Seriously, We're Done Here

Final Exam Schedule

Here are the dates and times for the final exams of the classes I teach:

Normal Class time: Final exam date & time
Mondays (Holy Cross): Monday, May 7th, 6:30 p.m.

T/Th 6:30 a.m. (Mt. Laurel): Tuesday, May 8th, 6:30 a.m.

T/Th 9:30 a.m. (Mt. Holly): Tuesday, May 8th, 10:10 a.m.

T/Th 3:30 (Mt. Laurel): Thursday, May 10th, 2:30

All finals will be held in the same classroom where we hold class regularly.

If you cannot make these days or times, please let me know as soon as possible. If necessary, we can make arrangments for you to take the final at the test center.

BCC's entire final exam schedule is available here.

Reading Response #4

Here is the assignment for the final reading response of the semester. Sadz.

Do you think morality involves universal rules that apply in all circumstances with no exceptions? Or do you think circumstances are relevant to judging the morality of a particular action? Be sure to explain and philosophically defend your answer.

The response is due Monday, April 30th for the Monday night class, and Tuesday, May 1st for the Tuesday & Thursday classes.

Extra Credit Assignment

As we discussed in class, here is an optional extra credit assignment.

In an essay that's as long as a reading response, answer the following questions: Which do you think is more important to determining the morality of a particular action: the intentions behind someone's actions, or the consequences of that action? Why do you think this? Be sure to explain and philosophically defend your position.

For the Monday night class, this assignment is due Monday, April 23rd. For the Tuesday/Thurdsay classes, this assignment is due Tuesday, April 24th. It is worth up to 2.5 points added to your final grade. I will not accept any late assignments (unless you have an excused absence).

Reading Response #3

Here is the assignment for reading response #3. For the Tuesday/Thursday classes, it is due Tuesday, April 10th. For the Monday night class, it is due Monday, April 16th.

Explain and philosophically defend your beliefs about the existence of God. Are you a theist? Atheist? Agnostic? Are you a non-evidentialist? What reasons do you have for your position? Has your position changed at all as a result of studying arguments for and against the existence of God in this class? Have the reasons you use to support your beliefs changed?

Reading Response #2

Reading Response #2 is due Monday, March 12th (for the Monday night class) or Thursday, March 15th (for the Tuesday/Thursday classes). The assignment is to write a 250- to 500-word essay in which you address the following:

Explain what you think the best version of the cosmological argument is. Then philosophically evaluate this version.

As a reminder, we have already discussed three different versions of the cosmological argument in class: (1) Thomas Aquinas's "first cause" version, (2) an abductive (inference to the best explanation) version, and (3) Richard Taylor's version. Aquinas's and Taylor's versions are in the textbook, but we only talked about the abductive version in class.

Revised Schedule (Tuesdays/Thursdays)

Hey, Tuesdays/Thursdays classes! We're switching up schedules -- adding a section on Rationalism & Empiricism and a section on Ethics at the end. Here's the new schedule:

February 13—15
Tuesday: Epistemology | Hume & Induction (pages 104—113)
Thursday: QUIZ; Epistemology | Hume Wrap-up & Intro to Rationalism vs. Empiricism

February 20—22
Tuesday: Epistemology | Rationalism: Plato (pages 71—82)
Thursday: Epistemology | Empiricism: Locke (pages 88—96)

February 27—March 1
Tuesday: Does God Exist? | Aquinas & The Cosmological Arg (pages 306—316)
Thursday: Does God Exist? | Taylor & The Cosmological Argument (pages 317—322)

March 6—8
SPRING BREAK!

March 13—15
Tuesday: Does God Exist? | Ontological Argument (pages 337—342)
Thursday: Does God Exist? | Paley & The Design Argument (pages 322—325)
(Reading Response #2 due)

March 20—March 22
Tuesday: Does God Exist? | Hume & The Design Argument (pages 326—337)
Thursday: Does God Exist? | Design Arg Wrap-up & Review for Midterm

March 27—March 29
Tuesday: MIDTERM
Thursday: Does God Exist? | Camus & The Problem of Evil (pages 356—360)

April 3—5
Tuesday: Does God Exist? | Hick & The Problem of Evil (pages 360—372)
Thursday: Faith & Reason | Pascal (pages 342—347)
(Reading Response #3 due)

April 10—12
Tuesday: Intro to Ethics | Plato (pages 400—402 & 408—415)
Thursday: Ethical Relativism | Herodotus & Benedict (pages 415—427)

April 17—19
Tuesday: Utilitarianism | Intro (pages 454—458) & Mill (pages 461—466)
Thursday: Utilitarianism | Norcross (pages 466—472)
(Reading Response #4 due)

