Heartland Community College
Humanities & Fine Arts
Course Syllabus for Students

Course Prefix and Number:  PHIL 101
Course Title: Introduction to Philosophy
Credit Hours:    3                                  
Lecture Hours:   3     Laboratory Hours:     0

Days and times the course meets:  Tuesdays and Thursdays 11:00 to 1:50.

Introduction:  Welcome to the study of philosophy.  This course does not presuppose any previous experience with philosophy, but it does presuppose some interest in it.  Unlike other disciplines, philosophy does require the student to ask questions.  Often, these questions will concern things we normally take for granted.  But, I strongly encourage you to ask questions.  Questions are a normal part of learning, and are an indication for me to gauge your understanding of the materials we are covering.  From your questions and the other forms of feedback you provide me, I can judge whether or not I need to make changes in the methods I use to assist your understanding of the materials.

One thing needs to be said at the very beginning.  In the study of philosophy, unlike other disciplines, there are no “golden formulas” that you can plug data into variables and crank out results.  What we are dealing with are ideas, methods of investigation, and the justifications given to support ideas.  We are not looking for uniformity in the responses we give to problems.  Instead, we are attempting to understand the reasons given for holding a view or position, and then deciding whether the reasons given are strong enough to justify holding such a position.  As you can imagine, there are a wide number of different views or positions given for any topic.  Also, we ourselves will not always agree about whether the reasons given for holding any particular view are strong enough to support that view.  Hence, we are going to agree to disagree.  One of the best ways to learn philosophy is to discuss what you have read.  We are going to spend a good portion of our time discussing the ideas and the implications of the ideas of the authors we are going to read.  You will feel challenged in this class to push your mind and your thinking into new areas.  At times, the newness might interest you, even excite you.  At times, it might intimidate or anger you.  You might wonder why anyone would be interested in some of these topics.  All of these responses are normal, and depending on your interests, you may feel all of them over the course of the class.  In order to get the most out of your encounter with philosophy, it is vital to ask questions and to try out possible responses or objections to the positions held by our authors.  Be bold.  Don’t let the newness of the subject matter overwhelm you.  The best advice I can give you at the beginning is to accept that the material in this course will be different and challenging, but you should believe in yourself, and respond boldly to the challenges set forth.

Catalog Description: 

An introduction to philosophical questioning and to the rudiments of philosophical ways of reasoning. This course will examine some key notions of the history of philosophy, especially in the areas of metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and social/political philosophy.

Instructor Information: 
Instructor name: Dr. Larry J. Waggle
Phone number to contact instructor:
Instructor e-mail address, if one: Unclelahr@aol.com
Location of instructor’s office:

Hours and days of instructor’s office hours:  Office hours will be held the hour before class and the hour after class meets on those days in which we have class.  I am available at other times by appointment only.  I reserve the right to exclude weekend appointments and night time appointments.

Textbook: 

Required: About Philosophy, eighth edition.  Robert Paul Wolff 

Relationship to Academic Development Programs and Transfer: 

(Indicate if course is General Education/IAI)

PHIL 101 fulfills 3 of the 9 semester hours of credit in Humanities/Fine Arts required for the A.A. or A.S. degree.  It satisfies the Humanities component of this requirement.  PHIL 101 should transfer to other Illinois colleges and universities as the equivalent of the General Education Core Curriculum course H4 900, described in the Illinois Articulation Initiative.  However, students should consult an academic advisor for transfer information regarding particular institutions. Refer to the IAI web page for information as well at

Beliefs:

            Academic Discipline:  

All introductory level courses serve a double purpose: 1.  To introduce the student to a wide variety of topics in a given subject matter.  2.  To inform and guide the student to develop basic skills assumed in any career.  It is this second purpose that I would like to elaborate on.  I understand academic discipline to be a matter of time management and organizational skills.  These skills are important not only for success at the college level, but are also important in the wider work environment.  You should maintain a daily calendar and write your assignments, tasks, expectations, etc., on this calendar.  This is the first step to successful time management.  On your calendar, you should note all important deadlines: reading assignments, project deadlines, reviews, test dates, etc., so that you can always be aware of the time demands each week and day will place on you.  Plan accordingly, and review your weekly commitments so that you are managing your time, and not that time is managing you.

Student Learning: 

As a part of this syllabus, there is a list of all of the required readings for the entire semester.  It is imperative that you stay on top of these readings, and be prepared for each class by having read and either summarized or outlined the readings.  In the study of philosophy, written arguments are the primary tool philosophers use to express positions.  The lecture portion of this course will not outline these readings.  In order to dig deeper into the implications of these readings, you should not only have read but prepared a summary of these positions.  This will prepare you for class participation.  Consistent participation in this course is essential to your success, because the reading assignments, class discussions, and other activities are designed to help you better understand. 

