Problems of Philosophy (PHIL 100)

Topic: The Ethics of Belief

Instructor: Heather Phillips

Office: HUMA 206
Email: hp2@rice.edu
Office Hours: M: 11-12 & W: 2-3

Course Description

Belief is so ubiquitous that it is often taken for granted. Nonetheless, what we believe impacts not
only what we do, but also who we are. Given the influence belief has on our actions and, therefore, on
the world around us, should we be held responsible for what we believe and/or how we came to
believe it? Of course, responsibility is typically linked with control and contrary to popular
assumption, most philosophers argue that we lack doxastic control (that is, control over what we
believe). Some of these philosophers maintain that we can still be held responsible for our beliefs
despite lacking control, but what does it mean to be responsible without control. In this course we
will explore these questions as well as consider various standards of responsible belief. Classes will
be a combination of lecture and large- and small-group discussion. Assignments for this course are
writing-intensive and aim to strengthen both your writing and reasoning skills.

Course Goals

Through this course students should gain:

1.
2.
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5.

Exposure to and comprehension of epistemic and ethical philosophical principles.

The ability to engage with and work through various philosophical arguments.
Increased proficiency in identifying and analyzing the key elements of written arguments.
Increased proficiency in developing and writing both short and long paper assignments.
An appreciation of the relationship between an open mind and sound judgment.

Required Texts

We will read a combination of historical and contemporary authors. Readings will be made available
in the Resources section of the Owl-Space site for this class. It is the student's responsibility to check
the course schedule and obtain any necessary readings.

Students with Disabilities

Any student with a disability requiring accommodations in this course should contact me after class
or during office hours within the first two weeks of the semester. All such discussions will be as
confidential as possible. Students with disabilities will also need to contact Disability Support
Services in the Ley Student Center (www.dss.rice.edu).

Academic Honesty

Plagiarism is defined as quoting or paraphrasing another persons words without proper

acknowledgment. Paraphrasing includes changing word order, changing grammatical structure,
omitting or adding sentences. Proper acknowledgment means using a citation to indicate where you
make use of another persons words or ideas. Plagiarism is not defined by the intent to plagiarize,
but by the fact of presenting anothers words or ideas as if they were ones own. So it is no defense
to say that one did not mean to plagiarize. If you are unsure how to correctly cite a source or have
questions about how the Honor Code applies to written work, please talk with me or your academic
advisor. Additionally, each student is required to uphold the Rice Honor Code.

Attendance and Withdrawal Policies

Students are expected to attend classes regularly. It is the responsibility of the student to drop or
officially withdraw from this course if, for any reason, that student is no longer attending.

Absences due to observance of religious holidays and required participation in athletic events are
excused, as a matter of university policy. If you have any scheduling conflicts with assignment due
dates for these reasons, please let me know ASAP so accommodations can be made in advance.

General Class Policies

Cell Phones: Turn them off or silence them while in class. Do not set them to vibrate.
Computers & Tablets: These are permitted in class only for note-taking purposes.
Eating: Drinks are fine, but food is not allowed.

Lateness: excessive lateness (coming to class more than five minutes late) is not acceptable be
prepared to begin class at the assigned time.

Discussion: Every member of the class has a responsibility to think carefully about the ideas we cover
and to comment, at appropriate times, on the quality of the arguments presented. Students should
maintain a high level of professionalism in dealing with each other in the classroom. Evaluative
comments should be presented in a considerate way, even if disagreement is warranted. It is
important to treat others with the respect that we would like for ourselves.

Assignments

ALL assignments must be completed in order to pass the class.

Papers and exams MUST be submitted via your assigned drop box on the Owl-Space site.
Email and hardcopy submissions will NOT be accepted.
Late Assignments will be docked a full letter grade for every day past the due date.

Participation 20% (200 points)

Attendance & Discussion 10%
Students are expected not only to attend class, but also to participate through discussion and
asking questions. In addition, there will be times when the class is split into smaller groups
for discussion; active participation in these groups is important.

Quizzes 10%
There will be 15 pop quizzes given throughout the semester. Each quiz will consist of one or
two questions covering that days reading(s). The purpose of these quizzes is to evaluate how
well students are both keeping up with and understanding the readings. These quizzes
CANNOT be made up for any reason. However, the lowest quiz score for each student will be
dropped at the end of the course.
Reading Response Papers 25% (250 points)
During the semester you must write two reading response papers. For each, you will pick one
assigned reading and write a 3 5-page paper in which you clearly articulate the authors
argument and, then, respond to that argument. The goal of this exercise is to develop the
ability to identify, comprehend, analyze and assess arguments presented in written work.
More detailed instructions will be provided during class.
You will be given the opportunity to revise and resubmit your first response paper in light of
feedback received. This will give me the opportunity to assess your writing skills and provide
feedback so that you can strengthen your skills before later assignments are due. Your grade
for the first response paper will be the average of both submissions. The revise and resubmit
option is only available for the first of the two response papers.
Position Paper 30% (300 points)
By the end of the fourth week of class, you will be given a list of paper topics. You must pick
one of the topics and write a 10-12-page paper on that issue. You will use the skills you
learned through the reading response papers to identify and analyze arguments relevant to
your topic. The paper should include a brief overview of the prominent arguments, a critique
of these stances and a clear statement of and support for your own position. More specific
instructions will be provided concerning how to write the paper.

Final Exam 25% (250 points)

The take-home exam will cover material from the entire course and will consist of
short answer and essay questions. Before the exam, you will be provided with a list
of potential essay questions from which I will choose the questions on the exam.