PHILOSOPHY 6 PHILOSOPHY OF THE PERSON SPRING 2007 COURSE OBJECTIVES
GETTING HELP Disabled students: West Valley College makes reasonable accommodations for persons with documented disabilities. College materials will be available in alternate formats (Braille, audio, electronic format, or large print) upon request. Please contact the Disability and Educational Support Program at (408) 741-2010 (voice) or (408) 741-2658 (TTY) for assistance.
REQUIRED READINGS Books
Online primary source readings
Online study guide readings
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
GENERAL INFORMATION My office hours are MW 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM. No appointment is needed for office hours. If you want to see me at some other time, please make an appointment. My office is Fine Arts 4 (in the Music Department, near the campus theater).My phone number is 741-2549. This number has phone-mail. If you want me to getback to you, be sure to indicate how and when I can contact you. If you do notspecify a time (within regular business hours, please), I will return your call during my next office hour. My email address is sandy_lafave@westvalley.edu. It is not necessary to call or email to tell me you are going to be absent for class,unless the absence will be prolonged (2 weeks or more). I will not return calls forinformation that is available on this syllabus, e.g., what was or will be covered in any class you may miss. Tape recording of lectures is not permitted, except for DSPS students withdocumented learning disability. EXPECTATIONS REGARDING STUDENT CONDUCT Attendance is required. If you are late and miss roll, you are counted absent. If you are counted absent for more than five class meetings, the maximum grade you can receive is D, regardless of your grades on assignments. Exceptions to this policy require documentation of extreme emergency. I make important announcements at the beginning of the class session.Announcements are not repeated – either in or out of class – for the benefit of latecomers. Persistent talking in class, sleeping in class, leaving early, etc., show disrespect forme and also for your classmates. Your grade is also likely to be affected. For example, I am far less inclined to award the higher grade on a "borderline" answer if the student has been frequently absent or disruptive, on grounds that such a student is simply less likely to have produced the better answer. Extra credit is also not available to students who do not attend class regularly. Students are expected to know the rules regarding plagiarism. Any direct quote orclose paraphrase without proper citation – any use of anybody else’s words without giving proper credit – is plagiarism. In addition to the usual kinds of plagiarism (stealing sentences, paragraphs, papers, etc. from books and journals), it is also plagiarism to "answer" an essay question by regurgitating sentences from lecture notes I have written on the board in class. Any student who violates the academic code (e.g., by cheating or plagiarism) will,at minimum, receive a final course grade of F. This rule is rigidly enforced. According to the catalog, instructors may drop students "... when accumulatedhours of absences exceed ten percent of the total number of hours the class meetsduring the semester." I may exercise this option. But the main responsibility lies with you.If you want to drop the class, it is YOUR responsibility to do so. The last day to drop with a W is about a month before the end of the semester. See officialcollege materials for exact dates. GRADING Grades will be based on
Tests and quizzes must be taken on the appointed day. Except in cases of extreme, documented, emergency, no make-up tests or quizzes will be given. Approximately 15 final exam questions will be given out four weeks before the final exam. The final will be comprehensive. Tests not taken or papers not handed in receive a grade of 0 (no points – by contrast, even an F can be as much as 59 points). When averaged into your other grades, a 0 on the mid-term, final, or term paper will lower your grade at least two letters. This class can be taken for credit/no credit.This means that if you get an A, B, or C, you get a final gradeof "CR" and 3 units; otherwise, you get "NCR" and no units.You must declare your intention to take the class with this option during thefirst six weeks of class. Please let me know in writing before March 15, 2007. WHAT I WANT ON CLASS PRESENTATIONS AND WRITING ASSIGNMENTS I will be looking for the following three elements:
1. Demonstrated familiarity with assigned reading The primary purpose of these assignments is to analyze the arguments in the reading. Papers MUST demonstrate familiarity with all the assigned reading relevant to your topic (not just the author’s introductions). Presentations and papers must make reflective and accurate reference to the views presented in that reading. Papers that appear to be put together from class notes alone are unacceptable. The purpose of the presentations and paper is NOT to give your unanalyzed personal feelings or your autobiography. However, it IS very acceptable to give arguments for positions that accord with your personal feelings. One way to demonstrate familiarity with assigned reading is to quote from it; all quotes require appropriate footnotes or endnotes. Note that using direct quotes without proper attribution constitutes plagiarism. 2. Critical awareness Presentations and papers must also demonstrate critical awareness; that is, arguments and potential counter-arguments must be presented. An argument is a piece of reasoning; it is not simply a conclusion. An argument consists of a conclusion and reasons for that conclusion. Without the supporting reasoning, the argument has simply not been stated. Thus, in a philosophy paper, never say simply "So-and-so thought such-and-such (significant conclusion)"; always say "So-and-so thought such-and-such because ... " and then lay out So-and-so’s reasons. I assign the presentations and paper so you can demonstrate skill and clarity in marshaling, presenting, and criticizing arguments. You are NOT expected to present "new" positions or break any new ground. You are NOT required to "state your own views". To fulfill the objective of presenting argument and counter-argument, the dialog format is permitted on papers. 3. Reasonable English skills (written work) Class handouts and term papers must demonstrate competent English writing skills.Correct grammar, spelling, etc. are required. NOTE: For every 20 grammar or spelling errors, your grade will belowered one letter. Each occurrence of a misspelling counts as one error.
Please be especially careful to AVOID:
The imaginary "audience" for your writing is a bright teen-ager, or an ordinary adult not educated in philosophy – someone who knows nothing about the subject matter but can follow an argument. Imagine you are a lawyer writing for the jury (not for other lawyers). Define all technical terms, use plain English and straightforward sentences. The term paper is due in class May 16, 2007. Late papers will not be accepted.
Sample Term Paper Topics Sample term paper topics follow. These are suggestions. Many other topics are possible; see me if you’re not sure about an idea.
Class Presentation Each student must present the arguments in one of the regularly-scheduled reading assignments. The readings will be assigned randomly unless someone has a particular interest in any topic. Your task as presenter is to lay out the arguments in the reading in a clear and interesting way. You are invited to pose questions and counterarguments for the class to consider. You must prepare a brief, legible outline of the arguments to hand out to the class. Your handout will be graded. Your presentation should expand on the outline; don’t just read it to us. The presentation should last at least twenty minutes. Except in cases of extreme, documented emergency, presentations must be made on the assigned date. One additional presentation can be made for extra credit. See me if you need help getting copies made (I need a week’s advance notice). |