make to our discussion: You can indicate that you are confused; you can ask for clarification. If you are already someone who likes to talk a lot in class, please note: Effective oral performance includes allowing others to comment, too.

At the end of the semester, oral participation will contribute to your final grade. (See “Course Grades,” 11, below.)

Requirements: Papers

In addition to participating in class discussion, you will write four, one-page, typed, double-spaced papers. You must write only on topics that we have discussed (unless you have cleared the topic with me beforehand).

Each of these papers will express a thesis statement early in the paper, say, in the first or second sentence. The remainder of the paper will argue for that thesis. In other words, the paper presents your position on an issue, and presents your reasons in support of that position. The paper tries to resolve an issue, answer a question, or settle a controversy. The paper “tries”: The one-page requirement limits what you can accomplish. I grade the paper from the perspective of how effectively it argues given the space constraint. (See more on grading, 9, below.)

Papers:
Method of Submission

Each paper will be submitted in your personal folder, and will remain in the folder as you submit further papers. Your folder expresses who you are—and who you are becoming—philosophically. The entire contents of the folder are confidential between you and me.

Submit papers only in your folder. I do not accept papers that are not contained in the folder. Further, whenever you submit a paper, be sure to include all previous papers that you have submitted together with all my comment sheets paper clipped to their respective papers. Ordinarily, if a paper is submitted either not in the folder or in the folder but unaccompanied by all previous papers and their respective comment sheets, I will return the paper unread, mark it down as late, and read it only after it is re-submitted properly.

After I have read papers for a particular assignment, I will return them in their folders. If, for some reason, you are not present when I return the folders, you are responsible for coming to my office and picking up your folder.

The folder itself I will provide.

  1. On the outside of the front cover, a label indicates the day or days that our class meets, and the time that it meets. By the word, ‘Name’, please legibly print your name. On the inside, another label asks for your telephone number and email address. Would you please provide it or them (assuming that you have either or both)? Your phone number and email address are confidential. Occasionally, I need to contact a student, and this information helps. If you have any concerns about privacy, please talk with me personally. I take the confidentiality of our relationship and your right to privacy seriously.

  2. When you submit a paper, submit it in the folder—together with all previous papers and their respective comment sheets.

  3. Sometimes, spontaneously, I ask students to do a little writing in class. These writings, too, should remain in your folder. I will read what you have written, and make comments. Although I will not attach grades, at the end of the semester I will review any such writings and consider them as part of the participation component of your grade for the course.

You are responsible for the maintenance and preservation of your personal folder and its contents. Of course, you should keep copies of your essays on paper and on (an accessible) hard drive. What if you lose your folder? What if someone steals your book bag, which contains the folder? What if someone steals your car, which contains your folder? You are still responsible. Thus, it would be a good idea to keep photocopies of all papers after I have written comments, and photocopies of the accompanying comment sheets. Merely running off computer copies of your papers would not do the job fully, since these copies would not carry my comments. Of course, I keep records of your grades, but I want to see how you are progressing as reflected in my comments. Moreover, the folder helps you to know how you are progressing.

Please do not send essays by email (other than under exceptional circumstances, which, presumably, you would have discussed with me).

Papers:
Mechanical Requirements

All papers must be typed and double-spaced. They should be printed in a simple font, size 12. (This syllabus is in Geneva 12. Other good choices are Arial, Helvetica, and Verdana, each easy to read.) Use standard margins, about an inch all the way around. A one-page limit applies to all papers. Please do not try to satisfy the length limit by using a font smaller than 12.

The one-page limit concerns the text of the paper only. The title of the paper, the number of the assignment, your name, my name, and the date of submission should be placed on a separate sheet, which should be paper-clipped to the text.

Footnotes constitute another exception: A paper may run beyond one page to the extent of the length of the footnotes. How many footnotes should you have? You should have any that are needed to satisfy the requirements of integrity—see ”Ethical Requirements,” 7-9, below—and up to several more if they add important precision to your argument.

Please observe the following principles.

  1. Your name, the number indicating which of the four assignments you are turning in (Assignment Two, Assignment Three, etc.), and a title for the paper, should be typed on a separate sheet.