You will need to set aside at least two hours per week for every hour you spend in class.  Since this is a three credit hour course, I will assume that you have spent at least six hours outside of class with the readings, doing outlines, and any projects or assignments given over the course of the semester.  You should record all of the reading assignments and due dates for all projects or assignments on your personal calendar.  The actual number of hours you will need to prepare for this course depends greatly on your study habits, and your comprehension of the readings.  I do anticipate that you will need to read each of the readings assignments at least twice in order to better understand the author.  Ideally, you would read each assignment three times. 

I should mention that there will be an essay portion of any assignment I assign throughout the semester.  For those assignments that are take home, I anticipate and expect you to write multiple drafts of these essays, and to make use of the writing rubric I will hand out during this semester. 

Instructor’s Role: 

I see my role in this course as three fold.  First, I will provide guided commentary on the readings assignment materials we are investigating.  I must assume that you are current with your readings in order to facilitate your understanding.  I will use a number of methods to aid your understanding of this material.  Some of these methods range from providing needed historical information, thought experiments, etc.  I will have more to say about my teaching methods below.  Second, I will try to set an example of what a professional philosopher does with respect to the materials we are investigating.  In this role, I see the types of objections I raise to the positions held by our authors to be not only starting points for challenging these views, but also as standard examples of criticisms leveled against these views.  You should not be confused between the views held by the author, and the criticisms leveled against these views.  This is not to say that the author’s views have been completely rejected, nor that the author might have something to say against this criticism.  The idea here is to show you ways to probe these views and construct criticisms of these views on your own.  Third, I will try to assist you in your understanding of this material to the best of my abilities.  That does not mean that I can give you all of the answers to these problems.  What it does mean is that I am committed to your success in learning this material, and committed to improving your writing skills.  I take the concept of writing across the curriculum very seriously.  During this semester, I will hand out a writing rubric that I use to evaluate your written work.  This writing rubric is modeled after the State of Illinois Department of Education persuasive essay writing rubric for the 11^th grade.  This serves as a good model for the level of expectations an entry level college student ought to be able achieve in his or her writing.  This rubric is exhaustive, and covered a number of important features any persuasive essay should contain.  I strongly encourage you to make use of it in self-criticism of your own writing. 

Course Objectives (Learning Outcomes): 

After completing this course you should be able to

1.         Distinguish the various subdisciplines of philosophy and recognize the subdiscipline of particular philosophical works and concepts.

2.         Outline philosophy's historical development, matching important works with the philosophers who wrote them and important beliefs with the philosophers who held them(D5).

3.         Identify the historically dominant philosophical "problems," which philosophers dealt with each of them, and why they have become viewed as "problems"(P1).

4.         Appraise the effectiveness of various solutions that have been proposed to the main philosophical problems(P3,P5).

5.         Distinguish the beliefs of philosophers working in the mainstream western philosophical tradition from the marginalized and diverse voices that either are outside of that tradition or compose the counter-tradition(D2,D3).

6.         Demonstrate tolerance and appreciation for a diversity of philosophical perspectives and problems from various cultures(D1).

7.         Analyze critically the extent that a philosopher's identity and assumptions influence his or her perspective or beliefs(D4).

8.         Improve your ability to aptly interpret difficult philosophical texts and support those interpretations with reasoned arguments(C7).

9.         Reflect in an engaged manner on the processes and experiences that enable you to come to knowledge.

10.       Exhibit responsibility for your learning by participating in critical and creative dialogues about philosophical issues and concepts(D6,C8).

11.       Demonstrate the ability to write critically and analytically about philosophical issues, supporting opinions with arguments, evidence, and reasoning(C3).

Course/Lab Outlines: 

      1.  Metaphysics and Epistemology
      2.  Ethics
      3.  Political Philosophy
      4.  Aesthetics
      5.  Philosophy of Religion

Course Policies:

      Method of Evaluation (Tests/Exams, Grading System): 

            There will be 3-4 exams, each consisting of both "objective" questions (true-false, multiple choice, and matching) and essay questions.

GRADING SYSTEM:

Grades will be determined by the following scale:

            A=90%
            B=80%
            C=70%
            D=60%
            F=less than 60%

A grade of “A” means that your work is judged to be of exceptionally high quality, going well beyond what is needed to be minimally acceptable.  “A” level work shows originality, depth of thought, factual accuracy, good logic.

