PHI 111 -113

Introduction to Philosophy
Fridays 9:00 am to 11:40 pm
Fall 2016
Classroom 209

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Instructor Name

Office and Hours: I I can meet with you before or after class in either our
classroom or in an Adjunct Office
Email: Nathanial.Bork@CCAurora.edu
Best way to contact me: D2L

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THIS CLASS

Philosophy is the art of making and breaking arguments, with truth as the ultimate
goal. Well use critical thinking to help develop your ability to break down complex
thoughts and arguments into smaller, more manageable pieces, as well as how to
construct complex thoughts and arguments incorporating a wide range of ideas and
beliefs.
Specifically, we will explore the nature of right and wrong (Ethics); the nature of reality
and the search for human meaning (Metaphysics); the question as to whether or not a
Divine Being exists and an exploration of various religious and approaches to the basic
questions of religion (Philosophy of Religion); the nature of truth and knowledge
(Epistemology); and the questions regarding self-governance and justice within a
society (Social and Political Philosophy).
We will read about various famous Philosophers and non-authored philosophies from a
variety of backgrounds and cultures, delve into their thoughts and arguments, and
practice arguing philosophically with each other both in class and online.

Section I:

COURSE INFORMATION

General Information

Course and Section Number: PHI 111-113

Day(s): Fridays
Times: 9:00 pm to 11:40 pm
Room: Classroom 209

Course Description

Introduces significant human questions and emphasizes

understanding the meaning and methods of philosophy.
Includes human condition, knowledge, freedom, history, ethics,
the future, and religion. This course is one of the Statewide
Guaranteed Transfer courses. GT-AH3

PHI 111 -113

Introduction to Philosophy
Fridays 9:00 am to 11:40 pm
Fall 2016
Classroom 209

Important Dates

Date Course Begins: August 26, 2016

Date Course Ends: December 9, 2016
Last Date to Drop With a Refund: September 6, 2016
Last Date to Withdraw (W Grade, No Refund): November 17, 2016
Days where class does not meet: No anticipated dates.

Course
Prerequisite(s)

Successful completion of CCR 092 (grade C or higher) or

equivalent assessment scores.

Course Materials

Textbook: Philosophy, 12e. California: Thomson-Wadsworth,

2008.
Author: Velasquez, Manuel.
ISBN: ISBN-13: 978-1133612100
D2L: This course has a companion site called Desire2Learn. On
this site, you will find the course syllabus, grades, attendance
records, and additional course handouts. I will show you how to
access it on the first day of class.

Section II: COURSE OUTLINE AND

STUDENT OUTCOMES
I.

Identify and distinguish the major

questions in philosophy.
II. Identify and distinguish some of the
major schools of philosophy.
III. Demonstrate an understanding of the
methods of philosophical thinking.
IV. Critically evaluate primary philosophical
sources.
V. Communicate philosophical questions
and positions to others.
VI. Read, analyze and apply written material
to new situations.
VII. Write and speak clearly and logically in
presentations and essays.
VIII. Demonstrate the ability to select and
apply contemporary forms of
technology to solve problems or
compile information.

Standard Competencies

PHI 111 -113

Introduction to Philosophy
Fridays 9:00 am to 11:40 pm
Fall 2016
Classroom 209

COLORADO COMMUNITY COLLEGE

SYSTEM COURSE
REQUIREMENTS
Topical Outline

As part of the Colorado Community College System, the

Community College of Aurora is required to cover the
competencies according to system policy. The competencies
listed below will not exactly match with the schedule or
textbook for this particular course.
I.

The Meaning and Values of Philosophy

A.
Definitions of Philosophy
B.
Methods of Philosophy
C.
Applications of Philosophy
II.
Knowledge (Epistemology)
A.
The Meaning of Knowledge
B.
Sources of Knowledge
C.
Verification of Knowledge
III. Philosophy and the Nature of Reality
A.
Religion
B.
Cosmology (Philosophy of Science)
C.
Mind-Body Relationship
IV.

Topical Outline continued

V.

