Professor David A. Salomon
Black Hills State University
Fall 2003
Office: MH 316
Office Hrs: MTWF 11-12, and by appointment
Office Phone: 642-6249
E-mail: davidsalomon@bhsu.edu

This course is designed to give you an overview of the history of western philosophical thought. Although we may occasionally allude to eastern philosophy, our focus is western philosophy as it developed from the Greeks through the early Christians, into the Middle Ages, and, finally, in our own contemporary world. As such, the course is a vigorous baptism in philosophical ideas and will require students to engage themselves both in the reading and in class discussion. Philosophy is about ideas and expressing opinions and defending them.

Over the course of the semester we will consider some of the major questions in philosophy:

1) What is "the good life"?
2) What is happiness, and how can we achieve it?
3) What are the basic concepts of good and evil, and how are they present in the world? Why does evil exist?
4) What is the soul?
5) What is beauty?
6) Can there be an absolute right?
7) Is there a God?
8) Should you hold the door open for a stranger whose hands are full?

Philosophy may at first seem to be far removed from your everyday life. The course text, however, attempts to show that philosophy is ingrained in our existence and is an integral part of our thinking, regardless of whether we realize it or not. We will progress through the course guided by several central ideas. After considering the idea in general–through examination of a current critical article and class discussion–we will look at several primary texts related to that idea. The history of philosophy is rich with texts and ideas; we will survey the major points in this course.

The reading assignments are usually not long but are often challenging. Read everything at least twice, once before class and once after class.

Course Requirements:

Class Participation
Two short (4-6 page) papers; topics to be discussed.
Midterm Examination
Final Examination

Attendance: Students are expected to attend class regularly. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class meeting. If you miss more than two class meetings, you will fail the course. Lateness will have a similar effect. If you are sick or have an emergency which forces you to miss more than two consecutive classes, call the Office of Student Affairs and let them know. This way, they will contact all of your instructors, and you might not be held accountable for those absences. Don't disappear for two weeks and then reappear, expecting everything to be all right.

N.B. Papers must be handed in on time. Papers handed in late will receive a one grade deduction for each class/meeting it is late. If deadlines weren’t important, they wouldn’t begin with "dead."

Academic Honesty: Plagiarism is the theft of someone else's ideas and work. Whether a student copies verbatim or simply rephrases the ideas of another without properly acknowledging the source, the theft is the same. In the preparation of work submitted to meet course requirements, whether a draft or a final version of a paper, project, or computer program, students must take great care to distinguish their own ideas and language from information derived from sources. Sources include published primary and secondary materials, the Internet, and information and opinions gained directly from other people. Whenever ideas or facts are derived from a student's reading and research, the sources must be properly cited.

It is the student's responsibility to learn the proper forms of citation according to standards delineated by Black Hills State University. Students who have questions about the standards of scholarly writing should speak with their instructors before beginning research on assigned papers and projects. Violations include, at the discretion of the instructor, failure for the individual paper to failure for the course; such violations may be entered in the student’s permanent academic record, and upon multiple offenses the Dean may recommend expulsion from the University. If you are unclear about the meaning of plagiarism, see the instructor. Technical matters (of documentation and format) can be resolved by consultation of Thinking and Writing About Philosophy. The instructor will use the University’s subscription to turnitin.com.

Texts: All are available at the BHSU Bookstore in the basement of the Student Union.

Required: Philosophy Then and Now. Ed. N. Scott Arnold, Theodore M. Benditt, and George Graham. Blackwell.
Required: Jean Baudrillard, Simulations. SemioTexte/MIT.
Strongly Suggested: Hugo Bedau, Thinking and Writing About Philosophy. Bedford. (A copy is also on reserve.)

Special Accommodation: Reasonable accommodations, as arranged with the disabilities coordinator, will be provided for students with documented disabilities. Please contact the BHSU Disabilities Services Coordinator at 642-6099.

Getting in touch: You can always reach me by e-mail. I check it several times a day. My e-mail address is davidsalomon@bhsu.edu. Please do not abuse e-mail with excuses ("I won’t be in class today"), but do use e-mail for questions and advice.

The World Wide Web (WWW) address for this class is http://www.bhsu.edu/artssciences/asfaculty/dsalomon/phil100/fall2003/

At this site you will find helpful links for materials we will cover in the course, as well as a copy of this syllabus. It will be updated occasionally.

Grading Guidelines: If you are enrolled in the course to get a grade, drop now. Education is about more than grades. Unfortunately, grades are a necessary evil. Your work will be graded on a scale from A to F with pluses and minuses. Although BHSU does not use pluses and minuses in semester grades, I believe they are helpful in evaluation throughout the semester. If, at the end of the semester, your grade is teetering between two grades, attendance and class participation become important factors. You must submit all required work to pass the course.

A range: The work is extraordinary. It has said something different or is conceived in an interesting and unusual way. Written work is virtually free of errors in writing or fact. Conventionally, an "A" means the work is perfect.

B range: The work is above average. It presents the material more than competently and is well-written and well-organized.

C range: The work is average. Written work might have some problems in construction, grammar, or conception. Organizational problems may also be present as may some misunderstandings of the texts or topics.

D range: The work is below average. Written work probably has serious problems in grammar and organization. It might show severe misunderstandings of the texts or topics.

F: The work is failing. Written work probably has severe problems in basic grammar and shows little or no understanding of the texts or topics. Note: a grade of F is an earned grade and will not be awarded if work is not submitted or completed (that type of performance "earns" a 0).