Syllabus: Introduction to Philosophy

Fall 2014
PHI 2010-0002
TR 12:00 -- 1:15
CB2 106

Course Instructor
Steven McFarlane
Office: 234 Psychology Building
Office hours: T 1:30-3:30, W 1-2 and by appointment
E-mail: steven.mcfarlane@ucf.edu

Course Description and Objectives
This course introduces students to a number of interesting current topics in Western philosophy.
We will examine endlessly fascinating questions such as: What can we really know? Are any of
our actions free? Are we morally responsible for our actions? Is there really a right and wrong?
What is the relationship between our minds and bodies?

We will examine conflicting views on each topic we discuss. Students will learn to understand
and evaluate these conflicting views. They will engage with philosophical questions that have
vexed philosophers for millennia. Along the way, students will be encouraged to form their own
views on these issues and to express them clearly. Students will develop their expository and
persuasive writing skills in completing the writing assignments.

Course Materials
Required Text:

Perry, John, Michael Bratman, and John Martin Fischer. Introduction to Philosophy:
Classic and Contemporary Readings. 6
th
ed. (Oxford University Press, USA; 2012).

There will also be a number of readings in Webcourses (Web).

Credit hours: 3.0

UCF Creed
Integrity, scholarship, community, creativity, and excellence are the core values that guide our
conduct, performance, and decisions.
Integrity
I will practice and defend academic and personal honesty.
Scholarship
I will cherish and honor learning as a fundamental purpose of my membership in the UCF
community.
Community
I will promote an open and supportive campus environment by respecting the rights and
contributions of every individual.
Creativity
I will use my talents to enrich the human experience.
Excellence
I will strive toward the highest standards of performance in any endeavor I undertake.


UCF Cares

During your UCF career, you may experience challenges including struggles with academics,
finances, or your personal well-being. UCF has a multitude of resources available to all students.
Please visit UCFCares.com if you are seeking resources and support, or if you are worried about
a friend or classmate. Free services and information are included for a variety of student
concerns, including but not limited to alcohol use, bias incidents, mental health concerns, and
financial challenges. You can also e-mail ucfcares@ucf.edu with questions or for additional
assistance. You can reach a UCF Cares staff member between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. by calling 407-
823-5607. If you are in immediate distress, please call Counseling and Psychological Services to
speak directly with a counselor 24/7 at 407-823-2811, or please call 911.


Student Responsibilities
1. Students are expected to read the assigned readings prior to the class in which they are
discussed. Please bring the book or the assigned reading from Webcourses to class every
day in case we examine specific passages or questions from the text.

2. Please turn off and put away cell phones. Please put away newspapers, assignments for
other classes, etc. Do not use laptops for anything besides note-taking. I dont take
attendance, so there is no penalty for not coming to class. If there is something that is
more important than the class, by all means take care of it. But if you are in class, I am
expecting you to be a participant in the class for the entire class period.

3. I dont take attendance, but students are expected to know the material that is covered in
class but not in the readings. This means that anything covered in lecture but not in the
book is fair game for the quizzes, papers, and exams. It will be almost impossible to get a
high grade in this class without attending regularly. If you do miss class, make sure to get
notes from another student.

4. As reflected in the UCF creed, integrity and scholarship are core values that should guide
our conduct and decisions as members of the UCF community. Plagiarism and cheating
contradict these values, and so are very serious academic offenses. Penalties can include
a failing grade in an assignment or in the course, or suspension or expulsion from the
university. Students are expected to familiarize themselves with and follow the
Universitys Rules of Conduct (see http://www.osc.sdes.ucf.edu/).

5. Some of the topics we discuss in this class are sensitive and students may have strong
opinions. Students are expected to show each other and the instructor the utmost respect.
We are here to share ideas and learn from each other. These goals cannot be achieved in a
hostile environment; disrespect will not be tolerated.

6. Financial Aid Requirement: There is a quiz posted on Webcourses that shows that you
are in attendance and therefore may receive financial aid. The due date for the quiz is
Aug. 22
nd
(if you add the course later than the start date, the deadline is Aug. 27
th
). The
quiz will be open until the eighth week of the semester for those who do not want to get
their financial aid right away. If you complete the quiz on time, you will receive an
automatic 2 points toward your first exam grade. There is no course penalty for not
completing the quiz or for getting the answer wrong. However, it is possible you may not
receive your financial aid in a timely fashion, so just take the quiz as soon as possible.

