Syllabus – Philosophy Mr. Kramschuster

5th Hour Room 117 pkramschuster@ndsion.edu

Free Periods 3rd or 4th ^,or by appointment Phone: Ext. 1139

Introduction to Philosophy

Course Description and Objectives:

Philosophy is humanity's attempt to thoughtfully answer the ‘big’ questions, the first of which is, what is reality and where did it come from? Many of the pre-socratic philosophers came up with metaphysical terms to express the nature and/or the organization of reality, and most of these are rudimentary concepts of what we call ‘God’. By the Middle Ages the idea of God became one of the ‘big’ questions as philosophers and theologians tried to coalesce the ideas of science and religion with the thinking of the ancient Greeks. The idea of ‘God’ comes together naturally with other ‘big’ questions such as knowledge and ethics.

This one semester course is designed to give the student a basic introduction to the main questions of philosophy and its methods, along with a survey of the history of western philosophy. Our primary text is the novel, Sophie’s World, first published in Norwegian in 1991 and translated/published in English in 1994. Time magazine described its English debut as “…a beginner’s guide to philosophy written by a schoolteacher.” Newsweek described it as “a comprehensive history of Western philosophy as recounted to a 14 year old Norwegian schoolgirl… a first-rate introduction to anyone who never took an introductory philosophy course and a pleasant refresher for those who have and have forgotten most of it…”

Specific Objectives:

1. Familiarize students with the methods of philosophical study

2. Introduce the major questions of philosophical study

3. Introduce the great thinkers who have contributed to human knowledge and thought

4. Provide the student with a reference for further philosophical study

Methodology and Classroom Environment

This course will utilize a wide variety of instructional methods. Lectures, class discussions, projects, group activities, individual written work, guest speakers, and audio/visuals will be employed to teach this course.

In our classroom discussions, we must all realize that full consensus is not always possible and commit ourselves to a policy of respecting the ideas of others. This policy of respect also makes it incumbent upon the students to be on class and in their seat quietly at the beginning of class and for us all to use our most polite manners in commenting upon the ideas of others.

Materials Needed

3-ring binder (a 1” binder should be sufficient), preferably with 3 dividers,

for notes, long term assignments, handouts

loose leaf paper and writing utensils

Assessment

The Notre Dame de Sion grading scale will be followed in this course.

A students’ point total will be made up as follows:

exams & quizzes [Students will always be told in advance when these are to be given and the types of questions to be asked include multiple choice, short answer and short essay. There will not be a comprehensive final exam. The NDS policy regarding missed exams will be followed.]

short written assignments and papers [Makeup work due to any absence is always the responsibility of the student; see Student Handbook for details. For work that is late, 10% will be deducted from the grade for each day that the work is late.]

class participation [If students are to learn to apply, analyze, and synthesize the topics we are studying, they must attempt to participate in our class discussions. Reading regularly assigned written materials will assist the students in this process. Any student who is concerned about her ability to participate is encouraged to discuss this with me as I do not wish to cause students unnecessary stress.]

Academic Honesty

Any student who plagiarizes or engages in cheating in any assignment or exam or project in this course will receive a 0 for that assignment regardless of any other original merit it may have. Plagiarism is using others’ ideas and works without clearly acknowledging the source of the ideas/works, as discussed in the Notre Dame de Sion Student Handbook.

Late Work

Each day an assignment is late, 10% will be deducted from the grade.

Student text:

Sophie’s World [A Novel About the History of Philosophy]

By Jostein Gaarder (1996)

The Story of Philosophy

By Bryan McGee

Course syllabus: (and reading schedule for Sophie’s World); specific schedule is subject to change

1. The meaning of philosophy and its fields of study

Metaphysics
Epistomology
Ethics
Aesthetics
Logic

2. The original question: where did everything come from? (What is original substance?)

Syllabus – Philosophy Mr. Kramschuster

Free Periods 3rd or 4th , or by appointment Phone: Ext. 1139

Materials Needed

Assessment

Academic Honesty

Free Periods 3rd or 4th ^,or by appointment Phone: Ext. 1139