Section 006                                                                                                                      Professor Michael Tooley
TTh  12:30-1:45                                                                                                              Hellems, Room 277
ECON 205                                                                                                                       Office Hours:   TTh 11:00-12:00
                                                                                                                                      

Classes

        Once we get over the introductory, background material on philosophy and ethics, and the critical thinking material, our classes will be a combination of lectures and discussion.  It is very important that people come to class prepared to take part in those discussions.  This means that  do the readings in advance, and then think about the issues, so that when an opportunity arises in a lecture to set out your opinion on the issue in question, you are prepared to offer a thoughtful view, along with your reasons for thinking that your view is correct.

       Class discussions will sometimes incorporate a mini critical thinking session, in which we briefly discuss some controversial issue.  When this is the case, the topic to be discussed will be announced in the preceding lecture, and you should come to class prepared to advance a view on the issue, and a reason for your view.

Lectures and I-Clickers

        One of the enormous advantages of the use of i-clickers is that it enables people to express opinions on topics where they might very well be hesitant to do so if the result would be that everyone in the class would then know what their views were on that topic, since many of the topics that we will be discussing are quite controversial ones on which people have strong feelings. The use of i-clickers eliminates concerns that might otherwise arise from that fact.

        It should be noted, however, that the i-clicker program, as it is presently set up, records all the answers that are given, so that there will be a record of all of the answers on my laptop. But if you do not register your i-clicker, that record will not be connected in any way with your name. Consequently, my recommendation is this:

Do NOT register your i-clicker, unless you are forced to do so because of another class that you are currently taking. (Otherwise, if you have already registered your i-clicker, just de-register it.)

        Finally, even if you are forced to register your i-clicker because of another class that you are taking where i-clickers are used in such a way that they need to be registered – for example, for administering tests – I will still not have any knowledge of who gave what answer, since I will not be downloading the file that correlates names with i-clickers that have been registered. But if you would prefer to remove absolutely any possibility of your answers being known by anyone in the case of some of the more controversial questions and issues that we will be discussing, simply refrain from answering those questions.

Course Work

       Your grade in this course will be based upon seven exercises, a two-part essay-writing exercise, and a final examination.

        It is not a rare occurrence, however, to wind up with a grade that is just very slightly below the next higher grade. My policy in such cases is, other things being equal, to bump up to the next higher grade students who were present in class virtually all of the time, and who made contributions to class discussions, while not doing so in the case of students who were absent from class fairly often, or who made virtually no contributions to class discussions.

Instructions Regarding Assignments

         Please note the following very important points:

(1) All assignments are to be downloaded from the Philosophy 1100 website, which is http://spot.Colorado.EDU/~tooley/Philosophy1100Current.html.

(2) You should download Exercise 1, read through it carefully, and bring it to class on Thursday, August 29, so that we can discuss any questions that you have about that first assignment.

(3) All assignments are to be handed in at the class on the due dates listed below.

(4) The policy concerning late assignments is set out below.

(5) Whenever you hand in an assignment, you should bring a downloaded copy of the next assignment to that class, since that is when the assignment will be explained and discussed.

The Web Site for Philosophy 1100

       My home page is  http://spot.Colorado.EDU/~tooley/.  Course materials can be accessed either from my home page, by clicking on the link “Current Courses”,  or directly, by going to the following, Philosophy 1100 Honors web site: http://spot.Colorado.EDU/~tooley/Philosophy1100Current.html

        Those course materials include the following:  (1) the exercises, and essay assignments and instructions; (2) a course syllabus; (3) a course overview; (4) lecture material relevant to the exercises; (5) lecture notes on several topics; (6) a final examination handout; and (7) some additional readings for the course.

Contacting Me Concerning Urgent Matters

        People tend to rely rather heavily on e-mail.  This is not a good idea in my case, since I sometimes get absorbed in my research, and then I do not check my email on a regular basis.  In addition, many matters can be dealt with much more quickly and effectively by a conversation.  So please contact me by telephone, rather than by email, especially if it is a matter of some urgency.

        My home phone is (303) 541-0933, and you will almost always be able to reach me between the hours of 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and on weekends as well, and in the evenings on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

First Essay:  The writing of a 1200-1500 word essay , on a topic chosen from a list of topics.  Full instructions, including a list of topics, can be found on our class website at  http://spot.colorado.edu/~tooley/EssayExercise.html  (25%)

Sub-assignments:

(a) Your basic thesis, your central supporting argument, and one important objection that you will address.  (7%)

Due date: Thursday, October 31

(b) The completed essay.  (17%)

Due date: Thursday, December 5

        There will be a two and one-half hour, closed book essay-style examination on Wednesday, December 18th, at the time of 7:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. in ECON 205. (25%)

1.  Concerns Regarding this Course

        If at any point during the semester you have any concerns about the exercises, lectures, discussions, or anything else in this course, please talk to me about those matters.