A grade of “B” means that your work is judged to be of high quality, going well beyond what is needed to be minimally acceptable.  “B: level work shows some of the same good qualities as “A” level work, but not as consistently, or to the same extent.

A grade of “C” means that your work is acceptable – that is, it meets the standards of college level work in terms of relevance, factual accuracy, and logic.  “C” work is at the minimal acceptable level.

A grade of “D” means that your work does not meet the standards for acceptable college level work, but it does exhibit some positive qualities that prevent it from counting as a failure.

A grade of “F” means that your work is so weak that it does not earn college level credit.

Grading Policy:

I will use a 10% gradation scale for evaluating all of the work you submit during the semester.  Your total grade at the end of the semester will consist of the total number of points you have earned compared to a 10% gradation scale from the total number of points possible.  Hence, 100 – 90, 89 – 80, etc., scale.  Should you have any questions concerning your grade, please discuss it with me either before or after class.

      Participation (or Attendance):

Class participation is required.  Each class session will have an activity that will receive a grade.  An occasional absence can be negotiated with me if you have compelling reasons.  In that case, in-class activities that are suitable for make-up must be finished within one week of the absence in order to receive any grade consideration.  In any case, talk to me about planned absences in advance and either call or e-mail me as soon as possible if you miss class unexpectedly.

There are some in-class assignments that are impossible to make up, e.g., small group discussions, class discussions, pop quizzes.  In these cases, if the absence is unavoidable, and if it is the first one, I will assign alterative work.  In other cases, the absentee will receive a zero on those assignments.

Attendance policy: You are to be in class every time class meets.  Please be prompt and prepared to discuss the materials.  During summer sessions, the pace of the course is set up in such a way that missing any classes will seriously hinder you from completing the course.  Remember, each class period is the equivalent of one week of regular class.  If you know that you are going to be over 10 minutes late, please do not disrupt the class in progress.  If the door is shut, and it is over the 10 minute grace period, then do not interrupt the class.  In the event that any of the following occur, please act accordingly.

A.     In case of extreme weather, please consult the local weather channels and the university information line to determine if the university has cancelled classes.  If classes have not been canceled, use your best judgment.  If the roads are dangerous, please think of your own safety.

B.     In the event that you have an appointment that requires you to miss class, then you may be exempt provided you follow the procedure outlined below: You are to inform me in writing if you are unable to attend class.  In your written note, tell me: a) Why you re unable to attend class. b) what you will be doing instead of attending class. c) Give me some details about the event in question (is this related to your major? Is this a job interview?  Is this an out-of-town class project?)  This written note must be delivered to me or e-mailed to me before the event in question.  Attendance waivers are not guaranteed.  Without a written attendance waiver in my file at the end of the semester, the attendance was not excused.  There are no oral attendance waivers granted.

C.     Absences due to illness are excusable only if you provide me with a doctor’s note for my file.  Please do not come to class if you are contagious.

D.     Attendance for religious holidays may be waived provided you prepare the written attendance waiver.

E.      In case of family emergencies or accidents that require you to miss more than one class, I expect that you communicate with me early in the absence so that make up arrangements can be pre-arranged.  Excessive absences for any reason create an obstacle to completion of the course.  Without regular communication from and with you to negotiate changes in deadlines during the absences, progress in and thus completion of the course is impossible.  It is impossible to “re-teach” extensive parts of the course.

Class Participation:

One of the best ways to learn philosophy is to discuss what you have read.  There is a difference between discussion and participation.  What I mean by participation is the normal responses that any student ought to offer when that student is asked a question.  Any student ought to be prepared to respond in this manner whenever that student is asked a question.  By discussion I mean that particular form of participation in which a student freely expresses, whenever there is time set aside for discussing the implications and reactions to the ideas or positions presented in the work of one of the authors we are reading.  It is that second type of participation that I will be assessing.  There seems to be some confusion about class participation.  With each class period, there will be a portion of the class devoted to discussing the readings.  These discussions are for you, the student, to discuss with each other your thoughts about the issues raised in these readings.  What I am anticipating is a thoughtful discussion of the relevant merits and deficiencies of these topics.  Remember, rational people of good will can legitimately differ about the correctness of any philosophical position.  A good philosopher will recognize that often good points can be made on both sides of any issue.  Some issues and topics may be of a sensitive nature.  I expect that you will conduct yourself with maturity.  Class time is a precious commodity.  Please respect it and your fellow students.

Incompletes:

I follow the official college policy, as found in the College Catalog, as illustrated by the following excerpt: “An incomplete grade may be given to a student who, by the withdrawal date, can reasonably be expected to pass the course.  Incompletes may be granted only when justified by extreme circumstances (e.g., serious illness, accident, death or serious illness in the immediate family).”

