Professor: Dr. Leonard O’Brian
Scottsdale Community College
Office: SB 120
Office hours: To be determined
Office: 480.423.6212
Cell: 480.231.4471
Email: leonard.obrian@sccmail.maricopa.edu
Website: leonardobrian.com

Introduction to Philosophy

Syllabus

Course Purpose and Values

Introduction to Philosophy introduces some of the Western tradition’s main philosophers and philosophical problems.

The course should be of value for three reasons. First, it helps you address life’s most important questions, questions about truth and beauty and morality, questions about religion and ultimate reality, questions about the very meaning of life.

Second, the course contributes to preparing you for life's confusions, doubts, and uncertainties. It examines great minds as they address complex questions carefully, methodically, and honestly.

Third, the course assists you in pursuing academic, occupational, and personal goals. The intellectual processes that you will practice with respect to distinctly philosophical issues also apply to most other kinds of issues with which you grapple.

Main Resources

1. Leonard O’Brian, A Reflective Journey (Kendall-Hunt, 2008)
2. Harry G. Frankfurt, On Bullshit (Princeton, 2005)
3. Lewis Vaughn, Writing Philosophy (Oxford, 2006)
4. Routledge On-line Encyclopedia, under eReferences, SCC library homepage

The O’Brian is required; the Frankfurt and Vaughn are recommended. You must bring the O’Brian to class each time that we meet. If, for some reason, you do not have the book with you, inform me of that fact before class so that I will not call on you.

Use the Internet cautiously. Anyone—informed or not—can blog. By contrast, only experts write for the Routledge electronic encyclopedia and the Stanford University electronic encyclopedia. If you use any electronic source other than Routledge or Stanford, see the note below under “Ethical Requirements,” pages 8-10.
Remember books. Books in libraries and in good bookstores—for example, Barnes and Noble, Borders, and Changing Hands—have survived some process of expert evaluation.

Requirements: Oral Participation

Philosophical growth requires emotional and intellectual activity. It does not occur passively, as a result of something done to one. Therefore, I expect you to contribute to the class orally, raising questions, criticizing arguments, and proposing ideas.

You will be confused in this course. Confusion is good. It signals that questions are forming. Confusion thus provides a reason for speaking rather than not speaking. Confusion invites you into discussion rather than exempting you from discussion. When you are confused, you can say so. Ask for clarification. You thereby contribute to the class process, helping your classmates as well as helping yourself.

At the end of the semester, I consider participation in determining your final grade. (See “Course Grades,” page 13.) ‘Participation’ refers to your attendance; to your oral contributions to the class; and to your observance of a spirit of class decorum, discussed immediately below. Reading the assignments carefully before class, thereby having questions to ask or comments to make during class, will improve the participation component of your grade, and can raise your final grade.

If you are already someone who likes to talk a lot in class, please note: The concept, “participation,” implies allowing others to speak, as well.
Class sessions will conform to standard principles of decency and courtesy, e.g., deference toward others when they are speaking, tolerance of viewpoints that differ from your own, and respect for the questions and thinkers under discussion. These principles cannot be reduced to formulas: Each of us must exercise a bit of wisdom in determining how to interact with her or his colleagues in an academic setting. Nevertheless, five points will help.

  1. Arrive at class on time. (Flat tires happen: It is better to arrive late than not to arrive, but tardiness should not be habitual.)

  2. Your generation of students bears its own distinctive burden: You may need to learn that courtesy toward those people who occupy your immediate physical environment consists, partly, in not using electronic devices to communicate with other people who occupy another physical environment. So, upon entering the classroom, turn off communications devices. Put them away, out of sight, out of hearing, and beyond touch. Remove earplugs. (If you have urgent reason for leaving a device on but switching it to vibrating mode, see point 4 below. Otherwise, turn it off.) During class, do not send or read text messages. Do not make or take phone calls. Moreover, do not leave the room to text or phone. If you would like to use a laptop for note taking, consult with me first.

  3. When someone is speaking publicly, that is, speaking to the class, direct your attention to him or her. Once I have begun class, there will be much public communication, virtually noprivate communication.

