Philosophy 100 Fall 2021 Hilary Kornblith E311 South College kornblith philos umass edu Office hours M W 1 15 2 15 or contact me by e mail COURSE OBJECTIVES SYLLABUS This course is designed to present an introduction to philosophy by way of four central topics the nature of mind free will knowledge and ethics Within each topic we will have a number of provocative and engaging readings which should stimulate both thought and discussion The course will thus provide an introduction to some of the central topics of current philosophical research In addition students will learn how to read a text analytically how to sympathetically understand the work of authors they may not agree with and how to provide the best defense of their own views READINGS All readings for the class are to be found on Moodle See the Schedule of Readings and Assignments for details PREPARING FOR CLASS Before each class meeting you should make sure to read the assigned article carefully In each article you will find that the author is presenting an argument for some philosophical claim As you go through the reading try to identify as clearly as you can just what claim is being argued for and what the argument for it is In addition you should attempt to evaluate the argument s offered Are good reasons being offered to believe the conclusion If not why not If so is it possible to strengthen the author s argument for the conclusion How might one do that Class attendance is tremendously important Some of the readings will require a good deal of background before you can fully understand them Classes will provide that background More than this understanding the views presented and understanding the intricacies of the arguments involved is difficult Classes will be absolutely essential for getting the most out of the readings Attendance is not optional it is required This applies not only to the lecture meetings on Mondays and Wednesdays but to the discussion section meetings on Fridays Powerpoint slides will be posted on our Moodle page to accompany each class meeting for easy review You are expected not merely to attend class but to participate in discussion as well This is how one learns in philosophy Engaging in discussion and asking questions about the material allows you and others in class to better come to terms with the readings themselves and the issues they raise ASSIGNED WORK There will be five written take home assignments The dates for these assignments may be found on the Schedule of Readings and Assignments Three of these assignments will be largely exegetical asking you to clearly explain some feature of the assigned reading These exegetical assignments will be brief approximately two to three typewritten pages each These brief assignments will each count for 18 of your final grade As the semester develops assignments will leave more room for your own original thoughts There will be one slightly longer paper about four to six typewritten pages due at the end of the unit on Free Will and a second such paper due at the end of the term These longer assignments will each count for 23 of your final grade All of these take home assignments will be posted on Moodle as indicated on the Schedule of Readings and Assignments Late papers will not be accepted without a legitimate excuse There will be no exams of any kind in this course ACADEMIC HONESTY The University s Academic Honesty Policy will be followed scrupulously If you are not familiar with that policy please look at it now http www umass edu honesty If you have any questions about the policy or about academic honesty in general please do make sure to consult with me Do not work with others when writing your assignments You may certainly discuss the assignment with other students but do not share notes or jointly write any part of the assignment Material quoted from the assigned texts should be placed in quotation marks and properly cited Do not use any secondary sources You should be able to complete assignments just from reading the assigned texts attending lectures and discussion sections and addressing any questions you have which cannot be answered in lecture or discussion during office hours OFFICE HOURS If you would like to speak with me outside of class just contact me by e mail and we will set up an appointment or stop in during office hours Please feel free to do this at any time If you have questions about the readings or questions about what went on in class or questions about any of the assignments just e mail me If the question cannot be addressed by e mail or if it would be best to talk about it at some length we can meet during my office hours or at some mutually convenient time In addition your teaching assistants will keep office hours as listed below TEACHING ASSISTANTS Shane Henckel Emelia Miller 1 30 Katie Wright 12 30 shenckel umass edu South College E406 Office hours F 11 15 1 15 emeliamiller umass edu South College E312 Office hours W 11 30 kbwright umass edu South College E406 Office hours MW11 30