PHI 315

Knowledge and Reality

- Cahn, Steven, ed., Classics of Western Philosophy, Fifth edition (Hackett, 1999)

- Kornblith, Hilary, Inductive Inference and its Natural Ground (The MIT Press, 1993).

- Kornblith, Hilary, ed., Naturalizing Epistemology, Second edition (The MIT Press, 1994)

Office hours: Monday and Wednesday 11:00 - 11:50 am and by appointment.

Course objectives:  If you do reasonably well in the course you will come to understand and appreciate the problems we discuss along with some traditional lines of argument related to those problems.  You will also become more adept at raising philosophical questions, drawing distinctions, and critically examining purported solutions.  Respect for the difficulty involved in addressing questions about the nature of reality and knowledge should follow.  I suspect that when it is all over, we will not so much as satisfied an initial curiosity, as developed a more intense and informed curiosity about matters metaphysical and epistemological.

Course requirements:  

• Homework, quizzes, participation, etc.  You are required to attend class, participate responsibly, and prepare adequately for class.  My evidence for adequate participation in class is your behavior.  Those who regularly ask questions and take part in class discussions are clearly actively involved in the class; and those who regularly attend class, listen attentively to lectures and discussions, and complete assignments on time are also involved in the class (though to a lesser degree).  Failure to attend class or to complete assignments, sleeping in class, talking to neighbors and other disruptive behaviour will count against you.

• Attendance.  Chronic absenteeism will not be tolerated.  A necessary condition for getting an A in the course is that you attend 90% of the classes.  A necessary condition for getting an B in the course is that you attend 80% of the classes.  A C requires you attend at least 70% of the classes, and to pass the course you must attend at least 60% of the time.  Attendance is not, of course, a sufficient condition for earning a particular grade.  Since attendance will be recorded at the beginning of class either through a roll call or from quiz participation, I recommend that you arrive at class on time; I am not responsible for recording your presence after roll is called.  There will be no excused absences. 

• Class presentations:  Each student will be asked to present critical summaries of several assigned articles.  At different points during the semester you will be asked to make an oral report on an assigned reading, along with a written outline to be turned in.  These reports should summarize the assigned reading, offer critical comments or questions, and make clear the relevance of the material to the topic we are currently studying.  The reports should be designed to open class discussion. One week after the report is presented, a revised version of the report  (again no more than three pages) that reflects the discussion subsequent to their presentation is due. Class handouts or visual aids are encouraged.

• Final paper.  You must write a (roughly) ten page term paper in which you defend a thesis relative to some topic in metaphysics or epistemology.  We must agree on the thesis beforehand.  Throughout the semester I will make assignments tailored to help in the process of developing this paper.  The development of a thesis, researching the topic, writing a rough draft, and offering and receiving peer reviews of your work will all be part of the process.  We will take time in class to discuss the paper at every stage.  All submitted drafts should be typed, double-spaced and provide ample margins for comment.  The paper will be evaluated on both its effectiveness as a philosophical discussion and its effectiveness as a piece of written English communication.  Virtues include conciseness, clarity, proper grammar, spelling and organization.  Deadlines for the various assignments leading up to the final draft will be made in class.  The final draft is due during the last class period.

Grading: The final grade for the course should be understood as my assessment of your overall level of achievement in the class based on all the relevant evidence available to me.  Grades from group presentations, individual summaries, the final paper and any grades accumulated from quizzes, homework and class participation will constitute the bulk of that evidence.  All assigned work is required work, unless I indicate otherwise.  This is not to say that all assigned work is graded work or work that will contribute toward the final grade.  I understand the particular letter grades in terms of the descriptions given in the recent university catalog (page 27).  To do what is required of you without displaying "high achievement as a result of ability and effort" is to do what I think an average college student should do easily and deserves a C.  Better or worse work is possible and will be reflected in the grade.

Instructor's prerogative:  I reserve the right to alter the conditions stated in this syl-labus at any time during the semester should such alterations better facilitate meeting the goals.  I will, in such a case, provide notice in class.  It is the student's responsibility to be in class and get this information.

A few suggestions:  

• Since much of what you can learn will come from discussions and lectures in class, attendance is crucial.  Participate in classroom discussions.  Think about the material before class and raise questions during class.
• Take advantage of my office hours if you are having the slightest bit of trouble or if you want to discuss some of the issues beyond what the class period allows.  I am always willing to make appointments if my scheduled hours are inconvenient.
• Attend class regularly.  Assignments cannot be made up nor will there be extra credit work available. I do not accept late work.
• Plagiarism is intolerable.  If you are unsure whether a certain act constitutes plagiarism, ask me before you commit the act.
• Common courtesy demands that you respect others in the classroom by not speaking unless you have the floor, by listening when others have the floor, and by arriving at class on time.  Lack of common courtesy will be re-flected in the final grade.

Important dates:

Oct 15-16: Fall Break
Nov 21-24: Thanksgiving Break 
Dec 6:   Last day of class
Dec 11: Final Exam 1:00-3:00