Instructional Goals

Ethics and the Human Condition

A.
Normative Justification
B.
Freedom
C.
Aesthetics
Philosophy and Society
A.
Politics
B.
History

The Instructional Unit has identified the following

lifelong/workplace skills that are the foundation for your course
of study at CCA: Communication, Critical Inquiry,
Intra/Interpersonal Responsibility, Quantitative Reasoning,
Technology, and Aesthetic Perception. Of these skills, this
course will focus on: Communication, Critical Inquiry, and
Technology.
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PHI 111 -113

Introduction to Philosophy
Fridays 9:00 am to 11:40 pm
Fall 2016
Classroom 209

General Learning
Outcomes of the
Community College of
Aurora

Successful students will have shown through in-class exercises

and specific course assignments the ability to pursue and retain
knowledge, comprehend the various significant levels of
acquired knowledge (analyzing and identifying their various
components), evaluate the significance of the knowledge,
synthesize ideas from multiple sources, and apply what is
learned to work and life situations.

Section III: EVAUATION

PROCEDURES

Overall Strategies

Timely completion of assignments, prompt attendance,

participation in class activities and discussions, and the tested
ability to apply learned knowledge to common-life experiences
will weigh toward the grade.

COURSE POLICIES
Students who make it to every class on time or only miss class
for an excused reason will receive full credit. An absence may
be excused ahead of time in the case of planned events that
require you to miss class, or excused afterwards in the case of
an emergency.
Attendance

A good rule of thumb on whether or not an absence should

count as excused would be to think of yourself as a manager or
business owner and to ask yourself if you would accept that
reason as legitimate were one of your employees to tell you the
same.
Each unexcused absence will count as 3% of the final course
grade.

PHI 111 -113

Introduction to Philosophy
Fridays 9:00 am to 11:40 pm
Fall 2016
Classroom 209

Conduct

Students will be exposed to challenging ideas and should

behave like mature, responsible adults. Students are
encouraged to challenge the ideas and beliefs we'll cover during
the course, so it is imperative that we treat each other as
human beings in a respectful and professional manner, whether
or not we agree or see eye to eye.

Make-Up Work /
Extra Credit

I do not accept late work unless the cause was related to an

excused absence. If you know you'll be missing a certain class,
tell me and we'll set up appropriate due dates given your needs.
If you miss a class due to an emergency, contact me when
you're able and we'll find new due dates if appropriate.

Grading / Evaluation

1. Overall Attitude and Attendance (5% of Final Grade) Over

the course of the semester students will be expected to
arrive to class on time and meaningfully participate in both
discussions and small group work. Attendance and
punctuality will also be recorded, with 3 points subtracted
from the final grade for each unexcused absence.
2. Tests--(40% of Final Grade) There will be a Midterm
covering the first 2 segments (16 %), and a Final covering
the last 3 segments (24%). Students may use a 8x11
sheet of paper, front and back, for notes for these exams.
These will be short essay questions (2-3 paragraphs), and all
possible test questions will be given out 1 week in advance of
the exam.

PHI 111 -113

Introduction to Philosophy
Fridays 9:00 am to 11:40 pm
Fall 2016
Classroom 209

3. Writing Assignment. (40% of Final Grade)

We will spend 3 class periods on working together to write a
single 6-8 page paper, which will be approximately 3000
words in length. In order to help you write this paper, we will
work together to help you explain the issue and use
information to describe a problem or issue and/or articulate a
question related to the topic; to help you utilize context to
evaluate the relevance of context when presenting a
position, identify assumptions, and analyze one's own and
others' assumptions; and to understand implications and
make conclusions to establish a conclusion that is tied to the
range of information presented and to reflect on the
implications and consequences of a stated conclusion.
Good thesis statements: The arguments for Gods
existence are better than the arguments against Gods
existence (or vice versa), Empiricism provides a better
foundation for knowledge than Rationalism (or vice
versa), Utilitarianism is a better ethical theory than
Kants Categorical Imperative (or vice versa), etc.

How Writing
Assignment will be
Assessed

The paper will be written using the Chicago writing style.

The paper will be graded via a rubric which will be provided on
D2L. 40% of the grade will be based on Cogency of Argument,
40% will be based on Theoretical Knowledge, and 20% will be
bsaed on Clarity and Presentation.
4. Reading Quizzes (10% of Final Grade) - There will be
periodic quizzes in order for the students to demonstrate that
they have been keeping up with the reading. They will be
given as deemed necessary by Instructor.
5. Presentation (5% of Final Grade) - Each student will take
one section/author (assigned after drop date) and prepare a
5 to 10 minute presentation on the day we cover that
section.

