Syllabus

Fall Semester, 2010 - Course SS 610 G24 A and B - 3 credit hrs Tues/Thur 1:10-2:25pm   room :LB 14 

Dr. Shannon Kincaid  - Tel. (718) 281-5136    E-mail  skincaid@qcc.cuny.edu

            Office:  Medical Arts Building, Room 406

            Office Hours: M/Tu/Th 12:00-1:00pm, or by appointment.

Dr. Philip A. Pecorino  - Tel. (718) 281-5038    E-mail ppecorino@qcc.cuny.edu

            Office:  Medical Arts Building, Room 403

            Office Hours: Tu  12:00-1:00pm /Th 12:00-1:00pm  3:00-4:00pm, or by appointment.

Course Description

A study of the basic issues and traditions in Philosophy. Thinkers include: Socrates, Plato, Descartes, Kant, Rawls. Issues include: soul, truth, god, reality, knowledge, ethics, mind, freedom, religion, social and political thought. This course is designed as an introduction to the philosophical approaches to questions concerning the nature of knowledge, existence, and human values.  Through the use of classical and contemporary texts, students will be introduced to some of the major theoretical approaches to epistemology, metaphysics, ontology, and axiology.  Students will also develop their capacity to analyze abstract concepts, to think critically about philosophic problems, and to write clearly. 

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

•             Understand historical and contemporary approaches to philosophic analysis

•                         and judgment

•             Apply effective critical thinking strategies

•             Differentiate among various epistemological, metaphysical, and axiological doctrines

•             Critically analyze the complex philosophical assumptions underlying contemporary

•                         social and political issues

•             Research and debate complex philosophical issues

•             Understand the basic framework for effective argumentation 

Required Textbook / Readings 

1)      ONLINE materials found off of the calendar webpage 

2)       ONLINE TEXTBOOK   http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/SocialSciences/ppecorino/INTRO_TEXT/default.htm 

Suggested Readings: 

            Abel, Donald C.  2007.  Fifty Readings in Philosophy (Third Edition).  New York:                        McGraw Hill.

            Other short essays and handouts will be provided in class or on the calendar webpage 

Polices on Grading and Attendance

Attendance is MANDATORY.  Each unexcused absence (after 2) will be assigned a five percent reduction in the overall course grade.   

Please be punctual, as excessive lateness will be penalized.  Every two “latenesses” will be counted as one absence.  Also, any student who is more than 15 minutes late for class will be not receive credit for that day’s attendance.

There will be NO late assignments accepted without a written excuse.

Readings MUST be completed prior to class.  The instructor reserves the right to conduct periodic checks (including random checks of individual preparedness, as well as short, unannounced quizzes) to ensure required readings are completed on time. 

Academic Integrity: Cheating and plagiarism in any form will not be tolerated.  In this course, the penalty for violations of academic integrity is as follows:
1. First offense - the student receives the grade of "0" for the assignment and the possibility of more severe action at the discretion of the instructor.
2. Second offense - the student receives an "F" in the course and a Violation of Academic Integrity Report is filed with the Dean of Students.

Class Participation / Behavior

Students are expected to participate in classroom discussions and debates.  Failure to do so will result in grade reductions assigned at the instructor’s discretion.

Disruptive behavior (lateness, lack of respect for other students and their ideas, cell-phone use, text-messaging, failure to follow basic rules of classroom etiquette, etc.) will NOT be tolerated. 

Statement on Students with Disabilities

Any student who feels that he/she may need an accommodation based upon the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss your specific needs. Please contact the office of Services for Students with Disabilities in Science Building, room 132 (718 631 6257) to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities. 

Writing Intensive Course Information

This course has been designated a Writing Intensive (WI) course by Queensborough Community College/City University of New York.  As such, it must meet certain criteria, including approximately 10 pages of revisable formal writing (rough/final drafts), informal (or “low-stakes”) ungraded writing, a certain amount of class time devoted to writing instruction and practice, and essay questions on exams.

Writing intensive courses are important to all Queensborough students for several reasons.  First and foremost, these courses are designed to improve your skills and confidence as writer in both formal and informal contexts.  Second, these courses will help you pass the CUNY Proficiency Exam (CPE), which is now required of all students at every CUNY campus.  Third, beginning in 2005, CUNY graduation guidelines will require each student to take at least two WI classes in the course of their undergraduate studies. 

 Examinations   The midterm and final examinations for this course will each count for 20 percent of your final course grade, and will consist of the following sections:

                        1.  5 short answer questions (@ 1 point each).

                                    Sample question: Define “epistemology.”

                        2.  1 essay question  -2-3 paragraphs - (@ 5 points).

                                    Sample question: Describe Kant’s account of synthetic a priori

propositions.  Compare this concept with Hume’s account of the       role of imagination in our experience of the world.  Who do you agree with       most?  Why? 

10 short paper assignments

The assignments are provided at this location:  

 NOTE:

1.  Spelling and grammar (5 points)

Excessive spelling mistakes and major grammatical errors will be penalized.  

2..  Bibliography and references (5 points)

You must include a minimum of three quotations from our textbook along with references to other outside sources and you are responsible for providing adequate bibliographic citations for the sources you use.  You may cite the websites by title and url’s. 

Course Outline  Calendar

Course Schedule