Extra Credit:

Extra credit is available only after an office visit with me.  Extra credit is not guaranteed.  The purpose of the office visit is to determine the whether extra credit is should be extended, the amount of extra credit possible on the assignment, and the due date for the extra credit assignment.  Please note that extra credit ought to be reserved for extreme cases. 

Make-up of tests and assignments:

        Late work is a serious problem.  I would appreciate it if you were pro-active rather than reactive with any of the assignments.  What I mean by this is, if you are having some problem with any assignment that might delay you from meeting any particular deadline, please talk to me, via e-mail, in person, etc., before the assignment is due in order to determine if an extension should be granted.  Any assignment that is turned in late without a written extension will receive a zero (0).

Make-up tests are also an administrative problem.  Again, please be pro-active and inform me of any problem that will prevent you from meeting a particular test deadline.  I reserve the right to negotiate with students over make-up exams. 

I do allow students “one bite at the apple” during the semester.  What this means is that one time during the semester, excluding the final exam, you may request to rewrite an essay for grade reconsideration.  Use this wisely.  Also, this option to re-work an assignment excludes any in-class quizzes.

Deadlines:

Barring the exceptions noted above, all of the assignment or exam deadlines are listed in this syllabus.  Work turned in after these deadlines will receive a zero unless a written extension has been granted.  Assignments must be turned in “hard copy”.  I do not accept digital copies of assignments.  E-mailing me a digital copy of any assignment, then turning in a paper copy of it, does not constitute turning the assignment in on time. 

Let me remind you what the word “deadline” means.  The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language defines the word “deadline” as 1) a time limit as for payment of a debt or completion of an assignment. 2) a boundary line in a prison that prisoners can cross only at the risk of being shot.  I understand the word “deadline” to mean that any given “project” is “dead” (will receive zero grade consideration) after the date in question.  Some important deadlines to keep in mind during the course of the semester are: the semester ends when you take the final for this course.  All extensions terminate on the last day of class before the final.  There are no “post-semester” assignments, and there is no extra credit post-semester.

Required Writing and Reading: 

Required writing will take the form of one short critical paper (2-3 pages), one longer research-oriented paper (6 – 8 pages), and in-class writing exercises.  Required reading will be from the textbook, although occasionally handouts may be distributed.

Student Conduct:

The emphasis in this class is maintaining an atmosphere conductive to learning.  When you are late (and within the 10 minute grade period) please arrive quietly.  If you leave early, depart gracefully and quietly.  During presentations, listening to the presenter is a form of participation.  Differences in perspectives, values and beliefs will surface.  The free exchange of ideas is encouraged but intimidating or disrespectful language and behavior have no place in such exchanges.  Refer to the College policies section in the Heartland Community College Catalog. 

In this same spirit, please do not bring children to class for any reason.  Please do not use cellular phones or personal pagers in class.  If you feel you must have a cellular phone or a personal pager with you, please turn the ringer off, or set the pager to vibrate.  If you must make a call, please do so outside of the classroom.  Lap top computers, or other such devices, are fine to bring to regularly scheduled class meetings for the purpose of taking notes.  Lap top computers are not to be activated or brought to class when an exam is scheduled.

Please do not contact me at home by phone.  I do not give out my home phone number. You may contact me via e-mail at any time.  Please do not hassle the clerical personnel at the Division of Humanities, Fine Arts, and Human Services.  Please be respectful of them, and afford them the same or more respect than you would me.

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a fundamental principle of collegial life at Heartland Community College and is essential to the credibility of the College’s educational programs. Moreover, because grading may be competitive, students who misrepresent their academic work violate the right of their fellow students. The College, therefore, views any act of academic dishonest as a serious offense requiring disciplinary measures, including course failure, suspension, and even expulsion from the College. In addition, an act of academic dishonesty may have unforeseen effects far beyond any officially imposed penalties.

Violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to cheating, aiding or suborning cheating or other acts of academic dishonesty, plagiarism, misrepresentation of data, falsification of academic records or documents and unauthorized access to computerized academic or administrative records or systems. Definitions of these violations may be found in the college catalog.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the presenting of others’ ideas as if they were your own. When you write a paper, create a project, do a presentation or create anything original, it is assumed that all the work, except for that which is attributed to another author or creator, is your own. Plagiarism is considered a serious academic offense and may take the following forms:

1          Copying word-for-word from another source and not giving that source credit.

2          Paraphrasing the work of another and not giving that source credit.

3          Adopting a particularly apt phrase as your own.

4          Using an image or a copy of an image without crediting its source.

5          Paraphrasing someone else’s line of thinking in the development of a topic as if it were your own.

6          Receiving excessive help from a friend or elsewhere, or using another project as if it were your own.

            Note that word-for-word copying is not the only form of plagiarism.

