Introduction to Philosophy
Fall, 2007
Humanities 127-0G2 ..….TR 11:00-12:15…..No Prerequisites…….3 Credits
Dr. Hollace Graff
Course Description
This course provides discussion of knowledge, ethics, aesthetics, and metaphysics as exemplified by leading philosophers.
Learning Objectives
After completing this course, the student will be able to
a) identify certain problems with which philosophy deals,
b) explain the answers which selected philosophers have given to these problems,
c) begin to formulate the philosophy which guides his or her own life with some degree of philosophical rigor,
d) demonstrate familiarity with
the development of philosophy as a discipline,
e) exhibit curiosity about basis questions and assumptions of one's own and
others' philosophies,
f) apply philosophical reasoning to issues outside the classroom.
Students and employees at Oakton Community College are required to demonstrate academic integrity and follow Oakton’s Code of Academic Conduct. This code prohibits:
· cheating,
· plagiarism (turning in work not written by you, or lacking proper citation),
· falsification and fabrication (lying or distorting the truth),
· helping others to cheat,
· unauthorized changes on official documents,
· pretending to be someone else or having someone else pretend to be you,
· making or accepting bribes, special favors, or threats, and
· any other behavior that violates academic integrity.
There are serious consequences to
violations of the academic integrity policy. Oakton’s policies and procedures
provide students a fair hearing if a complaint is made against you. If you are
found to have violated the policy, the minimum penalty is failure on the
assignment and, a disciplinary record will be established and kept on file in
the office of the Vice President for Student Affairs for a period of 3 years.
Details of the Code of Academic Conduct can be found in the Student Handbook.
Instructional Materials
Meditations on First Philosophy
by Rene Descartes
Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche (Kaufmann translation)
Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844
by Karl Marx
Civilization and Its Discontents
by Sigmund Freud
Democracy Matters by Cornel West
Pedagogy of Freedom by Paulo
Freire
Other materials for the course are
available on the Internet. You can find links to these documents by consulting
the web site for this course at servercc.oakton.edu/~hgraff/philweb/.
See Reading Schedule
Methods of Instruction
Although I will occasionally
lecture, this class will mainly be conducted as a seminar. Students will give
brief presentations, and the class will discuss those presentations. I will
lecture only occasionally. Please note that this class is part of the Great
Books Program.
Course Practices
Required
1. You
will keep a philosophical journal. In this journal you will record your
reactions to the assigned readings and your responses to questions that I will
suggest. The journal should not consist of notes or summaries of the readings.
Rather, you should take positions and offer arguments for those positions. You
may also consider ways in which the material we read in class relates to your
own experiences. Your journal will be collected several times during the
semester. When I read your journals, I may ask questions about what you have
written, and you should answer these questions in the next part of your
journal. When you hand in your journal, you will always hand in the complete
journal – including those parts with my comments. Your final journal should be
at least 15 typewritten pages. In the interest of preserving trees, your journal
should not be more than double-spaced, should not use larger than 12-point type,
and should not have extra-large margins or large blank spaces between sections.
The precise format for your journal is up to you. Although I will give you an
indication of how you are doing on your journal when I collect it during the
semester, only the overall grade for your journal assigned at the end of the
semester will be recorded. I do accept late work if you make an appointment to
see me for assistance. Also, failure to get timely feedback from me on your
journal entries may result in your not doing as well as you might have on this
assignment.
2. In
this class, participation is extremely important. You will earn participation
points by attending class, by speaking during class, and by volunteering to give
brief summaries of parts of the assigned readings. You will receive one
participation point for every class you attend. If you come to class late or
leave early, you will receive one-half credit for the day. You will also receive
one-half to one participation point for every brief summary you give. (You
should plan to volunteer for about three summaries over the course of the
semester.) I will also ask you to attend two Oakton events for participation
credit. You may select these from a number of alternatives I will suggest. I
will provide some extra credit opportunities to make up for lost participation
points. These extra credit opportunities will also involve attending Oakton
events such as plays and public forums on issues relevant to humanities or
philosophy. I do not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences.
However, if you need to be absent because of something such as religious
holidays or family emergency, I will make every effort to insure that you have
ways to earn extra credit that will compensate for your absence.
3. There
will be three exams. These exams will consist of short answer questions and
short essay questions. One week before the exam, I will distribute a study
guide. All exams will be cumulative. If you miss an exam, you will be able to
take a make-up exam in the Testing Center. If you take the make-up after I have
handed back the exams, your exam will consist of one long essay.
4. In
unusual circumstances such as hospitalization or compulsory military service, I
will work with students to determine alternative ways to complete course
requirements.
Methods of Evaluation
1. The journal will count for 1/3 of your final grade.
2. The exams will count for 1/3 of your final grade.
3. Participation will count for
1/3 of your final grade. (A…34+, B…..31-33, C….28-30, D….25-27)
Disabilities
If you have a documented learning,
psychological, or physical disability, you may be entitled to reasonable
academic accommodations or services. To request accommodation or services,
contact the ASSIST office in Instructional Support Services. All students are
expected to fulfill essential course requirements. The College will not waive
any essential skill or requirement of a course or degree program.
Discrimination
The Oakton Community College Catalog states:
Oakton Community College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, disability, age, sex, sexual orientation, or marital status in admission to and participation in its educational programs, activities and services, or employment practices. The College does not tolerate sexual harassment or sexual assault by or of its students or employees.
In keeping with this policy of tolerance and non-discrimination, in this class all of us (myself included) should strive to listen and give careful consideration to all ideas expressed in class, especially those that are different from our own, without attacking or demeaning the people who have those views. We should also strive to avoid using insulting terms or telling offensive jokes when talking to or about individuals or groups.
Office Hours
Des Plaines Office……3614
Des Plaines Telephone……847-376-7033
E-mail……hgraff@oakton.edu
Web page…..http://www.oakton.edu/~hgraff
My office hours are as follows: Tuesdays……9:00-10:45
Thursdays……9:00-10:45
Fridays…..2:00-4:30
Other times by appointment
Please feel welcome to stop by and chat, and be sure to see me if you are having any difficulties in the course. If you cannot make any of these times, please see me for an appointment. On a personal note, in the interest of promoting non-authoritarian education, I would prefer if you addressed me by my first name which is Holly.