  2. Prepare. You may have a general idea, but before investing uninformed time trying to argue for it, read and think. Review class notes and relevant material in A Reflective Journey. Consult the Routledge and Stanford on-line encyclopedias. Wikipedia can get you started, but the serious student will want to dig deeper.

  3. Try to organize your thoughts before beginning the first draft; refine the organization as you write revisions.

  4. Early in the paper—preferably, in the first or second sentence—state your thesis. You cannot write a good paper if you—and your reader—cannot identify your thesis statement.

  5. Write grammatically, precisely, concisely. Eliminate all words, facts, and ideas except those that are most important. The limit on length assists in defining what counts as “most important”: Given that you must remain within one page, ask whether a fact, word, or idea is sufficiently important to bump some other fact, word, or idea. If the paper needs paragraphs, use paragraphs. Paragraphing requires space; I take that fact into account if your paper runs a few lines beyond one page.

  6. Proofread for conciseness, clarity, grammar, and spelling.

  7. Keep at least one copy of your paper that is not in your folder.

Papers:
Ethical Requirements

Intellectual Honesty
Intellectual honesty constitutes a fundamental academic virtue, intellectual dishonesty a fundamental academic vice. Plagiarism is dishonest. Plagiarism consists in an author’s representing himself or herself as the source of words or ideas for which he or she is not, in fact, the source. Thus does an author misrepresent himself or herself, at the same time that he or she withholds credit from a person or persons to whom credit is due. Scottsdale Community College does not tolerate plagiarism or any other form of intellectual dishonesty, nor do I.
Papers must result from your own research, reflection, and intellectual creativity. The ideas submitted under your name must be expressed in your own words, except when you quote the words of another author, properly citing her or him. Results from all aspects of this process must credit others’ distinctive words and ideas. Copying others’ words—basically, anything ranging from a distinctive phrase to longer passages—without proper citation, or using others’ distinctive ideas without proper citation, fails to satisfy this standard. When you use the language of another person, you must (1) quote the person exactly, (2) set off the quoted material with quotation marks, and (3) identify the author, the publication and page(s) wherein the material appears. Moreover, if you use the distinctive ideas of another person, even though not his or her exact words, the person must be given credit by your identifying the person, the publication wherein his or her ideas appear, including the page(s). Students often fail to indicate the specific page(s). Proper citation includes indication of the specific page(s).

Regarding the Internet, please note: The accessibility of another person’s original material on the Internet does not constitute permission for you to use that material without attribution. You must cite the author or authors, whether he, she, or they have published or printed the material on paper, have published it on the Internet, or have expressed the material orally. So far as morality is concerned, the author’s medium doesn’t matter.

Nor does the purpose for the author’s writing matter. Specifically, suppose that Jones writes something with the intention of selling it to another person (who, from Jones’s perspective, may do as she wishes with it); suppose, further, that Jones sells it to Smith. Smith may not now submit it as if it were Smith’s own work, even though the actions of Smith and Jones constitute consensual commerce. Should you have doubts about this prohibition, please ask me.

If you use material from the Internet, other than from SCC’s Routledge on-line encyclopedia or the Stanford on-line encyclopedia, you must append to your paper a printed version of either the complete text from which you have drawn, or, if the text is long, a substantial portion of the relevant material that includes the material from which you have drawn. Fully and accurately indicate the author and address. Articles in the Routledge and Stanford encyclopedias specify how they should be cited. Follow those specifications. It is your responsibility to assure that your reader can easily and quickly examine your original sources.

Whether your sources are electronic, oral, or paper, you must abide by the principle of intellectual honesty. If you have any doubts about the avoidance of plagiarism, it is your responsibility to ask. There is nothing wrong in asking for clarification about the nature of plagiarism; indeed, asking for such clarification is commendable. There is, however, much wrong in plagiarizing.
Any student who submits work as his or her own that is not his or her own will receive either a failing grade for the course or other appropriate reprimand or penalty. See the discussion of “Student Misconduct,” from the 2008 Student Handbook.

Papers: Grading

I will grade all papers primarily according to (A) their reflection of an accurate understanding of the philosopher or problem in question; (B) their judicious focus; (C) their creative synthesis and analysis of ideas; (D) their careful reasoning in support of the position taken; and (E) their concise, clear, precise, grammatical expression. The one-page limit places premiums on focus, judicious selection of support, and conciseness of expression. Whether with respect to the topic itself, reasons, or words, eliminate whatever is least important until the one-page requirement is satisfied.

