CRISWELL COLLEGE
FALL 2015
PHI 201 L00.A Introduction to Philosophy
Professor:Craig Vincent Mitchell
Contact:
Phone: 214-818-1311
4010 Gaston Ave., Dallas, TX 75246
Course description:
Includes a brief survey of the history of philosophy and defends the validity of the logical and epistemological foundations of Christian theology and ethics against critical systems.
Course objectives / Learning Outcomes:
The student who successfully completes this course will demonstrate the ability to:
- Analyze and process the language of philosophical discourse.
- Investigate some of the major historical thinkers in the field of philosophy.
- Examine some of the major principles, ideas, and theories in the field of philosophy
- Link some areas of practical philosophical concern to contemporary life.
- Acquire an enhanced appreciation for the value of philosophy as related to faith.
Course texts:
Readings posted on blackboard as well as power point presentations.
Course requirements and evaluation procedures:
- Quiz over class lectures (average is 20% of final grade). Quiz questions may be any style or format, including but not limited to, multiple choice, fill in the blank, short answer, essay, true/false, matching, listing, etc., and may cover readings and/or notes from other material covered in class.
- Mid-term exam (40% of final grade). Mid-term exam questions may be any style or format, including but not limited to, multiple choice, fill in the blank, short answer, essay, true/false, matching, listing, etc., and may cover readings and/or notes from other material covered in class.
- Final exam (40% of final grade). Final exam questions may be any style or format, including but not limited to, multiple choice, fill in the blank, short answer, essay, true/false, matching, listing, etc., and may cover readings and/or notes from other material covered in class.
Attendance policies:
Absences: Since class participation is vital to learning, absences should be taken only when absolutely necessary. More than seven (7) absences for two-day-per week classes, and more than three (3) absences for block classes will result in a grade of “F” for the courses. The professor and the Vice President of Academic Affairs must approve all exceptions to this policy. Proportionate absences apply to all other terms (J-Term, summer classes, language term, etc.). Students are responsible for all absences due to illness or any other reason. Granting of excused absences is permitted at the discretion of the professor.
Tardies: Missing more than fifteen (15) minutes at the beginning or end of a class period is considered one absence. Three instances of tardiness of fifteen minutes or less equals one absence. The tardy student is responsible for notifying the professor of his/her presence in writing at the end of class. Students who wish to depart early should clear it with the professor.
Grading System
The significance of letter grades is as follows:
A97-1004.0 grade points per semester hour
A-93-963.7 grade points per semester hour
B+91-923.3 grade points per semester hour
B 88-903.0 grade points per semester hour
B-86-872.7 grade points per semester hour
C+83-852.3 grade points per semester hour
C 80-822.0 grade points per semester hour
C-78-791.7 grade points per semester hour
D+75-771.3 grade points per semester hour
D 72-741.0 grade point per semester hour
D-70-710.7 grade points per semester hour
F 0-690.0 grade points per semester hour
The following grade symbols are also recognized for transcript evaluation:
AU Audited Course
CRCredit
EXExempt
IIncomplete
NCNo Credit
PPassed Non-credit Course
RCRepeat Course
SSatisfactory Progress
WWithdrawn
WFWithdrawn Failing
WPWithdrawn Passing
NOTE: An “I” will be changed to an “F” 60 calendar days after the close of the term or semester in which the “I” was awarded, if the course work is not completed by the stated date published in the Academic Calendar.
If I don’t understand what you are trying to say, I shall assume that you also do not understand what you are trying to say, and the grade will reflect this problem.
Classroom milieu:
Academic Honesty: Absolute truth is an essential belief and the basis of behavior for
those who believe in a God who cannot lie and forbids falsehood. Academic honesty includes the basic premise that all work students submit must be their own and any ideas received from somewhere else must be carefully documented.
Learning Disabilities: If you have learning or other disabilities, please inform the
professor at the beginning of the course. Our intention is to help all students learn. We will try to accommodate your needs if at all possible.
Institutional policies:
Academic Honesty: Absolute truth is an essential belief and basis of behavior for those who believe in a God who cannot lie and forbids falsehood. Academic honesty is the application of the principle of truth in the classroom setting. Academic honesty includes the basic premise that all work submitted by students must be their own and any ideas derived or copied from elsewhere must be carefully documented.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to:
• cheating of any kind,
• submitting, without proper approval, work originally prepared by the student for another course,
• plagiarism, which is the submitting of work prepared by someone else as if it were his own, and
• failing to credit sources properly in written work.
Learning Disabilities: In order to ensure full class participation, any student with a disabling condition requiring special accommodations (e.g., tape recorders, special adaptive equipment, special note-taking or test-taking needs) is strongly encouraged to contact the instructor at the beginning of the course or if a student has a learning disability, please inform the professor so assistance can be provided.
Auditing and Sit-in Students: Any student may enroll in a course as an Auditor or Sit-in as
long as the class is below capacity. A student’s permanent transcript will reflect which courses have been completed as audits. Sit-in students are not given grades by professors and their transcripts will not reflect enrollment in the course. Taking tests and participation in course activities are afforded to credit students in the syllabus and is at the discretion of the professor.
Course outline:
WeekAssignment
1Course Introduction
2 Worldview
3Metaphysics
4Philosophy of Mind
5Epistemology
6Philosophy of Science
7Value theory
8Midterm exam
9Action Theory
10Ethics
11Ethical Theory
12Political Philosophy
13Political Economy
14Aesthetics
15Aesthetics
16Final exam
Students are to read assignments, and complete relevant writing assignments prior to coming to class each week. Such preparation includes, but is not limited to, stapling papers. C&S refers to the course text by Cowan and Spiegel.
Changes to this document:
The instructor reserves the right to add, delete, or change any information contained in this document (except the course description), when he deems it necessary, with adequate notice given to the student. Students are responsible for any information missed due to absence.
Recommended bibliography:
The Holy Bible
The Apostle’s Creed
The Nicene Creed
The Chalcedonion Creed (or The Chalcedonion Definition of Faith)
The Baptist Faith and Message 2000
Audi, Robert, editor. The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy. Cambridge: Cambridge, 1995.