Fall 1995; Dr. Stephen H. Daniel
Introduction to Philosophy is intended to develop problem-solving abilities through the study of the ways of reasoning used in discussing philosophic issues. This semester the course covers questions such as what it means to know something, what kinds of beings we are, the nature of religious and ethical beliefs, social and political obligation, and the nature of art.
Text: Does the Center Hold? An Introduction to Western Philosophy by Donald Palmer. Pages listed below should be read prior to each class meeting for purposes of discussion.
Office Phone: 845-5619
Grades/Tests: The final grade is based on the three tests of the course; the final comprehensive exam is optional. Each test is of equal weight. Information on the format of the tests and on the group component of the test is given below. If a student has to miss a test, he or she should contact the instructor to set a time to take the test before the next class meeting. Class attendance/participation do affect what grades you get.
Test Formats There are three objective-format (true-false, multiple choice) tests in this course. Each test will have two components: the individual part and the group part. In the individual part (worth 60% of the test grade), students will answer a set of questions by themselves, and those answers will then be turned in after approximately 30 minutes. In the group part of the test, students in groups of five or six will have the remainder of the class period to answer a new set of questions as a group; this part is worth 40% of the test. Individuals will be graded based on the answers decided on by the group, unless someone in the group objects to a particular answer. In that case, the individual can submit a short written remark indicating his or her alternative to the group's answer, with an explanation of why that answer should be preferred. If a student submits an individual answer, his/her grade will be adjusted accordingly.
The final exam is comprehensive (covers the material from the entire semester) and optional. It will be an entirely individual affair, since there is no guarantee that all members of a student's group will take the final. The final counts for 1= times the weight of the other tests. If a student is satisfied with his or her grade after the third test, then he or she does not have to take the final. If, on the other hand, a student is willing to do the extra work necessary for doing well on the final, the rewards can be substantial. For example, suppose a student has earned scores of 70 on the three tests (thus a C for the course). He or she then decides to go for it on the final and gets an 80. Since the 80 is worth 1 1/2 times the other tests, the calculation for the student's grade would be: 70+70+70+120=320 / 4 = 80 (a B for the course). Or suppose a student made a 68, 78, and 82 (average: 76--C for the course) and then got a 84 on the final. By making that extra effort at the end of the semester, the person would then have the following: 68+78+82 +126=354 / 4 = 88.5 (which, from my perspective is close enough for an A). [My general rule of thumb is that if a person makes an effort and gets within a point or a point and a half of a letter grade, that is good enough.] So such a person would have gotten a D, a C, and a low B on the tests and a mid-B for the final, only to end up with an A for the course! Makes you think about taking the final, doesn't it?
Membership in the study/test groups will be designated on Thursday of the second week of class so that group members can begin studying with one another in preparation for the first test. By that time students should also have decided where they want to sit in the class. A seating chart will be made from those decisions so that I can learn everyone's name.
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