PHI 111 -113

Introduction to Philosophy
Fridays 9:00 am to 11:40 pm
Fall 2016
Classroom 209

Grade Points

Each student's grade will be determined from the following

scale:
Grade Points
A
B
C
D
F

100-90 points
89-80
79-70
69-60
59-0

HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS

CLASS
Preparation,
Expectations, and
Success in the
Classroom
Environment

You should do the reading ahead of class, and come in with both
a basic understanding of what you read and a list of questions
covering what you dont understand. You should turn your
electronic devices off so that you are not tempted to let yourself
be distracted during class time.

What to Expect During Discussions, back and forth questioning, small group works,
informal debates, etc.
Class
What to Do After
Class

Students are encourage to explore the web to further their own

understanding of any class topics which interest them. I can
also recommend readings upon request.

How You Can Use D2L

The Discussion Board will be on D2L, as well as the Dropbox,

Syllabus, and all other relevant information.

What to Do if You
Miss Class

If you know youre going to miss class ahead of time (business

trip, family vacation, etc.), let me know ahead of time and well
find something that works. If youre going to miss due to an
unforeseen event, let me know as soon as possible and well
work something out.

PHI 111 -113

Introduction to Philosophy
Fridays 9:00 am to 11:40 pm
Fall 2016
Classroom 209

Where You Can Get

Help Outside Class

How I can help you: Contact me via D2L and well work
together to find a way to get you the help you need based on
your needs.
How you can help yourself: Do the reading until you have a
basic grasp of the material, write down any questions you have
after youve done so, and bring those questions to class. Odds
are that if something isnt clear to you, then it isnt clear to your
classmates either.
How your classmates can help you:
Exchange contact information
Set up study groups
Spend time working together in the tutoring lab

PHI 111 -113

Introduction to Philosophy
Fridays 9:00 am to 11:40 pm
Fall 2016
Classroom 209

SECTION IV: TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE

Date

08/26/16

Topics, Concepts, and Pages to be read before class

Syllabus, The Nature of Philosophy, the history of
Philosophy, and Plato and Socrates. 4-8, 19-31
(to be read in class). Small group discussions.
We will be discussing Philosophy from Greece,
the Middle East, and Africa.
Ethics. Please read the following pages before
class: 456-474. Relativism, Egoism, Rule and Act
Utilitarianism.
We will be discussing Philosophy from Africa,
Native Americans, Judaism, and Europe.

09/02/16
Paper Writing Scaffolding Day 1.
Our goal will be to work together such that
everyone has a chosen a topic and an
appropriate thesis statement. We will spend the
second half of class on this project.

What is Due

PHI 111 -113

Introduction to Philosophy
Fridays 9:00 am to 11:40 pm
Fall 2016
Classroom 209

Ethics. Please read the following pages before

class: 526-535. Mary Wollstonecraft, Nietzsche.
Small group discussions on an ethical dilemma.
We will be discussing Philosophy from women
Philosophers and Europe.

09/09/16

Paper Writing Scaffolding Day 2. Our goal will be

to create an Essay Outline for the paper. I will
help you make a list of reasons why your
audience should accept your thesis statement,
and a list of challenges that a potential opponent
might bring up against your thesis statement.

Thesis Statement. 5%
of the Writing
Assignment Grade.

We will also initiate Student Success Plan Interventions

for those students who are struggling.
Ethics. Please read the following pages before
class: 474-508. Divine Command Theory, Natural
Law Theory, Kants Deontology, Aristotle's Virtue
Ethics, Feminist Ethics, Carol Gilligan, Nel
Noddings, St. Augustine. Small group discussions
on a different ethical dilemma
09/16/16

We will be discussing Philosophy from Judaism,

Christianity, Islam, Africa, Germany, India, China,
Tibet, Japan, South East Asia, women
Philosophers, and Europe.
Paper Scaffolding Writing Day 3. We will work
together in groups to review and go over my
feedback on your Thesis Statement and Essay
Outline to prepare you for writing the Rough
Draft.