7. GEP Pre-test and Post-test: There is also a Pre-test in what looks like a separate course on
Webcourses. The instructor is Michael Strawser. You should take this quiz, but it does
not affect your grade in the course. The purpose of these quizzes is for the General
Education office to track data regarding student involvement.

8. Email Etiquette: Please include identifying information about yourself and the class in
which you are enrolled when emailing me (i.e. your name and the course number or title).
I teach many students and having the correct context helps me be able to respond more
efficiently.

9. Students need to bring blank Scantron forms for the exams. These can be purchased at the
bookstore.


Grading
10-15 Unannounced Quizzes/Writing activities 40%
3 Exams 60%
Extra Credit Possibility of +3%

Grading Scale
A 93-100 A- 90-92.99
B+ 87-89.99 B 83-86.99 B- 80-82.99
C+ 77-79.99 C 73-76.99 C- 70-72.99
D+ 67-69.99 D 63-66.99 D- 60-62.99
0-59.99 F


Quizzes/Writing Activities
Quizzes and writing activities will rarely be announced. For this reason, there are no make-up
quizzes. The quizzes and writing activities serve several purposes: they help to ensure students
attend class and do the assigned readings. But they also give me the chance to see if I have
presented material in class in an understandable manner. The quizzes and writing activities,
therefore, help both you and me to make sure we are doing our jobs well.


Exams
There will be three exams in this class. Each exam is worth an equal amount 20% each and
the final exam will only cover material covered after the second exam. It is not cumulative. The
exams will likely consist of a mixture of multiple choice, true/false, and matching. Exam
questions will come from quiz questions, so it is to your benefit to review past quizzes and
determine the correct answer to any questions you might have answered incorrectly. Note that by
saying exam questions come from quiz questions, I am not claiming that the wording will be
exactly the same or that answers will be displayed in the same order. Rather, I am only
guaranteeing that the contents of the questions themselves will be the same. Students may take
make-up exams if necessary, but only if they have a university-recognized reason for missing the
exam date. ALWAYS HAVE DOCUMENTATION if you need to miss an exam date (e.g. a
doctors note, etc.)

Extra Credit
There will be one and ONLY one opportunity for extra credit. Students can earn three points
toward their final grade. There is no penalty for omitting to complete the Extra Credit
assignment. Students will not automatically get full credit just for turning in an Extra Credit
assignment. Rather, if a student does the equivalent of A work, he or she will receive 3 points.
If he or she does the equivalent of B work, he or she will get 2 points and 1 point for C
work. Extra Credit papers that would not earn at least a C- will be awarded no points. You do
not get credit for simply turning something in. Late Extra Credit assignments will not be
accepted except for those with legitimate excuses.

Plagiarism
Plagiarism and Cheating of any kind on an examination, quiz, or assignment will result at
least in an "F" for that assignment (and may, depending on the severity of the case, lead to
an "F" for the entire course) and may be subject to appropriate referral to the Office of
Student Conduct for further action. See the UCF Golden Rule for further information. I
will assume for this course that you will adhere to the academic creed of this University and
will maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. In other words, don't cheat by
giving answers to others or taking them from anyone else. I will also adhere to the highest
standards of academic integrity, so please do not ask me to change (or expect me to change)
your grade illegitimately or to bend or break rules for one person that will not apply to
everyone.

Course Accessibility Statement

It is my goal that this class be an accessible and welcoming experience for all students, including
those with disabilities that may impact learning in this class. If anyone believes the design of this
course poses barriers to effectively participating and/or demonstrating learning in this course,
please meet with me (with or without a Student Disability Services (SDS) accommodation letter)
to discuss reasonable options or adjustments. During our discussion, I may suggest the
possibility/necessity of your contacting SDS (Ferrell Commons 185; 407-823-2371;
sds@ucf.edu) to talk about academic accommodations. You are welcome to talk to me at any
point in the semester about course design concerns, but it is always best if we can talk at least
one week prior to the need for any modifications.

