Professor Talbott (Email:
wtalbott@u.washington.edu) Autumn
Quarter 2007
Office: Condon 632 Philosophy
450A
Office Hours: Mon. 3:30-4:30 pm Epistemology
and by
appointment MWF
2:00 – 3:20 pm
Phone: 543-5095 Condon
135
Website: http://faculty.washington.edu/wtalbott/
SYLLABUS
PHILOSOPHY
450A: Epistemology (5
Credits/"W" Credit)
DISABILITY RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS. If
you would like to request academic accommodations due to a disability, please
contact Disability Resources for Students (DRS), 448 Schmitz, (206) 543-8924
(V/TTY). If you have a letter from DRS
indicating you have a disability that requires academic accommodations, please
present the letter to me so we can discuss the accommodations you might need
for the class.
I.
Course Goals: Do
we know anything? If so, what do we know
and how do we know it? What is
knowledge? What sort of justification is
necessary for knowledge? In the sense of
justification in which it is necessary for knowledge, are we justified in
believing anything? If so, what are we
justified in believing and how are we justified in believing it? Can we know or be justified in believing an
answer to any of the previous questions?
If so, on what basis? Do the
answers to the previous questions depend on one's political or other
commitments? In this course, we will
consider various attempts to answer all these questions. The course aims to familiarize the students
with some of the most important work in contemporary epistemology and to
develop their ability to understand it and to critically evaluate it. The course will provide students with an
opportunity to develop their ability to explain difficult philosophical
readings and issues, to argue for their own views, and to take seriously the
views of those with whom they disagree.
Students who successfully complete the course will earn "W"
credit for the course.
II. Course Readings.
III.
Course Requirements:
1.
CLASS PREPARATION AND ATTENDANCE.
The class meets MWF from 2:00 to 3:20 pm in Condon 135—EXCEPT MONDAY, NOV. 12 (VETERANS
DAY) AND FRIDAY, NOV. 23 (THANKSGIVING VACATION). Everyone is expected to do the assigned
readings in advance and to attend and to participate in the discussions.
2.
EMAIL ACCOUNT. You are required to check
your U.W. email account regularly. I
will use email to broadcast general course announcements. You can use email to ask me questions about
the course, including questions about the readings or the discussion in
class. You can usually count on
receiving a reply within 24 hours. My
email address appears above.
3.
END-OF-CLASS QUESTIONS (1-5 Points Each). At the end of each class except the day of
the midterm exam and the days that papers are due, you will be asked to give a
written answer to a question on the readings or the discussion in lecture. These assignments will provide practice for
writing answers to exam questions.
Answers to end of class questions may not be turned in late, unless the
absence is excused. All answers to end
of class questions for excused absences must be submitted before the Final
Exam. If you are present or have an
excused absence and receive less than 1/2 credit for your answer to an
end-of-class question, you may resubmit for up to 1/2 credit. All resubmits must be received before the
Final Exam.
4. PAPERS. You are required to turn in two 5-7 page papers
during the quarter. The paper topics
appear on separate handouts. Each paper is worth 100 points. Before turning in the final version of the
paper, you are required to post a draft on the Peer Review site (10 points) and
to comment on two drafts on the Peer Review site (5 points each), for a
total of 240 points possible from the two papers. See the paper topic handouts for information
on submitting drafts for peer review and for information on commenting on draft
papers.
Papers should be turned in as email
attachments before class on the date they are due. Papers that are turned in late will be
penalized, unless the lateness is excused.
YOU MUST BE IN CLASS AND ON TIME ON THE DAY A PAPER IS DUE TO RECEIVE
FULL CREDIT. Students who have an
unexcused absence on the day when a draft or final version of a paper is due or
are late for class on that day without an excuse will incur a further 5-POINT
penalty on their papers, IN ADDITION TO the penalty for lateness.
There is a separate handout of Paper
Guidelines. Please make sure you review
the Paper Guidelines before turning in your papers. PAPERS THAT DO NOT COMPLY WITH THE GUIDELINES
WILL BE PENALIZED.
Undergraduates—especially those who have not taken an upper level
philosophy course before—are encouraged to have a draft of your paper read by
one of the tutors in the
5. MIDTERM AND
FINAL EXAM. There will be a Midterm Exam
in class on Wednesday, Oct. 31. Review
questions for the exam will be distributed in class on Wed., Oct. 24. The Final Exam will be held on Tuesday, Dec.
11, from 2:30 to 4:20. Final Exam Review
Questions will be distributed in class on Friday, Nov. 30. I will attempt to schedule review sessions
before the Midterm Exam and before the Final Exam.
6.
TERM PAPER OPTION. With my
permission, you may substitute a term paper (10-15 pages) for the Final
Exam. Term paper topics must be approved
by me on or before Wed. Nov. 28. If you
do a term paper, it is highly recommended that you turn in a draft for my
comments. Drafts are due by the final
class session, Friday, Dec. 7.
Final term papers are due at the Philosophy Department Office, Condon
511, at 4:30 pm on Wednesday, Dec. 12.
IV. Course Web Site. All handouts, study questions, paper
assignments, end-of-class questions, and the text of transparencies used in
class will be available on the course Web site (see URL above). So if you are ever absent, you can check the
course Web site to find out what you missed.
V. Grades. Grades
will be based on points earned as follows:
(1) End-of-Class questions (approx. 100 points). (2) Short papers (240 points—120 points
each (includes posting a draft and commenting on two drafts). (3) Midterm Exam (100 points). (4) Final Exam (200 points). Grades will be assigned at the end of the
course based on total points earned as follows:
96% = 4.0; 95% = 3.9; 90%= 3.5; 80% = 3.0; 65% = 2.0; and 50% = 1.0. Your contribution to discussion in class can
improve your grade, but cannot lower it.
VI. Academic
Integrity. Whenever you turn in any assignment in this course, the
understanding is that what you are turning in is your own original work, except
to the extent that you explicitly credit others for their contributions. You
have an obligation to avoid even the appearance of impropriety, by
always attributing any argument or idea that you have borrowed, even if you
have modified it, to its source. The
source may be written or oral. For
example, if an argument was suggested by a fellow student, include that
information in a footnote. If it is
determined that there has been cheating that involves one student copying
another's work on an assignment or exam, if both students were aware of the
copying, both will receive zero credit for the assignment or exam, in
addition to any other sanctions that might be imposed.
VII. Extensions Of Time. Extensions of time should be requested in
advance of the deadline. Unexcused,
late work will be penalized. I am
generally willing to give extensions of time for any good reason. Except in cases of genuine emergency, I do
not give Incompletes.
VIII. Course
Evaluation. Friday, Dec. 7,
in class. The course evaluation is your
opportunity to evaluate my performance and to provide suggestions for improving
the course.
IX. Return of Final Exams. Unless
other arrangements are made, Final Exams will be available for pick-up in the
Philosophy Department Office, Condon 511, during the first week of Winter
Quarter. If you would like your Final
Exam to be mailed to you, please provide me with a stamped, self-addressed
envelope for mailing.