April 24—26
Tuesday: Deontological Ethics | Kant (pages 472-484)
Thursday: Deontological Ethics Wrap-up; Intro to Virtue Ethics (pages 490—498)

May 1—3
Tuesday: Virtue Ethics | Aristotle (pages 490-504)
Thursday: Virtue Ethics Wrap-up & Final Exam Review

May 8
Tuesday: FINAL EXAM

Revised Schedule (Mondays)

Hey, Monday Holy Cross class! We're switching up schedules -- adding a section on Rationalism & Empiricism and a section on Ethics at the end. Here's the new schedule:

February 12
-Epistemology | Hume & Induction (pages 104—113)
-QUIZ; Epistemology | Hume Wrap-up & Intro to Rationalism vs. Empiricism

February 19
-Epistemology | Rationalism: Plato (pages 71—82)
-Epistemology | Empiricism: Locke (pages 88—96)

February 26
-Does God Exist? | Aquinas & The Cosmological Arg (pages 306—316)
-Does God Exist? | Taylor & The Cosmological Argument (pages 317—322)

March 5
SPRING BREAK!

March 12
-Does God Exist? | Ontological Argument (pages 337—342)
-Does God Exist? | Paley & The Design Argument (pages 322—325)
(Reading Response #2 due)

March 19
-Does God Exist? | Hume & The Design Argument (pages 326—337)
-Does God Exist? | Problem of Evil Intro & Review for Midterm (pages 356—360)

March 26
-MIDTERM
-Does God Exist? | Hick & The Problem of Evil (pages 360—372)

April 2
-Faith & Reason | Pascal (pages 342—347)
-Intro to Ethics | Plato (pages 400—402 & 408—415)
(Reading Response #3 due)

April 9
-NO CLASS (Holy Cross closed)

April 16
-Ethical Relativism | Herodotus & Benedict (pages 415—427)
-Utilitarianism | Intro (pages 454—458) & Mill (pages 461—466)

April 23
-Utilitarianism | Norcross (pages 466—472)
-Deontological Ethics | Kant (pages 472-484)
(Reading Response #4 due)

April 30
-Virtue Ethics | Intro (pages 490—498) & Aristotle (pages 490—504)
-Virtue Ethics Wrap-up & Final Exam Review

May 7
FINAL EXAM

3:30 Class: Room Change

To all the students in the 3:30-4:50 Tuesday/Thursday Philosophy class: we're changing classrooms.

Beginning this Thursday, class will be held in Room 112 of the Technology & Engineering Center (TEC). We'll be having class there for the rest of the semester.

TEC is right next to Laurel Hall at the Mt. Laurel Campus. Here's a map (click on it to enlarge):

Reading Response #1

The first reading response is due Thursday, February 8th (if you're in a Tuesday/Thursday class) or Monday, February 5th (if you're in the Monday night Holy Cross class). In a 250- to 500-word response, you are to answer the following question:

What does Descartes say he cannot be certain of? What does Descartes say he can be certain of? Do you agree with Descartes? Why or why not?

The response is based on the reading from pages 58-71 of the textbook.

Email Subscriptions

So why a blog? Well, why is anything anything?

The blog is an experiment. Hopefully it can benefit the course in some way. I’ll be posting course updates, discussion topics, and other stuff here throughout the semester. Go ahead and subscribe to the rss feed if you know what that means.

Otherwise, get an email subscription, so any new blog post gets emailed to you. To get an email subscription:

1. Enter your email address at the top of the right column and click "Subscribe me!"
2. This will take you to another page where you have to type in some random letters and numbers, and click "Subscribe me!" again.
3. You'll then get an email regarding the blog subscription. You have to confirm your registration. Do so by clicking on the "Click here to activate your account" link in the email you receive.
4. This will bring you to a page that says "Your subscription is confirmed!" Now you're subscribed.

If you are unsure whether you've subscribed, ask me (609-980-8367; seanlandis@aol.com). I can check who's subscribed and who hasn't.

Course Details

Introduction to Philosophy
Burlington County College, Spring 2007
Philosophy 101
Section 33: Tuesday/Thursday, 6:30–7:50 a.m.
Room 310, Mt. Laurel Campus
Section 35: Tuesday/Thursday, 3:30-4:50 p.m.
Room 132, Mt. Laurel Campus
Section 75: Tuesday/Thursday, 9:30-10:50 a.m.
Room 115, Mt. Holly Center
Section 81: Monday Evenings, 6:30-9:45 p.m.
Room HC, Holy Cross High School

Instructor: Sean Landis
Email: seanlandis@aol.com
Phone: 609-980-8367
Course Website: http://landisintro.blogspot.com

Required Text
The Philosophical Journey, 3^rd Edition, William F. Lawhead

About the Course
This course is designed to introduce students to philosophy. Throughout the semester, we are going to explore a handful of classic philosophical questions: What is knowledge? Can we prove God’s existence? Do humans have free will?

