Belmont University

PHI 1600.03: Introduction to Philosophy

Semester: Spring 2023
Meeting time: MWF 8:00-8:50
Classroom: AYRS 2142
3 credit hours

Instructor: Anderson
Office number and phone number: AYRS 3055, 460-6102
Office hours: MWF 10:00-12:00 and by appointment
Email address: mark.anderson@belmont.edu

Course Information:
In this course we’ll study some of the major figures and themes in the history of philosophy, with
particular concentration on metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics. We will study primary and
secondary texts and consider them in class through a combination of lecture and discussion.

Student Learning Outcomes:

ꞏ Students will be familiar, in outline, with central figures and subjects of inquiry in the
history of western philosophy.
ꞏ Students will be introduced to ideas from non-western philosophical traditions.
ꞏ Students will learn basic relevant vocabulary, such as “metaphysics” and “epistemology.”
ꞏ Students will develop habits of close and critical reading.
ꞏ Students will learn about, and develop habits of, logical reasoning.

Required Texts:
Alan Watts: The Wisdom of Insecurity
Wes Nisker: The Essential Crazy Wisdom
Hermann Hesse: Siddhartha

Evaluation:
50%: Preparation for and participation in class.
25%: Midterm exam.
25%: Final exam (8:00 Wednesday, May 3).

Grade scale:
Below 60: F, 60-69: D, 70-79: C, 80-89: B, 90-100: A

Class Schedule:
As some instructors, and some students, prefer a pre-determined reading schedule, whereas
others prefer to allow the class to progress at its own pace, taking more or less time on the
readings as seems appropriate in the moment, we encourage instructors to individualize their
schedule according to their own pedagogy. Instructors should always keep students well
informed about upcoming assignments; there should be no surprises.
Attendance Policy:
When the number of absences (other than those addressed in the Provost's Excuse) exceeds three
times the number of regularly scheduled class meetings per week (20% of class meetings during
regularly scheduled summer terms), the student will receive the grade of "FN" (failure for non-
attendance). Absences will also affect the participation portion of your grade.

Honor Code:
The Belmont community values personal integrity and academic honesty as the foundation of
university life and the cornerstone of a premiere educational experience. Our community
believes trust among its members is essential for both scholarship and effective interactions and
operations of the University. As members of the Belmont community, students, faculty, staff, and
administrators are all responsible for ensuring that their experiences will be free of behaviors
which compromise this value. In order to uphold academic integrity, the University has adopted
an Honor System. Students and faculty will work together to establish the optimal conditions for
honorable academic work. Following is the Student Honor Pledge that guides academic
behavior:

“I will not give or receive aid during examinations; I will not give or receive false or
impermissible aid in course work, in the preparation of reports, or in any other type of work that
is to be used by the instructor as the basis of my grade; I will not engage in any form of academic
fraud. Furthermore, I will uphold my responsibility to see to it that others abide by the spirit and
letter of this Honor Pledge.”

Accommodation of students with disabilities:

In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities
Act, Belmont University will provide reasonable accommodation of all medically documented
disabilities. If you have a disability and would like the university to provide reasonable
accommodations of the disability during this course, please notify Tammye Tanksley, Director of
Counseling & Developmental Support in the Office of Student Affairs (460-6407) as soon as
possible.