In addition to applying criteria (A)-(E), I will note whether you cite the Routledge On-line Encyclopedia at least once per paper. (The citation may be quotation, paraphrase, or illustrative documentation.) I do not require that you cite the Routledge; but I take your doing so as indication that you are going beyond minimal requirements.

If my initial scanning of a paper suggests that it may receive a grade lower than C-, I may return it, essentially unread and unmarked. We will discuss the situation to determine what you need to do to improve your work. You may then re-write the paper, and turn it in with the original that I had returned to you and my comments. I will deduct something from the grade, but, hopefully, the grade will be better than it would have been had you not re-written the paper.

Papers:
Due dates for papers; also test dates

I accept late papers, but generally deduct 3 points for each class day that the paper is late. I do not accept papers during exam week; all papers must be in my mailbox or under my office door by Friday of the last week of class meetings. This point does not apply to night sections: The final paper of a night section is due at the time of the final exam.

MW Sections
First paper: W, 17 September
Second paper: W, 15 October
(Mid-term exam: W, 22 October)
Third paper: W, 26 November
Fourth paper: W, 10 December
(Final exam: Officially designated date and time, but subject to modification)

TR Sections
First paper: R, 18 September
Second paper: R, 16 October
(Mid-term exam: R, 23 October)
Third paper: T, 25 November
Fourth paper: R, 11 December
(Final exam: Officially designated date and time, but subject to modification)

M Section
First paper: M, 15 September
Second paper: M, 13 October
(Mid-term: M, 20 October)
Third paper: M, 17 November
Fourth paper: Date and time of final exam
(Final exam: Officially designated date and time, but subject to modification)

T Section
First paper: T, 16 September
Second paper: T, 14 October
(Mid-term: T, 21 October)
Third paper: T, 18 November
Fourth paper: Date and time of final exam
(Final exam: Officially designated date and time, but subject to modification)

Requirements: Tests

There will be two tests. Plan so that no other event conflicts with these tests. I expect you always to be in class, but I particularly expect you to be present for examinations. There will be no makeup examinations. Should you miss an exam, you may request that I provide an alternative activity for demonstrating your understanding of the material. Depending on the context, I may grant the request. I will determine the nature of the activity, its date, and time. The possibility of an alternative activity applies only to one of the two examinations. The dates and times of the two tests, while referred to above, are subject to my revision. Again, you are responsible for being aware of any announcements that I might make in this regard.

Requirements: Attendance

I require attendance. If you choose to be absent for some reason, please explain that reason to me. Preferably, you should speak to me about the absence before it occurs, though emergencies can arise that preclude prior consultation. If you accumulate absences greater than the equivalent of 150 minutes, I may withdraw you from the class. I will not withdraw you, however, provided that it is clear to me, based on your communications with me, that you are taking your work in the course seriously and are thereby performing adequately. Absences accumulate from the first date that the class meets, not the first date of your enrollment or attendance.

Course Grades

Papers comprise about 60% of your course grade. Each paper contributes something like 15%. The tests are worth about 20% total, about 10% each. Class participation, as I evaluate it, counts for about 20% of your course grade. ‘Participation’ refers to attendance, questions you ask and comments you make in class, any spontaneous writing that we may do in class, and observance of points 1-5 under “Class Sessions.”

Class Sessions

I expect your involvement in our class, your presence in mind as well as in body.

Class sessions will conform to the principles of decency and courtesy that are observed by the academic community and our larger society, for example, respect for others, deference toward others when they are speaking, tolerance of viewpoints that differ from our own, and respect for the questions and thinkers under discussion. It is impossible to reduce observance of these principles to formulas: Each of us must exercise a bit of wisdom in determining how to interact with her or his colleagues in an academic setting. Nevertheless, five principles will help.

  1. Arrive at class on time (but better to arrive late than not to arrive).

  2. Before entering the classroom, turn off audible functions of your cell phone. Ordinarily, reception of a message on your phone or other electronic device should not be a cause for your departure from the room. (See the discussion below about exceptions.)

