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Syllabus

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Course Goals:

Since Philosophy, like all academic disciplines, uses a technical vocabulary, students are also expected to become philosophically literate over the course of the semester. At the end of each unit students should be able to 1) define the philosophical terms associated with that unit, 2) identify individual philosophers and their various positions and/or arguments, 3) explain the views of the philosophers we study in your own words, 4) contrast the views of the philosophers with each other as well as with your own experiences, and 5) begin to construct a logically coherent world-view of your own based on the philosophers and topics we study.

Course Requirements:

Timed Examinations - Your work in each unit of the course will be assessed through an on-line examination. Each exam is worth 100 points (your lowest exam score will be dropped). Each exam will have a time limit, as the exam is desiged to test your knowledge, not your ability to look things up in your book or notes. Although you may retake each exam up to four times for personal assessment, ONLY your first attempt will count toward your grade.

Your exams are all on-line. You can get more details on the Exam FAQS page. You SHOULD read the exam FAQS BEFORE attempting an exam.

Reading Journals - Your Reading Journal will be composed of at least ten (10) entries and ten (10) responses posted on the WebBoard. Topics will be based on the assigned readings and will be posted on the Assignment Page for each Unit. Journal entries will be of varying lenghths depending on the topic. The journal is designed to help the student read and evaluate the philosophical essays assigned for this course. In journal entries students should focus on 1) the author's thesis, 2) an evaluation of the force of the argument or the position held, and 3) how the topic corresponds to, or challenges, the student's view. (The third element will be largely subjective on the part of the student)

You can get more details on the Journal FAQS page.

Because you will be working together as a class on each unit I require you to comment on each other's work. For each Journal entry you post on the WebBoard you are required to post a response to (at least) one of your classmates. These responses must be spread out over the course of the term (you cannot simply post ten responses to Journal One and be finished for the term). You may post more than ten responses over the course of the semester, but only ten will count toward your grade. By responding to one another we will improve the quality of our class discussion and hopefully our comprehension of the material. You may post questions to each other about the reading, or challenge each other's interpretation of a particular text. Think of these responses as you would regular class discussion in a classroom. The only rules here are that you should be courteous to one another ( which does not mean you have to agree), do your own work (i.e., no plagiarism), and the subject of your response should focus on the material we are covering in that unit.

It is important that the student check the assignments for each unit AT THE BEGINNING of the unit. The due dates for assignments will vary for each unit. Also you will want plenty of time to prepare for your on-line examination by completing the Unit Exam Study Guide provided in each unit.

You will find the due dates posted within each Unit on the "Assignments Page," and you will also find a complete list on the "Course Calendar" page (linked from the "Study Aids" page).

Grades:

• Four Unit Exams (100 points each - lowest grade dropped = 300 pts)
• Ten Reading Journals (5 points each = 50 pts)
• Ten Journal Responses (5 points each = 50 pts)

Grade Scale:

• 360-400 (90%-100%) A
• 320-359 (80%-89%) B
• 280-319 (70%-79%) C
• 240-279 (60%-69%) D
• below 239 F

Submitting Assignments:

Late Exams: unless authorized IN ADVANCE in consultation with the professor, there will be NO LATE EXAMS. Exams must be completed prior to midnight on the assigned due date.

Plan ahead, and GET YOUR ASSIGNMENTS DONE ON TIME!!!!!! If you fall behind in your work, you will most likely never catch up. You MUST be a self-motivated and conscientious individual to be succsessful in on-line classes.

Statement on Plagiarism/Academic Misconduct: Due to the proliferation of academic material available on the internet, plagiarism is on the rise in American academic institutions. Plagiarism is the use of two or more consecutive words from someone else's written work without proper citation, or passing off someone else's words as your own. Plagiarism includes paraphrasing someone else's work without giving proper citation of the source material. Plagiarism is theft of intellectual property and WILL NOT BE TOLLERATED.

Academic misconduct is a more general term for cheating of any variety. Obviously, the assignments you turn in and the examinations you take should reflect YOUR OWN work, and any attempt to circumvent this process is harmful. Therefore, any plagiarized, or otherwise academically inappropriate assignment will receive an automatic 0 (or F), and the assignment cannot be made up or replaced. If two or more assignments are plagiarized or the product of academic misconduct in the course of a semester, the offending student may receive an automatic F for the course.

Dropping/Withdrawal

Office Hours:

• By appointment only: I will not be holding regular office hours during the Summer term. You can always contact me via email. But if you absolutely need to see me in person, we can set up an appointment to meet at my office.

Phone:

• Office: 480-461-7620

Email: