All courses will be meeting in an online format starting the week of March 23. Check the main page and your email for details. Philosophy 205: Critical Thinking and Writing in Philosophy/Honors Spring 2020 CRN 22455 MW 9:35-11:00 Location: SB-212 Instructor Information Dr. Ian M. Duckles Course Description: This critical thinking and writing seminar in Philosophy is designed to enhance the student's critical thinking, writing, and research skills in preparation for upper division academic activity. Issues addressed in this class may involve various areas of human experience and aspiration: metaphysical, cosmological, scientific, political, ethical, aesthetic, and religious. Together with the application of basic principles of deduction and induction, special attention is given to identifying and avoiding fallacies in reasoning, and to techniques and aids to research, reasoning, and writing. This course is designed for students who want to hone their writing and critical thinking skills in Philosophy. Course Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course the student will be able to:
Course Learning Outcomes:
Requisites and Advisories: Prerequisite: ENGL 101 with a grade of "C" or better, or equivalent or Assessment Skill Level R6/W6. Honors: This is an Honors course, so there will be greater expectations from you as a student than in a regular course. In particular, you will be asked to research and present course material to the class. In addition, you will help edit and grade the final research paper for your peers. Finally, you will be expected to attend lectures and events outside of the course and report back on them to me. Texts: This course has two required texts. These texts should be brought to class every day. They are: Bioethics: Principles, Issues, and Cases. Lewis Vaughn, ed. Oxford, 2017 Writing Philosophy. Lewis Vaughn, Oxford, 2006. Schedule: This schedule is subject to change. Changes will be announced in class and online on this website. Students should check the course website (this one) regularly. All Reading assignments come from the texts above. The syllabus will be updated as the course progresses and student groups select the topics and issues they will present to the class. The syllabus uses the following abbreviations:
Week 1 Monday, February 3: Introduction Wednesday, February 5: Reading Philosophy (WP Chapter 1) Week 2 February 10: Arguments and Fallacies (WP Chapters 2 and 5) Homework Due: Read and Summarize James Rachels' essay "Active and Passive Euthanasia" (B pp. 678-681). February 12: Arguments and Fallacies Continued Homework Due: Find examples of the following types of arguments. Each argument should consist of two premises and a conclusion: (1) a valid, sound argument; (2) a valid, not sound argument; (3) an invalid argument; (4) a strong, cogent argument; (5) a strong, not cogent argument; (6) a weak argument. Week 3 February 17: NO CLASS!! PRESIDENT'S DAY February 19: Arguments and Fallacies Continued Homework Due: Pick one of the arguments in Rachels' essay. Reconstruct/paraphrase that argument. Identify the type of argument, and evaluate its strength or validity and its cogency or soundness. Week 4 February 24: Fallacies Continued Homework Due: Find Examples of five of the fallacies we discussed in class today. February 26: Review for Exam Homework Due: Find Examples of five of the fallacies we discussed in class today. Week 5 March 2: Exam 1 March 4: Plagiarism and Proper Citations Continued Homework Due: First Short Paper Due; Identify your group and the topic on which your group will lead a class discussion. Week 6 March 9: Writing Papers and Defending a Thesis in an Argumentative Essay (WP Chapters 3 and 4) March 11: Introduction to Ethical Theories and Bioethics (B Chapter 1) Homework Due: Pick an op/ed for Essay #2, and bring a copy to class. Also, create a footnote and a bibliographic entry for that op/ed in CMS format. Week 7 March 16: CLASS CANCELLED March 18: CLASS CANCELLED Week 8 March 23: Ethical Theories and Bioethics Continued Homework Due: Email me a copy of your thesis for Short Essay #2. March 25: Introduction to Ethical Theories and Bioethics Continued (B Chapter 2) Homework Due: Second Short Paper Due Week 9: SPRING BREAK March 30: NO CLASS!! SPRING BREAK!! April 1: NO CLASS!! SPRING BREAK!! Week 10 April 6: Ethical Theories and Bioethics Continued April 8: Ethical Theories and Bioethics Continued Homework Due: Email me a copy of your thesis for Short Essay #3 Week 11 April 13: Abortion (Chapter 7) April 15: Peer Editing Homework Due: Prepare a draft of Essay #3 for peer editing. You should bring an editable electronic version that you are able to share with your peers to get feedback on your essay. You should also email me a copy of that electronic version so that I can provide you with feedback. Week 12 April 20: Abortion Continued (Roe v Wade pp. 397-402) April 22: Abortion Continued ("A Defense of Abortion" pp. 326-336) Homework Due: Third Short Paper Due; Pick a topic for Essay #4 Week 13 April 27: Abortion Continued ("Why Abortion is Immoral" pp. 336-348) April 29: In-Class Peer Editing Homework Due: Prepare a draft of Essay #4 for peer editing. You should bring an editable electronic version that you are able to share with your peers to get feedback on your essay. You should also email me a copy of that electronic version so that I can provide you with feedback. Week 14 May 4: Open Class time to work on Essay 4 (Professor available at regular Zoom link) May 6: Open Class time to work on Essay 4 (Professor available at regular Zoom link) Homework Due: Fourth Short Paper Due Week 15 May 11: The Organ Trade May 13: The Organ Trade Continued Week 16 May 18: The Organ Trade Continued May 20: Class Period to discuss Response Papers Homework Due: Response Papers Due Week 17 May 25: Open Class time to work on Final Essay (Professor available at regular Zoom link) May 27: Open Class time to work on Final Essay (Professor available at regular Zoom link) Week 18 June 1: Paper Due Homework Due: Final Research Paper Due STUDENT EVALUATION: Assignments: Your grade in the course will be based on your performance on the following assignments:
Grade Scale: ≥ 900 = A ≥ 800 = B ≥ 700 = C ≥ 600 = D < 600 = F ACADEMIC POLICIES: Student Responsibility to Drop/Withdraw: It is the student’s responsibility to drop all classes in which he/she is no longer attending. It is the instructor’s discretion to withdraw a student after the add/drop deadline (February 18) due to excessive absences. Students who remain enrolled in a class beyond the published withdrawal deadline (May 8 This is the extended withdrawal date for an Excused Withdrawal) will receive an evaluative letter grade in the class. Attendance: During the first two weeks of class, students will be dropped for any absence. Starting during the third week, students may be dropped for missing two classes. In addition, students who arrive unreasonably late or leave unreasonably early will be marked absent. Professionalism: It is assumed that students will conduct themselves in a professional manner with a positive attitude. An open mind is one of the most important tools required for success in academia. If a student is negative and feels as is there is nothing of value to be gained by the college experience or this course, he or she will not do well in this course. Academic Integrity and Conduct: Mesa College students are bound by the Student Code of Conduct, Policy 3100. In this course, cheating, plagiarism, disruptions of instructional activity, fraud and/or lying will result in, at a minimum, a grade of “F” for the assignment/test with no make up permitted. Any of these infractions may result in formal disciplinary action by the Dean of Student Affairs as described in the code (as published in the catalog or online). Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Students with disabilities who may need academic accommodations should discuss options with their professors during the first two weeks of class. You should also contact DSPS. DSPS can be found at http://www.sdmesa.edu/dsps/ or they can be contacted by phone at 619-388-2780. TIPS FOR SUCCESS IN THIS COURSE (Thanks to Professor June Yang):
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