        If you still have concerns after talking with me, or if you feel that the matter is one that you need to discuss with a third party, you should contact either Professor Wes Morriston, who is the Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Philosophy Department (Wes.Morriston@Colorado.edu, 303-492-8297), Professor Graeme Forbes, who is the Head of the Philosophy Department (Graeme.Forbes@Colorado.edu, 303-492-7120).

2.  Course Plagiarism Policy

        Each student is expected to submit his or her own original work for each exercise, essay, and final exam.

        The use of essays and other material downloaded from the Internet is obviously a serious case of plagiarism.  But, in general, any substantial use of material from any source must be clearly acknowledged, and any ideas should be expressed in one's own words.

        A first violation of this plagiarism policy, or the University Honor Code, or the Honor Code pledge shown below will result in a grade of zero for the relevant piece of work, and, in accordance with University requirements, will have to be reported.  In addition, if that first violation is especially serious – such as the copying of a whole document – the result will be a failing grade for the course as a whole.

“On my honor, as a University of Colorado at Boulder  student, I have neither given nor received unauthorized assistance on this work.”

Syllabus Statements Recommended by the Office of Academic Affairs

1. The Boulder Provost’s Disability Task Force Recommended Syllabus Statement

         If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please submit to your professor a letter from Disability Services in a timely manner (for exam accommodations provide your letter at least one week prior to the exam) so that your needs can be addressed. Disability Services determines accommodations based on documented disabilities. Contact Disability Services at 303-492-8671 or by e-mail at dsinfo@colorado.edu.

        If you have a temporary medical condition or injury, see Temporary Injuries under Quick Links at Disability Services website (http://disabilityservices.colorado.edu/) and discuss your needs with your professor.

2. Statement Concerning Religious Observances

        Campus policy regarding religious observances requires that faculty make every effort to deal reasonably and fairly with all students who, because of religious obligations, have conflicts with scheduled exams, assignments or required attendance. In this class, if you have a religious observance that conflicts with a class or with the final exam, please contact me at the beginning of the semester so that alternative arrangements can be made.

        See full details at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/fac_relig.html

3. Statement Concerning Classroom Behavior

        Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning environment. Those who fail to adhere to such behavioral standards may be subject to discipline. Professional courtesy and sensitivity are especially important with respect to individuals and topics dealing with differences of race, color, culture, religion, creed, politics, veteran’s status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and gender expression, age, disability, and nationalities. Class rosters are provided to the instructor with the student's legal name. I will gladly honor your request to address you by an alternate name or gender pronoun. Please advise me of this preference early in the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my records. See policies at

http://www.colorado.edu/policies/classbehavior.html and at

http://www.colorado.edu/studentaffairs/judicialaffairs/code.html#student_code

4. Recommended Statement from the Office of Discrimination and Harassment

        The University of Colorado Boulder (CU-Boulder) is committed to maintaining a positive learning, working, and living environment. The University of Colorado does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, creed, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status in admission and access to, and treatment and employment in, its educational programs and activities. (Regent Law, Article 10, amended 11/8/2001). CU-Boulder will not tolerate acts of discrimination or harassment based upon Protected Classes or related retaliation against or by any employee or student. For purposes of this CU-Boulder policy, "Protected Classes" refers to race, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy, age, disability, creed, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or veteran status. Individuals who believe they have been discriminated against should contact the Office of Discrimination and Harassment (ODH) at 303-492-2127 or the Office of Student Conduct (OSC) at 303-492-5550. Information about the ODH, the above referenced policies, and the campus resources available to assist individuals regarding discrimination or harassment can be obtained at http://hr.colorado.edu/dh/

5. Recommended Statement on Academic Honesty and Integrity

        The Boulder campus has a student Honor Code and individual faculty members are expected to familiarize themselves with its tenets and follow the approved procedures should violations be perceived. The campus has been working diligently to make this process work better and to provide guidance on ‘gray areas’ to be helpful to both faculty and students at the Honor website. The Honor Council recommended syllabus statement:

        All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing and adhering to the academic integrity policy of this institution. Violations of this policy may include: cheating, plagiarism, aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening behavior. All incidents of academic misconduct shall be reported to the Honor Code Council (honor@colorado.edu; 303-735-2273). Students who are found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy will be subject to both academic sanctions from the faculty member and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to university probation, suspension, or expulsion). Other information on the Honor Code can be found at

http://www.colorado.edu/policies/honor.html and at http://honorcode.colorado.edu