  4. Remain in the room for the entire period. Normally, adults go to the bathroom before coming to class. Yes, time between classes is short, but it is better to arrive a moment after class has begun than to leave in the middle and then return. (If you have a medical or psychological condition that makes remaining in class for the entire period difficult, please discuss that condition with me as soon as possible.) Further, normally, a vibrating cell phone does not constitute reason to leave the room. (If a family member is in critical condition, say, because of a car accident or heart attack, you are worried about her condition and may be receiving a call from an emergency room, please mention the situation to me before class.)

  5. Maintain a demeanor of attention until I have dismissed class. I expect of my students an attentive demeanor throughout the period, and that expectation applies to the last few minutes. To illustrate, I ask that, before I adjourn our meeting, you refrain from closing books and notebooks; refrain from opening book bags; refrain from reaching for purses and backpacks; and refrain from pocketing pencils and pens. In short, refrain from any behavior that symbolizes psychological withdrawal from the classroom.

The student who appears to me to be violating any specific point above will receive one free warning. A second apparent violation will be accompanied not only by a warning but also by the possibility of my lowering the student’s final grade by one letter. A third apparent violation will be accompanied by the possibility of my withdrawing the student from the course.

If you have questions about these guidelines, or if you anticipate having a problem with any of them, please consult with me as soon as possible.

Requirements: Papers

In addition to participating in class discussion, you will write approximately seven, one-page, typed, double-spaced papers. (I may adjust this requirement, or other aspects of the syllabus, as the semester progresses. You are responsible for being aware of any changes that I make.) You will write only on topics that we have discussed in class; more precisely, you will write only on topics that we have discussed at some length, not merely in passing (I may grant an exception to this restriction on topics, but you must first ask me about an exception). “Mechanical Requirements,” pages 6-8, explains more thoroughly what the requirement of one page involves.

Each of these papers will begin with a thesis statement. The remainder of the paper will argue for that thesis. The paper, in other words, presents your position on an issue, and presents your reasons in support of that position. That is, the paper tries to resolve an issue, answer a question, or settle a controversy. The one-page requirement limits what you can accomplish. I grade the paper from the perspective of how effectively it argues given the space constraint. (See more on paper grades, pages 10-11.)

Papers:
Method of Submission

Each paper will be submitted in your personal folder, and will remain in the folder as you submit further papers. The contents of the folder are confidential between you and me.

Submit papers only in your folder. I do not accept papers that are not contained in the folder. Further, whenever you submit a paper, be sure to include all previous papers that you have submitted together with all my comment sheets paper clipped to their respective papers.

Papers should be submitted at the beginning of class on the date on which they are due. I will, however, accept a paper that is turned in later than the class meeting, provided that it is turned in on the date of that class meeting. What this allowance means, in practice, is that if a paper is due, say, on a particular Wednesday, and you have slid the folder containing the paper under my office door so that I receive the paper by the time that I enter the office on the immediately following Thursday, I consider the paper as being on time. Or, if it is due on a particular Thursday, and if I am not on campus Friday, but you have slid the folder containing the paper under my office door so that I receive the paper by the time that I enter the office on Monday, I consider the paper as being on time. If these conditions are not met, whether a paper is turned in late or is not turned in at all, I record an automatic number of 1 for that assignment.

After I have read students’ papers for a particular assignment, I will return them in their folders. If, for some reason, you are not present when I return the folders, you are responsible for coming to my office and picking up your folder. Picking up the folder is important, since you will need it to submit the next assignment.

The folder itself I will provide.

  1. On the outside of the front cover, a label indicates the day or days that our class meets, and the time that it meets. Please legibly print your name on that label.

    On the inside, another label asks for your telephone number and email address. Your phone number and email address are confidential. If you have any concerns about privacy, please talk with me personally. I take the confidentiality of our relationship and your right to privacy seriously.

    Also on the inside, beside your phone number and email address, would you kindly attach a photograph of yourself? I hope that this request does not constitute too much of an inconvenience. A photocopy of your driver’s license would do. You may white out or black out any information that you want to keep private. If you’re reasonably artistic, maybe you could give a sketch of yourself? I just would like some likeness that will help me remember your name. Thank you for your help in this regard.

