"Stump the Egghead".
A brief (5-10 minute) meeting
with the instructor during the first two weeks of class
(i.e., by Friday, Sept. 2). Bring any question you like,
and I'll answer it if I can.
For students taking
the class as PHIL 3013: three
5-page papers
(20% each).
For students taking
the class as PHIL 5193, the final paper is 10-15 pages; the
first two papers count for 15% each, and the final paper for
30%.
For students taking
the class as PHIL 6193, the final paper is 15-20 pages; the
first two papers count for 15% each, and the final paper for
30%.
Prior to turning in the final paper,
students taking the course as PHIL 5193 or 6193
have to submit
a Sneak Preview (I will explain the format in class).
This is due Dec. 5, at 4:00;
it's not itself graded, but failing to turn it in on
time will incur a one-step grade penalty on your final
paper. (That is, an A becomes an A-, an A- becomes a B+ and
so on.)
These outlines have to include
an outline of the structure of the main argument (on the model of the
weekly assignments: see below), along with subsidiary outlines schematizing
subsidiary arguments (arguments for claims made in the main argument,
responses to objections, and the like); the main outline should show
where the conclusions of the subsidiary outlines are brought to bear.
I will supply further guidelines and models in class.
Papers are due Sept. 23, Oct. 28, and Dec. 12. Final
paper now due WED. DEC 14
Papers are to be submitted by 4:00 on the due date
to my mailbox, which is located in the Philosophy Department
Office, on the 4th floor of the Tanner Humanities Building
(CTIHB).
Late paper policy: the later the paper,
the harder it will be graded. No exceptions. The final
paper must be turned in on time; late final papers
will not be graded. All work for the class must be in by
Dec. 12.
Papers are to be submitted in printed,
not electronic, form.
Papers must be accompanied by an outline of the argument
of the paper, on the model of the weekly assignments (see
below); papers without an outline will not be graded.
In-class participation. (15%) Participation is not
the same as attendance; come prepared to talk in class.
You will receive a mid-term participation grade. (Note
that this grade will reflect only your in-class discussion,
and not your overall performance in the class.)
Given
the nature of this course, attendance is required, and
adjustments cannot be granted to allow
non-attendance. However, if you need to seek an ADA
accommodation to request an exception to this attendance
policy due to a disability, please contact the Center for
Disability and Access (CDA). CDA will work with us to
determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable
and appropriate.
Weekly Assignments. (15%)
OK, this bit is a little complicated, but please bear with me.
These assignments consist of an outline of an argument in the
readings. I will suggest passages (they will be posted on the
web page, under "Weekly Assignments", each Monday), but you are free to outline
an argument of your own choice instead.
(However, to keep things fair, you can't do a suggested
passage from a previous week, or a passage that was covered in class.)
I will provide models and a more detailed description of what
these outlines look like on the first day of class.
The weekly assignments are
due Mondays at 8:45 a.m., sharp,
and may be submitted either to my mailbox (located in the Philosophy
Department Office), or by
email (ascii text only in the message buffer, please;
no Word files or other
attachments).
Late weekly assignments will not be accepted.
Due to aggressive spam filters, if you submit your weekly assignments by email, you have to send them to
both of my email addresses, and retain a timestamped copy in your "Sent" box.
You
need to turn in ten of these; which weeks you skip is up to you;
however, you may not turn in more than one per week.
You can turn in 11 if you want, and if you do, I'll drop the
lowest grade.
Classroom etiquette:
Please be on time. This is a courtesy to your fellow students;
allow plenty of time to get to campus or from your previous classes.
No phone, no laptops, no tablets, no e-book
readers, and briefly, no electronic devices. These must
be put away during class. If you take a call or text during class,
you will be asked to leave.
(Since you have to have the week's reading available in class, this
means that you have to own print copies of the required textbooks.
E-books won't work in this class.)
No audio recording.
No food. Beverages are okay.
It should go without saying, but I'm actually
required, by the College of Humanities, to say it
anyway: be civil and courteous to your fellow
students.
(Some of my fellow teachers distribute lengthy
handouts detailing what that entails. In this
class, you're expected to be adults, and so you
know what that entails. But if you have any
questions about it, I can refer you to one of those
documents.)