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Lori Keleher Department of Philosophy New Mexico State University |
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Syllabus:PHIL 101: The Art of Wondering Dr. Lori Keleher Talia Lapid Office Hours: Fridays 10:30 – 11:20 in Breland Hall Lobby Email: talial@nmsu.edu Course Overview: This course offers an introduction to philosophy through the critical engagement of some of the most central questions in philosophy including: What – if anything – can we know? Are we simply material beings, or do we have immaterial souls? Does God exist? What does it mean to behave morally? Required readings will be taken from Ultimate Questions: Thinking About Philosophy by Nils CH. Rauhut, and (possibly) from articles made available in class, or on my website. Graded assignments will include two in class term exams (Exam 1 is worth 20 % and Exam 2 is worth 30% of your course grade), an in class final exam (worth 30% of your course grade), and ten (of 12 – 16) “pop” quizzes (worth 2% each, or a total of 20% of your course grade). Make up exams will be permitted only under documented university approved excuses. If you require a make up exam, it is YOUR responsibility to contact the instructor as soon as possible. Term Exams will have challenging true false and multiple-choice questions and possibly some short answer questions. Questions will be taken from both assigned readings and lectures. The Final Exam will be cumulative (albeit heavily weighted on the material since the previous exam) and will have the same format as the term exams. Pop Quizzes will be given without warning throughout the semester. Anything covered in the assigned readings or in lecture is “fair game” for a quiz. In other words: the quiz may be on the assigned reading even if we have not covered it in lecture yet. The form of the quizzes will vary (e.g., multiple choice, short answer, etc.). There will be at least twelve and as many as sixteen such quizzes. Each student’s ten best scores will count towards their final grade. Missed quizzes will be scored as 0. A Note on Classroom Decorum: Please show your respect for yourself, your classmates, me, and the course by arriving and leaving on time, turning off cell phones, being attentive during class, and displaying respect for the contributions of your classmates. Failure to do so will be embarrassing for you, and may result in my asking you to leave the class, which, may in turn, result in your missing (and consequently earning a 0 on) a pop quiz. A Note on Email: Email is the best way to contact me. I generally check and reply to my email several times a day. I will *try* to check and reply to my email at least once every 24 hours. I do not, however, promise to do so. If you have not received a response, do not assume that I have received your email. Always sign your email. Too often I can’t help students with their inquiries because they leave out this important information. (“What’s my grade?” from aggielover@aol.com is not helpful. If I don’t know who you are, I cannot find out what your grade is.) Please – for your sake and mine – practice good email etiquette. Practicing email etiquette not only makes for a more effective and – at least for my part – pleasant exchange, but also helps prepare you for the “real world.” (Desirable jobs are not secured by email inquiries that read: “R U hiring?”) To this end, always address the email (e.g., “Dear Lori” or “Dear Dr. Keleher”) and practice good grammar and spelling. Using complete words and sentences is a good start. Plagiarism and Cheating: Don’t do it. Plagiarism (both “intentional” and “unintentional”) and cheating will not be tolerated and could possibly result in an F for the course. See: http://lib.nmsu.edu/plagiarism/students.shtml Non-Discrimination & Sexual Harassment Policies: Students with Disabilities Feel free to call Jerry Nevarez, Director of Institutional Equity, at 505-646-3635 with any questions you may have about NMSU's Non-Discrimination Policy and complaints of discrimination, including sexual harassment. Feel free to call Michael Armendariz, Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities, at 575-646-6840 with any questions you may have on student issues related to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and/or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. All medical information will be treated confidentially. January 14: Introductions January 19: Martin Luther King Day – No Class January 26: Logic February 2: Empiricism – Idealism pp. 61 - 73 February 9: Indeterminism and Soft Determinism pp 93 - 106 February 16: Catch Up/Review February 23: Body & Soul Theories pp. 122 - 127 March 2: Dualism March 9: Functionalism pp. 163 – 171 (LAST DAY TO DROP) March 16: The Mind/Body Problem March 23 – 27 Spring Break March 30: Does God Exist? – Religious Experience pp. 173 - 186 April 6: The Problem of Evil pp. 204 – 212 April 13: Relativism April 20: Utilitarianism Final Exam – Friday, May 8th 1:00 – 3:00 pm
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