  2. When you submit a paper, submit it in the folder—together with all previous papers and their respective comment sheets.

You are responsible for the maintenance and preservation of your personal folder and its contents. Of course, you should keep copies of your essays on paper and on (an accessible) hard drive. What if you lose your folder? What if someone steals your book bag that contains the folder? What if someone steals your car, and your folder was in the car? You are still responsible. Thus, it would be a good idea to keep photocopies of all papers and photocopies of the accompanying comment sheets.

Please do not send essays by email (other than under exceptional circumstances, which, presumably, you would have discussed with me).

Papers:
Mechanical Requirements

All papers must be typed and double-spaced. They should be printed in a simple font, size 12. (This syllabus is in Geneva 12. Other good choices are Arial, Helvetica, and Verdana.) Use standard margins, about an inch all the way around. A one-page limit applies to all papers throughout the semester. Please do not try to sneak around the length limit by using a font smaller than 12, or a compressed font, or by single-and-a-half spacing, or any other gimmicks.

The one-page limit concerns the entire assignment. (Please do not confuse the one-page requirement for this class with a one-page requirement for any of my other classes, since there may be differences; follow this syllabus for this class.)  At the top of the sheet, type (1) your name, (2) my name, (3) the number of the assignment, and (4) the title of the paper. At the bottom of the sheet, include any footnotes that are needed to satisfy the requirements of integrity. (See ”Ethical Requirements,” pages 8-10.) Each essay, thus, will consist of a single sheet of paper. (If you use a source other than the Routledge or Stanford on-line encyclopedias, you will attach a photocopy of the relevant material. In that case, you will be submitting more than a single sheet of paper, though a single sheet will contain your argument.)

Please observe the following principles.

1. Your name, my name, the number indicating which of the seven assignments you are turning in (Assignment Two, Assignment Six, etc.), and a title for the paper, should be typed at the top.

2. Prepare. You may have a general idea for the paper, but before investing uninformed time trying to argue for it, read and think. Review class notes and relevant material in A Reflective Journey. Consult the Routledge and Stanford on-line encyclopedias. Wikipedia can get you started, but the serious student will want to dig deeper. Preparing enables you to focus on a single, specific thesis.

3. The first sentence should state your thesis. The thesis is the single point that the paper seeks to establish; the paper argues for the presumed truth of the thesis. You cannot write a good paper if you cannot identify your thesis. In the interest of clarity, the paper should probably begin with the thesis. If you want to express the thesis in the second (or third?) sentence, you may do so, but express it early, not the in the middle or at the end of the paper. Usually, for a short, argumentative essay, the best sentence for the thesis is the first sentence.

4. Omit everything but thesis and argument. Assume that your reader understands the problem that you are addressing. Instead of explaining the problem, then following with your thesis and argument, begin with your thesis, following with your argument. If you refer to a particular philosopher, avoid biographical information. For example, instead of writing, “Bertrand Russell, a great 20th century British philosopher, argues that religious belief is irrational,” write, “Russell argues that religious belief is irrational.”

5. Write grammatically, precisely, concisely. Eliminate all words, facts, and ideas except those that are most important. (I know that Russell’s first name is ‘Bertrand’.)

6. Proofread for conciseness, clarity, grammar, and spelling.

7. Keep at least one copy of your paper that is not in your folder.

Papers:
Ethical Requirements

Intellectual Honesty

Intellectual honesty constitutes a fundamental academic virtue, intellectual dishonesty a fundamental academic vice. Plagiarism is dishonest. Plagiarism consists in an author’s representing himself or herself as the source of words or ideas for which he or she is not, in fact, the source. Scottsdale Community College does not tolerate plagiarism or any other form of intellectual dishonesty, nor do I.
Papers must result from your own research, reflection, and intellectual creativity. The ideas submitted under your name must be expressed in your own words, except when you quote the words of another author, properly citing her or him. Results from all aspects of this process must credit others’ distinctive words and ideas. Copying others’ words—basically, anything ranging from a distinctive phrase to longer passages—without proper citation, or using others’ distinctive ideas without proper citation, violates this standard. When you use the language of another person, you must (1) quote the person exactly, (2) set off the quoted material with quotation marks, and (3) identify the author, the publication and page(s) wherein the material appears. Moreover, if you use the distinctive ideas of another person, even though not his or her exact words, the person must be given credit by your identifying the person, the publication wherein his or her ideas appear, including the page(s). Students often fail to indicate the specific page(s). Proper citation includes indication of the specific page(s).