  3. When someone is speaking publicly, that is, to the class, direct your attention to him or her. Once I have begun class, there will be much public communication, very little, almost no,private communication.

  4. Remain in the room for the entire period. Doing so constitutes (1) a sign of respect for your classmates, (2) a sign of respect for the great thinkers whom we are discussing, (3) a sign of respect for me, and (4) a sign of appreciation for being able to attend a public institution of higher education. If you are unimpressed by one or more of these four points, you need to request a conference with me immediately.

  5. Maintain a demeanor of attention until I have dismissed class. I expect of my students an attentive demeanor throughout the class period, and that expectation applies to the last few minutes. To illustrate, I ask that, before I adjourn our meeting, you refrain from closing books and notebooks; refrain from opening book bags; refrain from reaching for purses and backpacks; and refrain from pocketing pencils and pens. In other words, please refrain from any behavior that suggests psychological withdrawal from the classroom.

These points are guidelines, not dogmas. I can’t imagine that there is any principle of etiquette that should never be broken. For example, regarding point 2, you might receive a message that a family member has been in a serious auto accident. Regarding 4, you might be ill and suddenly need to go to the hospital or restroom. The courteous response would be to explain to me later the reason for the sudden departure. (If you have a physical or psychological condition that involves frequent need to leave the classroom, please let me know at the beginning of the semester.)

That 4 can involve exceptions must not be misconstrued: Departures from the room should either be rare or discussed with me. If you do not understand 4, or it does not fit your situation, you bear responsibility for discussing the situation with me.

Point 3 does not mean that there must never be secondary communication—some body language, occasional and brief whispering. It does mean, be courteous. Exhibit respect for those who are speaking, and for those who are listening to those who are speaking. Once I have begun class, your default attitude should be attention to me. Your secondary attitude should be attention to a member of the class who is speaking to us all. Again, if you do not understand this point, or disagree with it, you bear responsibility for discussing it with me.

The short story on these principles is that you should exercise mature judgment.

If you have questions about these guidelines, or if you anticipate having a problem with any of them, please consult with me as soon as possible.

Indeed, regarding any problem that you are experiencing with our work together, you should consult with me as soon as possible. The problem could be academic: For example, the reading assignments or writing assignments or class discussions may confuse you more than you had anticipated; perhaps the class is not proceeding as you had expected. The problem could be personal: For example, something might be happening in your life that is affecting your academic work. The problem could be interpersonal: For example, you might feel some conflict between you and another classmate, or some misunderstanding between you and me; perhaps some aspect of our class discussions or lectures concerns you. In any case, the sooner you communicate with me, the more effectively we can address the problem. Please talk with me in person, phone me, or email me.

Academic Freedom


We will abide by the ideal of academic freedom. In general, the ideal of academic freedom entails that essentially any belief or question about any aspect of human experience that bears on the discipline in question may serve as the topic of consideration. In particular, with respect to the discipline of philosophy, any belief or question about any aspect of human experience may serve as the topic of consideration, because all aspects of human experience pertain to philosophy. Thus, on occasion, we will discuss ideas concerning religion, politics, sex, and possibly other ideas that elicit strong feelings and can provoke controversy. We will speak directly and precisely but courteously and decorously. This course, in principle, excludes no aspect of human experience. It is a course for adults, for people who subscribe to the ideal of academic freedom, for students who seek the truth wherever it may be found.

Intellectual Honesty

Scottsdale Community College does not tolerate plagiarism or any other form of intellectual dishonesty, nor do I. Before beginning to write a paper, consult the discussion of intellectual honesty under, “Requirements: Ethical,” 7-9, above.

Withdrawal

Under “Class Sessions,” I have asked that you discuss with me as soon as possible any problem that you are having with our work together. If this process of communication has been occurring, we can (A) minimize the possibility that you will withdraw if, in fact, withdrawal is unnecessary, or (B) expedite withdrawal if, in fact, withdrawal would be appropriate. Thus, I will have been able to try to help you in any way that is feasible.

Conferences


My office is SB 120. Please feel free to drop by, although it is a good idea to set an appointment. You may email me at the address given at the top of the syllabus. In addition, you may phone me at my office, or call me on my cell; leave a message on voice mail if I am not available.