University Writing Center
Colbourn 105
Satellite Locations: Main Library, Rosen Library & Online
407-823-2197
http://uwc.ucf.edu/
The University Writing Center (UWC) offers writing support to UCF students from first-year to
graduate in every discipline. Trained peer consultants provide help at every stage of the writing
process, including understanding assignments, researching, drafting, revising, incorporating
sources, and learning to proofread and edit. The UWCs purpose is not merely to fix papers or to
make better writers, but to teach writers strategies to navigate complex situations for writing,
both in and outside the University. Consultations are available for individuals and small groups.
To make the best use of the UWC, visit far enough before your due date to allow yourself time to
revise after your consultation, browse the writing resources on our website, and arrange a regular
weekly appointment if youd like long-term help. You may schedule a 45-minute appointment by
phone or by using the TutorTrac scheduler on our website; walk-in consultations are also
available.


Course Readings:

Week 1: Course Intro
8/19: Course syllabus
8/21: Logical Toolkit, pp. 9-12

Week 2: Reasoning and Knowledge
8/26: Logic & Arguments (contd), pp.12-14
8/28: DeRose, Introduction: Responding to Skepticism, (Web), Sections 1 & 2, pp. 1-4

Week 3: Reasoning and Knowledge
9/2: Introduction: Responding to Skepticism, (contd), (Web), Section 3, pp. 4-6
9/4: Gettier, Is Justified True Belief Knowledge? pp. 133-135

Week 4: Political Philosophy
9/9: Rawls, A Theory of Justice, pp. 572-578 (pay close attention to words in bold print)
9/11: Rawls, A Theory of Justice, (contd), pp. 580-585

Week 5: Political Philosophy
9/16: Nozick, Justice and Entitlement, pp.585-593
9/18: TBA

Week 6: Exam #1
9/23: Review Day, No reading
9/25: Exam #1

Week 7: Ethics and Values
9/30: Utilitarianism vs. Deontology, TBA
10/2: Greene, From neural "is" to moral "ought": what are the moral implications of
neuroscientific moral psychology? (Web)

Week 8: Ethics and Values
10/7: Hursthouse, Right Action, pp. 561-570
10/9: Tiberius, Are There Any Virtues? The Empirical Challenge, (Web)

Week 9: Ethics and Values
10/14: Nagel, Death, pp. 813-817
10/16: Brueckner and Fischer, Why Is Death Bad? pp. 818-823

Week 10: Exam #2
10/21: Review Day, No reading
10/23: Exam #2

Week 11: Free Will
10/28: Kane, The Significance of Free Will, (Web)
10/30: van Inwagen, The Powers of Rational Beings: Freedom of the Will, pp. 385-390

Week 12: Free Will
11/4: van Inwagen, The Powers of Rational Beings: Freedom of the Will, pp. 390-396
11/6: Fischer, (Web)

Week 13: Mind/Body Problem
11/11: Veterans Day, No Class Paper #2 Due, Extra Credit Paper due.
11/13: Kim, The Philosophy of Mind, (Web)

Week 14: Mind/Body Problem
11/18: Armstrong, The Nature of Mind, pp. 257-264
11/20: Churchland, Eliminative Materialism, pp. 277-281

Week 15: Mind/Body Problem
11/25: Jackson, What Mary Didnt Know, pp. 281-284
11/27: Thanksgiving, No Class

12/2: Study Day, No Class

Final Exam: Thursday, December 04, 2014
10:00 AM 12:50 PM


Except for changes that substantially affect implementation of the evaluation (grading)
statement, this syllabus is a guide for the course and is subject to change with advance notice.

By maintaining enrollment in this course, students acknowledge that they understand and accept
the standards and expectations laid out in the content of this syllabus.

Grading Rubric

Excellent (90 100)
An excellent essay answers the question in a clear and concise manner. It goes beyond basic
understanding and incorporates new ideas or synthesizes information to show connections
between previously unmentioned concepts. It is free of grammar, spelling, and punctuation
errors, and it meets, but does not exceed, the word requirement.

Good (80 89)
A good essay answers the question clearly and adequately, but does not incorporate new ideas or
perspectives. It may have a few grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors, but not so many that
they affect the overall clarity of the essay.

Average (70 79)
An average essay answers the question, but is lacking in overall clarity and precision. Also, the
essay may miss obvious points or fail to make obvious connections. Average essays may have
several grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors, which may affect the overall clarity and
precision of the essay. May also fail to meet the word requirement.

Needs Improvement (60 69)
An essay that needs improvement may answer some parts of the question, but fails to address the
question fully. It is also lacking in overall clarity. It likely contains many grammar, spelling, and
punctuation errors. It may also fail to meet the word requirement.

Unacceptable (0 59)
An unacceptable essay fails to answer the assigned question. It may also fail to meet the word
requirement.