Syllabus – Philosophy 101 – Intro to Philosophy
 Spring, 2012

Instructor: Steven M. Duncan

E-mail: sduncan@bellevuecollege.edu

Phone: 425 564-3103

Office location: B200D           

Office Hours: 8:30-9:20 MF

Course Information

Books and Materials Required

 

Steven M. Cahn, Seven Masterpieces of Philosophy, New York, Pearson-Longman, 2008. Duncan (2002) will be on reserve in the library for Week I.

Course Calendar – This syllabus is not a contract or legally binding on the instructor.  ALL DATES, TOPICS AND ASSIGNMENTS ARE TENTATIVE AND SUBJECT TO REVISION AT THE INSTRUCTOR’S DISCRETION

WEEK   1 - Introduction to Philosophy (See Duncan 2004, on reserve)

WEEK   2 - Socrates and Plato (Read the Meno in Cahn, 1-33.) Paper Topics Posted

WEEK   3 - Descartes: Rationalism and Realism (Begin Meditations in Cahn, 63)

WEEK   4 - Meditations (Continued)

WEEK   5 - Berkeley: Empiricism and Idealism (Read First Dialogue, 109-140)

WEEK   6 - Midterm Exam, Hume: Skepticism and Common Sense (Begin the Enquiry

                     in Cahn, 183-225, 267-76.)

WEEK   7 - Paper outlines due – submit or lose 25 points, Hume’s Enquiry (Continued)

WEEK   8 - Aristotle: Virtue Ethics (Read Nicomachean Ethics in Cahn, 34-62.)

WEEK   9 - Kant: Deontological Ethics (Read the Foundations in Cahn, 277-328.)

WEEK 10 - Kant’s Foundations (Continued)

WEEK 11 - Mill: Utilitarian Ethics (Read Utilitarianism in Cahn, 329-75.)

         Term Paper Due at last regular class period

 

Grading

 

There will be three assignments in this course, two exams and a paper.  Each of the exams will be worth 100 points; the paper will also be worth 100 points.  Other assignments may also be given.  Grades will be based on the percentage of total points out of 400 possible in accordance with the following scale:

             100-95      A                                 87-86      B-                                 73-70       D+

              94-93       A-                                85-83      C+                                69-65       D

              92-91       B+                               82-77      C                             Below 65       F

              90-88       B-                                76-24      C-

Classroom Learning Atmosphere 

 

Affirmation of Inclusion

 

Bellevue College is committed to maintaining an environment in which every member of the campus community feels welcome to participate in the life of the college, free from harassment and discrimination.

We value our different backgrounds at Bellevue College, and students, faculty, staff members, and administrators are to treat one another with dignity and respect. http://bellevuecollege.edu/about/goals/inclusion.asp

 

Student Code

 

“Cheating, stealing and plagiarizing (using the ideas or words of another as one’s own without crediting the source) and inappropriate/disruptive classroom behavior are violations of the Student Code of Conduct at Bellevue College.  Examples of unacceptable behavior include, but are not limited to: talking out of turn, arriving late or leaving early without a valid reason, allowing cell phones/pagers to ring, and inappropriate behavior toward the instructor or classmates.  The instructor can refer any violation of the Student Code of Conduct to the Vice President of Student Services for possible probation or suspension from Bellevue College.  Specific student rights, responsibilities and appeal procedures are listed in the Student Code of Conduct, available in the office of the Vice President of Student Services.”  The Student Code, Policy 2050, in its entirety is located at: http://bellevuecollege.edu/policies/2/2050_Student_Code.asp

Important Links

Bellevue College E-mail and access to MyBC

 

  Your student network account can be used to access your student e-mail, log in to computers in labs and classrooms, connect to the BC wireless network and log in to MyBC. To create your account, go to:  https://bellevuecollege.edu/sam .

 

BC offers a wide variety of computer and learning labs to enhance learning and student success. Find current campus locations for all student labs by visiting the Computing Services website.

 

Disability Resource Center (DRC)

 

The Disability Resource Center serves students with a wide array of learning challenges and disabilities. If you are a student who has a disability or learning challenge for which you have documentation or have seen someone for treatment and if you feel you may need accommodations in order to be successful in college, please contact us as soon as possible.

 

If you are a person who requires assistance in case of an emergency situation, such as a fire, earthquake, etc, please meet with your individual instructors to develop a safety plan within the first week of the quarter.

 

The DRC office is located in B 132 or you can call our reception desk at 425.564.2498.  Deaf students can reach us by video phone at 425-440-2025 or by TTY at 425-564-4110. Please visit our website for application information into our program and other helpful links at www.bellevuecollege.edu/drc

 

Public Safety

 

The Bellevue College (BC) Public Safety Department’s well trained and courteous non-commissioned staff provides personal safety, security, crime prevention, preliminary investigations, and other services to the campus community, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.  Their phone number is 425.564.2400.  The Public Safety website is your one-stop resource for campus emergency preparedness information, campus closure announcements and critical information in the event of an emergency. Public Safety is located in K100 and on the web at: http://bellevuecollege.edu/publicsafety/

 

Final Exam Schedule

 

 

FINAL EXAM: Friday, 6/15 9:30-11:20. Exam begins promptly at 9:30 – no late exams given without VALID excuse.