Phi 2010 syllabus

alfredo triff, ph.d.

room 3604-28 (Building #3, 6th floor)
tel. 305.237.7554
email: atriff@mdc.edu (math buff,  student-shrink, parodist, cook, music lover, design lecturer, cigar smoker, cat lover, part-time hedonist)
office hours: posted

text: Philosophy Here and Now, by  Lewis Vaughn (Third Edition).

goals
* become familiar with contemporary trends in philosophy. *learning how to problematize issues. basically philosophy seeks truth and honesty. the issues are pursued regardless of PC assumptions. *stimulate the philosophical spirit (curiosity & perseverance), *ethics of dialogue, which is the art of conveying your point & finally, * philosophy for life, which is Sophia's advice to the neophyte.

evaluation

1. grades "A," "B" and "C" stand for outstanding, good and average respectively. "D" is below average. "F" means not enough work to justify credit for the course.

2. we have 4 exams and a paper. all exams are worth the same. the final paper is about 15 pts of the final grade, punctuality and participation the remaining points.

the breakdown is a qualitative approximation (my grades are generally curved).

3. attendance is mandatory. 3 non-excused absences are permitted. each absence thereafter will lower the participation grade by a 1/3 of a grade. missing exams must be justified by a doctor’s note or the equivalent. under no circumstances a student will take two exams in my office!

4. homeworks are important but they are your duty. the routine is that we start each class with a HW-review. 

schedule of classes

Chapter 1: Philosophical and You

Chapter 7: Epistemology

Exam #1

Chapter 4: Mind and the Body

Chapter 5: Free Will and Determinism

Midterm Exam

Chapter 3: The Moral Life

 
Chapter 8: The Just Society

Exam #3

Chapter 7: Aesthetics

Chapter 2: God and Religion

Final Exam

i reserve the right to make changes in the order or chapters, provided i let you know in advance.

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missing tests: if a student has valid reasons for missing an exam, i will grant a makeup (with proper justification). once justification is provided, the student may take the exam in my office. however, there is only one such opportunity. a student will not be allowed to take two exams in my office (or else they forfeit the result of the second test taken for a "C").