10

Essay Outline. 10% of

the Writing Assignment
Grade

PHI 111 -113

Introduction to Philosophy
Fridays 9:00 am to 11:40 pm
Fall 2016
Classroom 209

09/23/16

09/30/16

10/07/16

10/14/16

10/21/16

Metaphysics. Please read the following pages

before class: 148-160, 163-174, 178-186
Materialism, Charvaka Idealism, Dualism,
Pragmatism; Logical Positivism, Anti-Realism.
We will be discussing Philosophy from India,
Europe, African Americans, India, China, Japan,
South Asia, Judaism, and women Philosophers
Metaphysics. Please read the following pages
before class: 187-219, Phenomenology and
Existentialism, Reality of Freedom and Time.
Class team debate on whether or not we have
free will. Class Review for Midterm. Study Guide
for the midterm will be put up on D2L.
We will be discussing Philosophy from Europe,
Christianity, Atheism, and women Philosophers.
MIDTERM
Paper Writing Scaffolding Day 3. Students will
work in groups with other students writing on
similar topics, debate in said groups, and do
research and writing together such that they are
roughly 2/3 of the way through the writing of the
major assignment.
Philosophy of Religion. Please read the following
pages before class: 241-267 Ontological,
Cosmological, and Teleological (from design)
arguments for Gods existence, Atheism, The
Problem of Evil, St. Augustine, Neil Degrasse
Tyson
We will be discussing Philosophy from Africa,
Europe, Christianity, and African-Americans

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Rough draft due. At

this point the paper
should be 4-6 pages
long, (approximately
2000 words), and each
section should be
roughly 2/3 developed
to what the final paper
will be. This will count
for 35% of the Writing
Assignment grade

PHI 111 -113

Introduction to Philosophy
Fridays 9:00 am to 11:40 pm
Fall 2016
Classroom 209

10/28/16

11/04/16

11/11/16

Philosophy of Religion. Please read the following

pages before class: 267-289 Kant and Freuds
theories on belief, The Will to Believe, Numinous
Experience, Kierkegaard, Tillich, Feminist
Theology, Mary Daly, Pamela Dickey Young.
Group discussion on the possible existence and
nature of the Divine.
We will be discussing Philosophy Christianity,
Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Europe,
India, China, South East AsiaAfrica, South and
Central America, and North America, and women
Philosophers
Epistemology. Please read the following pages
before class: 314-343 Problems in Epistemology.
Jainist Philosophy, A priori knowledge, Cartesian
Doubt, Innate Ideas, Leibniz, A posteriori
knowledge, Empiricism, Primary Vs. Secondary
Qualities, Berkeleys Subjectivism
We will be discussing Philosophy from women
Philosophers, Europe, India, Hinduism, Jainism,
and Christianity.
Epistemology. Please read the following pages
before class: 343-361 Humes Skepticism,
Humes Fork, Causality as habit, Kants response
to Humes challenge, Synthetic A priori
knowledge. Class discussion on the relationship
between the mind and reality.
We will be discussing just Hume and Freud, but
for the discussion well be doing Philosophy from
European, Asian, African, and South American
sources.

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PHI 111 -113

Introduction to Philosophy
Fridays 9:00 am to 11:40 pm
Fall 2016
Classroom 209

11/18/16

11/25/16

12/02/16

12/09/16

Paper Writing Scaffolding Day 4. Students will

bring in a near-finalized paper between 27003000 words long. Students will work in groups to
help each other with grammar and spelling,
cogency of arguments, and to point out any
areas of improvement that exist in each other's
papers.
For the second half of the class we shall watch a
film with a heavy Philosophical theme trying
everything we've learned together.
No class. Thanksgiving Break.
Social and Political Philosophy 538-557
Justification, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Rawls,
Communitarianism, Social Contract and women,
public and private spheres, Susan Okin. The
study guide for the Final will be posted on D2L.
We will be discussing Philosophy from African
Americans, Europe, North America, Central and
South America, Russia, Asia, and women
Philosophers
FINAL

13

Final paper due.

Students will submit
their final copy, and
this final copy shall
count for 50% of the
Writing Assignment
grade.

PHI 111 -113

Introduction to Philosophy
Fridays 9:00 am to 11:40 pm
Fall 2016
Classroom 209

SECTION V: COLLEGE WIDE

POLICIES
Academic
Dishonesty
Policy

INSTRUCTIONAL POLICY ON ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:

Academic dishonesty includes cheating and plagiarism. Cheating is
the unauthorized use of assistance with intent to deceive an
instructor or any other individual responsible for evaluating a
students work. Note the following examples:
Submission of any materials not prepared by students but
presented as their own.
The unauthorized possession and/or use of notes, books,
calculators/ cell phones or the soliciting of assistance from
another student during an examination.
Illegitimate possession or disposition of examination or test
materials and/or answer keys to tests and examinations.
Plagiarism refers to the use of another persons work without giving
proper credit to that person. A student must give proper credit
through the use of appropriate citation format when (a) copying
verbatim another persons work
(i.e., words, phrases, sentences, or entire passages); (b)
paraphrasing another persons work (i.e., borrowing but rewording
that persons facts,

