PHL 180C Humanities Philosophy
T 6:
Dr.
Course Description
A study of the great philosophical questions of life as they have been discussed throughout the centuries.
Course Outcomes
By the end of this course you should
1. know the basic categories, periods, names, and theories of philosophy
2. have developed critical thinking skills, resulting in increased ability to acquire, organize, and communicate information.
3. have become a self-conscious philosopher with an intentional philosophy
4. have acquired philosophical, aesthetic, and moral values in the context of the Christian faith by learning to approach the great questions from within a Christian worldview.
Textbooks
Gaarder, Jostein, Sophie’s World.
Documents at http://courses.indwes.edu/PHL180, the course website.
Course Requirements
1.
Sophie’s World and various online documents will serve as textbooks for this class. By the end of the semester, you will have Sophie’s World in its entirety. Weekly quizzes will help you process these readings.
2.
Class Participation (50 points out of 1000)
This component of your grade is “money in the bank” if you participate in the class in the most basic of ways. Attendance and attitude are the main factors in the determination of this component.
3. Weekly Quizzes (350 points)
Weekly quizzes will not only motivate you to do the reading but help you process what you have read. It is as much quizzing to learn as it is quizzing for assessment. It is possible that we will not end up taking precisely 350 points worth of quizzes. In this case, the professor will consider your quizzes as 35% of the grade and will weigh the quizzes we have taken accordingly.
4. Personal Philosophy Paper (100 points total)
The last week of class you will turn in a paper encapsulating your personal view of the world in terms of issues like epistemology, ontology, and ethics. See the guidelines at the end of the syllabus.
5. Examinations (500 points)
The course has two exams—a mid-term and a final.
Course Grade Scale
50 points—Class Participation 950-1000 A 730-769 C
100 points—Personal Philosophy Paper 900-949 A- 700-729 C-
350 points—Daily Quizzes 870-899 B+ 670-699 D+
500 points—Exams 830-869 B 600-669 D
800-829 B- 599 below F
770-799 C+
Class Attendance
In a class like this one, you are only allowed the equivalent of one unexcused absence before your grade is reduced. Unexcused absence from part of a class (e.g., the last hour) is appropriately taken into account.
Late Policy
Late assignments are dropped one-third a letter grade (e.g. A to A-) per university day late (Monday-Friday).
Office Hours
I can be found in Rm. 109 of the Christian Ministries Building roughly from 8:00-9:00 on MWF; 11:00-12:00, 1:00-3:00 on TR; and 5:15-6:15 on T. My campus number is 677-2258 and e.mail is ken.schenck@indwes.edu.