In examining these issues, it is my hope that we can also develop the skills of doing philosophy—understanding philosophical arguments, evaluating the quality of such arguments, and developing good arguments of our own on philosophical topics.

Grades
90-100% = A; 80-89% = B; 70-79% = C;
60-69% = D; below 60% = F.

Midterm: 25%
Final: 35%
Quizz: 15%
4 Reading Responses: 5 % each (20% total)
Attendance: 5%

Exams
The midterm tests everything covered during the first half of the course, and will last 80 minutes on the scheduled day. The final exam is cumulative—that is, it tests everything covered throughout the whole course, not just the second half. The final will last 80 minutes, and will take place on the last day of class.

Quiz
There will be a quiz on the first sections on logic and epistemology. The quiz will last 20 minutes.

Reading Responses
There will be four reading responses, which are to be handed in at the beginning of class the day they are due—and only then. I will not accept homework at any other time, unless you cannot make class due to sudden illness/injury (again, with a doctor’s note), religious observance, or official university business.

Reading responses will consist of an approximately one- to two-paged (typed, double-spaced, 12-point font, normal margins) response to a specific question about one or more of the week’s readings. The responses are a chance to do philosophy. To this effect, the focus of the responses will be on paraphrasing (demonstrating that you understand the argument by putting it in your own words) and evaluating (presenting objections to the argument or responding to such objections) the philosophical arguments being presented in the readings.

Classroom Policies
Academic Integrity: Cheating and Plagiarism will not be tolerated in the class. Students found guilty of either will definitely fail the exam or assignment—and possibly the entire class. (Come to me if you are unsure what constitutes cheating or plagiarism.)

Excused Absenses: Make-up exams, quizzes, in-class projects, and oral reports will only be rescheduled for any excused absences (excused absences include religious observance, official college business, and illness or injury – with a doctor’s note). An unexcused absence on the day of any assignment or test will result in a zero on that assignment or test.

Important Dates
January 18: Last day to withdraw & receive a 100% refund.
January 19—25: Late Registration and Add Period (with $35.00 service fee)
January 19—February 1: Drop Period with name removed from roster and 50% refund
February 2—March 30: Withdrawal Period (no refund/W grade)
February 9: Last day to request an audit

Course Schedule

January 21—27: Intro to Class
-Check. Check One. Sibilance (no reading)
-Doing Philosophy (no reading)

January 28—February 3: Some Logic
-Deductive Arguments (pages 37—45)
-Inductive & Abductive Arguments (pages 4—11)

February 4—10: Epistemology
-Descartes vs. Skepticism (pages 50-53; 58-71)
-Descartes vs. Skepticism (pages 50-53; 58-71)
(Reading Response #1 due)

February 11—17: Epistemology
-Hume & Induction (pages 104—113)
-QUIZ; Hume & Induction (pages 104—113)

February 18—24: Does God Exist?
-Aquinas & The Cosmological Argument (pages 306—316)
-Taylor & The Cosmological Argument (pages 317—322)

February 25—March 3: Does God Exist?
-Ontological Argument (pages 337—342)
-Ontological Argument (pages 337—342)
(Reading Response #2 due)

March 4—10
SPRING BREAK! (woo?)


March 11—17: Does God Exist?
-Paley & The Design Argument (pages 322—325)
-Review for Midterm

March 18—March 24: Does God Exist?
-MIDTERM
-Hume & The Design Argument (pages 326—337)

March 25—March 31: Does God Exist?
-Design Argument wrap-up (no new reading)
-Camus & The Problem of Evil (pages 356—360)
(Reading Response #3 due)

April 1—7: Does God Exist?
-Hick & The Problem of Evil (pages 360—372)
-Problem of Evil wrap-up (no new reading)

April 8—14: Faith & Reason & Free Will
-Pascal (pages 342—347)
-Free Will Overview (pages 250—261)

April 15—21: Free Will
-Determinism (pages 261—275)
-Libertarianism (pages 276—283; 288—290)
(Reading Response #4 due)

April 22—28: Free Will
-Compatibilism (pages 290—299)
-Free Will wrap-up (no new reading)

April 29—May 5: Final Exam
-Review for Final Exam
-(FINAL EXAM)*

May 6—11: Final Exam
-(FINAL EXAM)**

*Sections 33, 35, & 75 will take the final on Thursday, May 3
**Section 81 will take the final on Monday, May 7