The penalties for plagiarism may be severe, ranging from failure on the particular piece of work, failure in the course or expulsion from school in extreme cases.

[Adapted from the Modem Language Association’s MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. New York: MLA, 1995: 26]

Support Services:

Heartland Library Information         www.hcc.cc.il.us/library

The Library, located within the Academic Support Center (ASC) on the Normal campus, provides Heartland students with a variety of on-campus resources that support both class work and personal inquiry.  These include: reference tools (print and non-print), periodicals, audio-visual materials and equipment, reserves, a general circulating collection, and a fiction collection.  Computer terminals provide access to various electronic resources, including Academic Universe, FirstSearch, and EbscoHost databases; CARL online card catalog, and Internet access.  Several electronic resources are accessible from computers off campus.  Students may borrow books from the fiction and general collections and may renew materials, in person or by phone, if requests have not been placed on them. 

Heartland students also have Interlibrary Loan privileges from Heartland Library.  Items usually take 1 to 3 weeks from date of the order to arrive.

The Library maintains a quiet study environment.  Assistance is available for all library and information needs.  Heartland Library is open Monday-Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., when the college is in session, but is closed on holidays that Heartland observes.  Intersession and summer hours are reduced.

Milner Library at Illinois State University is a public institution so you may use their collection on site.  If you want to request to check out materials, ask for a free Community Borrowers card application at the Milner Library circulation desk.  It is important that you have specific titles to request for check out when you apply for the card.  The card will give you access to their circulating collection for three months, with a four week check out period.  To qualify for this service you must live within 50 miles of Milner, have a current state ID (driver's license) with current address on ID, and be over age 18.  After you fill out the application Milner will perform a background check on you for over due books, etc. 

For more information about Library services please call the Library at 268-8200.

Tutoring and Academic Support

Heartland Community College offers learning assistance in various forms at no cost to Heartland students at the Academic Support Center (ASC) in Normal and at the Pontiac and Lincoln Centers.  Tutors are available at convenient times throughout the week.  Study groups, group tutoring facilitated by a specially-trained tutor, are also available by request.  Help is also provided through instructional materials, study skills workshops, open computing, and the Library.  For more information about services available at each location, please call the ASC in Normal at (309) 268-8235, the Pontiac Center (815) 842-6777; or the Lincoln Center (217) 735-1731.

Academic Support Services (Academic Support Center) Lab   www.hcc.cc.il.us/divisions/asc

Testing Center Lab     www.hcc.cc.il.us/divisions/asc/testing

The Testing Center proctors make-up exams for students enrolled in traditional courses.  In addition, regularly scheduled exams for alternative delivery courses are also proctored at this Center.  Exams are proctored free of charge in a secure and quite environment.  For more information about exam proctoring services contact the Testing Center at (309) 268-8231.

Open Computing Lab     www.hcc.cc.il.us/divisions/asc/complab

The Open Computing Lab provides free computing for HCC students at convenient times throughout the week.  The computer lab is staffed by trained Lab Assistants and offers the use of approximately 70 computers, a scanner, a laser printer, and an electric typewriter.

Specifications for written materials:

Please freely consult the writing rubric that will be made available during the course of this semester.  Each written assignment will have specific requirements that you should follow. 

Syllabus disclaimer:

The class will be notified in writing if changes are needed due to College closings, severe weather, class progress, incorrect statements in this document, and unexpected demands on the instructor.

Course Calendar:

June 1          Class orientation, syllabus, history of philosophy

June 3          What is Philosophy: Chapter One - entire

June 8          Epistemology: Chapter Two - entire

June 10        continued from above

June 15        Metaphysics: Chapter Three - entire

June 17        continued from above - In class exam over chapters 1 - 3

June 22        Ethics: Chapter Five – pages 157 - 201

June 24        continued from above

June 29        Applied Ethics: pages 202 – 233

July 1           continued from above - midterm exam – Term paper topics due

July 6           Social and Political Philosophy: Chapter 6 - entire– short paper due on applied ethics topics

July 8           continued from above - In class exam over chapters 5 & 6

July 13         Aesthetics: Chapter 7 - entire

July 15         continued from above – In class exam over chapter 7

July 20         Philosophy of Religion: Chapter 8 - entire

July 22         continued from above – review for final exam – term papers due

FINAL EXAM: As scheduled by the university calendar.