Regarding the Internet, please note: The accessibility of another person’s original material on the Internet does not constitute permission for you to use that material without attribution. You must cite the author or authors, whether he, she, or they have published or printed the material on paper, have published it on the Internet, or have expressed the material orally. So far as morality is concerned, the author’s medium doesn’t matter.

Nor does the purpose for the author’s writing matter. Specifically, suppose that Jones writes something with the intention of selling it to another person (who, from Jones’s perspective, may do as she wishes with it); suppose, further, that Jones sells it to Smith. Smith may not now submit it as if it were Smith’s own work, even though the actions of Smith and Jones constitute consensual commerce. Should you have doubts about this prohibition, please ask me.

If you use material from the Internet, other than from SCC’s Routledge on-line encyclopedia or the Stanford on-line encyclopedia, you must append to your paper a printed version of either the complete text from which you have drawn, or, if the text is long, a substantial portion of the relevant material that includes the material from which you have drawn. Fully and accurately indicate the author and address. Articles in the Routledge and Stanford encyclopedias specify how they should be cited. Follow those specifications. It is your responsibility to assure that your reader can easily and quickly examine your original sources.

Whether your sources are electronic, oral, or paper, you must abide by the principle of intellectual honesty. If you have any doubts about the avoidance of plagiarism, it is your responsibility to ask. There is nothing wrong in asking for clarification about the nature of plagiarism; indeed, asking for such clarification is commendable. There is, however, much wrong in plagiarizing.
Any student who submits work as his or her own that is not his or her own will receive either a failing grade for the course or other appropriate reprimand or penalty. SCC’s definition of plagiarism and my revision of that definition follow.

SCC’s Definition of ‘Plagiarism’
“Plagiarism - includes, but is not limited to, the use of paraphrase or direct quotation of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment. It also includes the unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or agency engaged in the selling of term papers or other academic materials. Information gathered from the Internet and not properly identified is also considered plagiarism.”
2006-7 Scottsdale Community College Catalog, 229.

Revision of SCC’s Definition of ‘Plagiarism’
Plagiarism includes, though need not be limited to, paraphrase or quotation, whether in whole or part, of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment. Who the source is does not matter. Whether the source consents does not matter. Thus, the source may be an Internet site; an individual or group that sells essays, fiction, poetry, or other ostensibly creative materials; or an individual or group that provides such materials without compensation, such as a friend or family member.
Revised by Len O’Brian from the 2006-7 Scottsdale Community College Catalog, 229.

Papers: Grading

Papers will receive one of three marks: 3, 2, or 1. These numbers constitute broad characterizations of quality. 3 means something like, “This paper is pretty good or even better than pretty good”; 2 means something like, “This paper is somewhere in the range of B-/C+ to C-/D+”; 1 means something like “This paper is in the D-range or lower.”

I will assign one of these numbers to papers primarily according to (A) their reflection of an accurate understanding of the philosopher or problem in question; (B) their judicious focus;  (C) their creative synthesis and analysis of ideas; (D) their careful reasoning in support of the position taken; and (E) their concise, clear, precise, grammatical expression. The one-page limit places premiums on focus, judicious selection of support, and conciseness of expression.

Papers:
Due dates for papers; also test dates

Papers that do not satisfy the conditions of punctual submission, receive an automatic mark of number 1. (See “Methods of Submission,” page 5.) I do not accept papers during final exam week, except for the final paper; papers other than the final paper will automatically receive the same number as a paper that is not submitted at all, 1. The dates and times below, for all sections, are subject to revision.

MW sections
First paper: W, 3 February
Second paper: W, 17 February
(Mid-term exam: W, 3 March)
Third paper: W, 10 March
Spring break, week of 15 March
Fourth paper: W, 24 March
Fifth paper: W, 7 April
Sixth paper: W, 21 April
Seventh paper: Final exam day
(Final exam: 10:30 class, W, 12 May, 9:30-11:20; 12:00 class, M, 10 May, 11:30-1:20. These time ranges are subject to revision.)