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PHI 111 -113

Introduction to Philosophy
Fridays 9:00 am to 11:40 pm
Fall 2016
Classroom 209

Academic
Dishonesty
Policy - continued

opinions, or ideas); and (c) summarizing anothers work (i.e., use of

ones own words to condense longer passages into a sentence or
two).
CONSEQUENCES OF ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:
When dishonesty is evident, the following minimum sanctions will be
applied:
First offense: The student will receive an F or Zero as the
grade for the assignment. In addition, the first incident may
result in the loss of testing privileges in the Learning Resource
Center for the current and next semester in which the student
is enrolled in the college.
Second offense: The student may receive an F for the course
and may be expelled from the class. A second offense may
also result in permanent loss of testing privileges in the
Learning Resource Center.
Third offense: The student may receive an F for the course
and may be expelled from the college.

Academic
Learning Center

CCA provides free tutoring services in specific areas of learning. Math, ESL,
and Basic Computer Skills assistance is available Monday through Saturday,
on a walk-in basis no appointment needed. Hours vary from semester to
semester. Current tutoring schedules can be accessed under the Tutoring
Services link in the Academic Support channel of MyCCA.
Writing Studio offers composition assistance and is available by
appointment only. Schedule a visit either online (Academic Support
channel of MyCCA), by phone, or in person at one of the Academic Learning
Center locations.
The Academic Learning Center at CentreTech (303-360-4742) is located in
the Classroom building, room 109.
The Academic Learning Center at Lowry (303-340-7247) is located in
The West Quad building, room 106

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PHI 111 -113

Introduction to Philosophy
Fridays 9:00 am to 11:40 pm
Fall 2016
Classroom 209

Accommodations

CCA will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified students with disabilities

on a case-by-case basis. To request an accommodation, complete the Needs
Assessment and provide documentation of disability. Online forms are available at
https://www.ccaurora.edu/disability. If you need assistance completing the forms, or
would like to meet with a staff member, please contact the Office of Disability and
Equity (ODE) for an appointment. The ODE is located in the Learning Resource
Center (LRC) in the Student Centre building at the CentreTech campus, in Room S202A. Arrangements may also be made at the Lowry Campus. You may contact the
ODE at 303.340.7548 Voice, 303.340.7551 FAX, or e-mail: ODE@CCAurora.edu.

Site Emergency

Information on how to respond during an emergency at CCA and an

evacuation map are posted in each classroom. Please review this
information. During an emergency or when an emergency alarm
sounds, uniformed security officers or safety wardens will
provide instructions which must be followed.

E-Mail

All students enrolled in the Community College of Aurora are

assigned a college email account, and this email account is the
colleges primary means of communication with students. To
activate your e-mail account, go to www.CCAurora.edu and access
your account. To activate your account, login with your date of birth
spelled out (no punctuation or spaces) as your password (ex: If your
date of birth is February 14, 1992, your initial password is
February141992).

Audio / Video
Recording

Except where a student is entitled to make an audio or video

recording of class lectures and discussions as an educational
accommodation determined through the student's interactive
process with college disability services, a student may not record
lectures or classroom discussions unless written permission from the
class instructor has been obtained and all students in the class as
well as guest speakers have been informed that audio/video
recording may occur.
A student granted permission to record may use the recording only
for his or her own study and may not publish or post the recording
on YouTube or any other medium or venue without the instructor's
explicit written authorization.
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PHI 111 -113

Introduction to Philosophy
Fridays 9:00 am to 11:40 pm
Fall 2016
Classroom 209

Notice of NonDiscrimination

The Community College of Aurora (CCA) prohibits all forms of

discrimination and harassment including those that violate federal
and state law, or the State Board for Community Colleges and
Occupational Education Board Policies 3-120 and 4-120. The College
does not discriminate on the basis of sex/gender, race, color, age,
creed, national or ethnic origin, physical or mental disability, veteran
status, pregnancy status, religion, genetic information, gender
identity, or sexual orientation in its employment practices or
educational programs and activities. The Community College of
Aurora (CCA) will take appropriate steps to ensure that the lack of
English language skills will not be a barrier to admission and
participation in vocational education programs.

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