LA 220
Introduction to Philosophy
Course Syllabus
Socrates: "And should we not desire to have our own minds in the best state possible?"
Plato, Hippias Minor
Thomas D. Gordon
Monroe College
434 Main Street
New Rochelle, NY 10801
Aims and Objectives
Welcome to LA-220, Introduction to Philosophy. In this course we will be examining the ideas of the major figures in the history of Western philosophy. There are as many ways of teaching an introductory philosophy class as there are philosophy instructors. Classes will follow the lecture/discussion format. The approach we will use will be the historical approach. I believe this is the best approach for an introductory class inasmuch as it allows one to see how many of our own assumptions, views, and ways of looking at the world and ourselves, as well as our modes of thought, discussion, disagreement and expression, are part of a tradition that emerged over 2500 years ago. In short, it allows us to see ourselves as part of a continuing whole. Throughout the semester we shall continually assess the philosophical questions posed by the subjects of our study, always with a mind for either refuting or conceding their solutions to these questions.
Course Division
Following a discussion of what philosophy is and what it is not, and an examination of the main branches of philosophy, our study will be divided into the following three areas: Ancient & Medieval Philosophy, Renaissance & Enlightenment Philosophy, Nineteenth & Twentieth Century Philosophy. (For a more in-depth overview, see the
Course Outline, which includes reading assignments, relevant internet links, due dates, and examination times.)
Texts
The required texts for the course are: Jostein Gaarder,
Sophies' World: A Novel About the History of Philosophy, trans. Paulette MØller (New York: Berkeley, 1996); Bryan Magee, The Great Philosophers: An Introduction to Western Philosophy (New York: Oxford University Press, 1988); and Samuel Enoch Stumpf, Socrates to Sartre: A History of Western Philosophy, rev. 5th ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1993). The books by Gaardner and Magee are available in the college bookstore. Two copies of Stumpf have been placed on reserve in the library. (NOTE: One of the copies is titled Philosophy: History & Problems. It is an expanded version of Socrates to Sartre. The pagination is the same.) A supplementary text, The Philosophers: Introducing Great Western Thinkers (New York: Oxford, 1999), by Ted Honderich, is on reserve in the library. There will also be assigned readings from Forrest E. Baird and Walter Kaufmann, From Plato to Nietzsche, 2d ed. (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1997).
Assignments, Tests, and Evaluation
Except for the two periods devoted to examinations on Ancient/Medieval and Renaissance/Enlightenment philosophies, there will be reading assignments for every class period. Students are expected to keep up with the readings. Should it become evident that the readings are not being done, daily "motivational quizzes" will be added to the course curriculum. There will be ten short Writing Assignments.
These are to be no longer than one, double-spaced page. (See the Writing Assignment Format Handout for an illustration on how these assignments are to be written. Assignments not following this format will be returned.) There will be three examinations, covering each of the periods examined. Examinations will be part objective, part short answer, and part essay, and must be written in blue or black ink in SMALL BLUE BOOKS, which will be supplied by the instructor. Students will also write a Term Paper dealing with a particular aspect of philosophy. (See Instructions for Term Papers for guidance.) Papers must be typed, double-spaced, and conform to either Turabian or MLA guidelines. Term-paper topics must be submitted and approved by the instructor no later than Thursday, September 23. Weekly assignments and term paper may be submitted via email as Microsoft Word '97 attachments. Assignments submitted via email must be received before the start of the class in which they are due. (See Course Outline for reading assignments and due dates.) Students' overall evaluation for the course is as follows:WRITING ASSIGNMENTS: 25%
CLASS PARTICIPATION: 25%
EXAMINATIONS: 25%
PAPER: 25%
The grading scale for examinations and the term paper is: 91-100=A, 81-90=B, 71-80=C, 61-70=D, 60 and below=F. Writing Assignments will be graded on a scale of 0 to 10. Class participation grades will be based as follows: the more you contribute, the higher your evaluation will be.
As you can see, class participation is a very important part of your grade, so it behooves you to be prepared for class! And please remember: There is no such thing as a "stupid question" in this course!!! We are all here to learn, question, debate, and THINK!
Late Assignments & Missed Tests
The instructor encourages all deadlines for all assignments to be met. Failure to do so will result in the subtraction of one point per-day for the Writing Assignments, and one letter grade per-day for the Term Paper, unless prior arrangements have been made with the instructor. Exams may be missed only with permission of the instructor, and must be made up as soon as possible.
Attendance
Attendance is mandatory and will be taken at the beginning of every class. If you must miss a class, please call or email me. Students are responsible for all work missed in their absence.
A Word on Classroom Decorum
Please be on time and prepared for every class. No eating during class. No sleeping during class. No reading during class. Please turn off cell phones and/or beepers prior to class. No hats or bandannas are to be worn in class. Please respect each other and the instructor.