R night section
First paper: R, 11 February
Second paper: R, 25 February
(Mid-term exam: R, 4 March)
Third paper: R, 11 March
Spring break, week of 15 March
Fourth paper: R, 1 April
Fifth paper: R, 15 April
Sixth paper: R, 29 April
Seventh paper: Final exam day
(Final exam: R, 13 May, 6:00-7:50. This time range is subject to revision.)

Requirements: Tests

There will be two tests. Plan so that no other event conflicts with these tests. I expect you always to be in class, but I particularly expect your presence for examinations. There will be no makeup examinations.  Should you miss an exam, you may request that I provide an alternative activity for demonstrating your understanding of the material. Depending on the context, I may grant the request. I will determine the nature of the activity, its date, and time. The possibility of an alternative activity applies only to one of the two examinations. The dates and times of the two tests, while referred to above, are subject to my revision. You are responsible for being aware of any announcements that I might make in this regard.

Requirements: Attendance

I require attendance. If you choose to be absent for some reason, please explain that reason to me. Preferably, you should speak to me about the absence before it occurs, though emergencies can arise that preclude prior consultation. If you accumulate absences greater than the equivalent of 150 minutes, I may withdraw you from the class. I will not withdraw you, however, provided that it is clear to me, based on your communications with me, that you are taking your work in the course seriously and are thereby performing adequately. Absences accumulate from the first date that the class meets, not the first date of your enrollment or attendance.

Course Grades

Papers comprise about 40% of your course grade, each paper contributing something like 5-6%. The tests are worth about 30% total, about 10% for the midterm and 20% for the cumulative final.

Under normal circumstances, class participation, as I evaluate it, counts for about 30% of your course grade. ‘Participation’, however, not only refers to oral contributions, but also to attendance itself, and to decorum in class (See the discussion under “oral participation,” pages 3-4, above.). “Normal circumstances” consist of the student’s conducting himself or herself according to points 1-5. The participation component will be higher than 30% for the student who, in my judgment, violates the spirit or letter of those points—indeed, violations, as I determine them, may, as in the case of plagiarism, constitute grounds for my withdrawing the student from the course (See pages 3-4.).

Academic Freedom

We will abide by the ideal of academic freedom. In general, the ideal of academic freedom entails that essentially any belief or question about any aspect of human experience that bears on the discipline in question may serve as the topic of consideration. In particular, with respect to the discipline of philosophy, any belief or question about any aspect of human experience may serve as the topic of consideration, because all aspects of human experience pertain to philosophy. Thus, on occasion, we will discuss ideas concerning religion, politics, sex, and possibly other ideas that elicit strong feelings and can provoke controversy. We will speak directly and precisely but courteously and decorously. This course, in principle, excludes no aspect of human experience. It is a course for adults, for people who subscribe to the ideal of academic freedom, for students who seek the truth wherever it may be found.

Intellectual Honesty

Scottsdale Community College does not tolerate plagiarism or any other form of intellectual dishonesty, nor do I. Before beginning to write a paper, consult the discussion of intellectual honesty under, “Ethical Requirements,” pages 7-9.

Conferences

My office is SB 120. (During a summer session, my presence will vary, though I will often be in the building after class.) To assure that we can get together, you may want to set an appointment. Also, we can communicate by email at the address given at the top of the syllabus. In addition, you may phone me at my office, or call me on my mobile; you may leave a message on voice mail if I am not available.

Regarding any problem that you are experiencing with our work together, you should consult with me as soon as possible, whether the problem is academic, personal, or interpersonal.

Withdrawal

Under “Conferences,” above, I have asked that you discuss with me as soon as possible any problem that you are having with our work together. If this process of communication has been occurring, we can (A) minimize the possibility that you will withdraw if, in fact, withdrawal is unnecessary, or (B) expedite withdrawal if, in fact, withdrawal would be appropriate. Thus, I will have been able to try to help you in any way that is feasible.