PHIL 110: ADVENTURE OF IDEAS, HISTORICAL
University of Tennessee, Martin
6/1/2025
BASIC INFORMATION
Course Section: all in-person and online sections of PHIL 110 taught by James Fieser
Course Title: Adventure of Ideas, Historical
Meeting Place for In-Person Sections: Humanities 215
Meeting Time for Online Sections: asynchronous
Course Credit Hours: 3
Textbook: The History of Philosophy: A Short Survey, by James Fieser
Posted online for free at storage.googleapis.com/jfieser/Index.html and on Canvas
Faculty Contact Information:
Office: Humanities 216A
Office Hours: MWF 1:00-2:00, and by appointment
Office Phone: 881-7537
E-Mail: jfieser@utm.edu (preferred method of contact)
COURSE INFORMATION
Course Description (from UTM Catalog): A historical introduction to philosophy course covering classical Greek, Asian, medieval, and early modern philosophical thought. Philosophers covered include Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, Augustine, Aquinas, Descartes, Locke, Hume, and Kant.
Course Resources: all material for this course is posted on Canvas (UTM's learning management system), including reading material, videos, and assignments.
Humanities Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs): (1) Students will analyze major primary sources of the humanities. (2) Students will examine the diversity of human experience in various humanistic media. (3) Students will recognize the continuity and change within the human experience as understood in the humanities.
Course Communications: email will be the primary means of communication outside of class. I try to answer all email messages within a few hours. During the semester I will email a few short messages to the entire class.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS
Course Assignments: Within each module, there are five types of assignments: (1) videos, (2) readings, (3) study questions, (4) discussion board comments, and (5) quizzes. Each of these is described below, and more explanations descriptions are provided in the course "Assignment Instructions" document on Canvas. Assignment due dates are posted on Canvas, and will likely change as the semester proceeds based on in-person class progress.
Videos: Lecture videos are linked within each Canvas module. These are for the benefit of online students, but also in-person students who miss classroom lectures.
Study Questions: All the reading material in the course has accompanying study questions that appear at the bottom of each chapter, with 21 questions per module. The first 20 are short comprehension questions, and question 21 is a 100-word short essay question about some point in the assigned readings. All 21 questions must be submitted together through the study question link within each module on Canvas.
Discussion Post: Each course module includes a discussion board in which students must post at least three comments pertaining to the assigned reading in that module. Comments must be a minimum length of 100 words. One comment must be your short essay from question 21 in the study questions. The remaining two comments must be in response to other students' short essays.
In-Person Class Attendance: For in-person sections, attendance is required, and I will take attendance regularly. You are allowed six discretionary absences, with no penalty. If you go over six, I will only evaluate the legitimacy of excuses on finals day, so you need to save all your written excuses until that time; please do not show them to me until then. Students who miss class are expected to view the relevant lecture video posted on Canvas.
Ten Commandments of In-Person Class Conduct: (1) Do not come to class if you are ill; (2) Do not show up late for class; (3) Shut off and put away all electronic devices; (4) Stay focused on the screen in the front of the room or your hand written notes; (5) Do not sneak out of class after attendance; (6) Do not leave the room once class starts unless you tell me beforehand; (7) Do not chat with those around you, or you may be relocated; (8) Do not study material for a different class during this one; (9) Do not be disrespectful to me or other students in the room; (10) Do not pack your things until I tell you that class is over.
Grading Procedures: Course grades will be based on total quiz scores. Study questions and discussion posts are prerequisites for the quizzes and will be graded as "0" without a numerical score. Violations of the class internet and AI policy will result in negative scores as a penalty. Final grades will initially be based on a scale of 90%, 80%, 70%, and 60%, but I typically lower these thresholds for midterm and final grades. At any point during the semester, I may reevaluate a student s earlier assignment scores if issues such as dishonesty, failure to follow instructions, or miscalculation become apparent.
Extra Credit and Lottery Scholarships: No extra credit will be available for this course; students on scholarships should take notice of this.
Syllabus Subject to Change: The instructor reserves the right to revise, alter or amend this syllabus as necessary. Students will be notified in class or through email of any such changes.
Academic Integrity: The University of Tennessee at Martin has chosen as its primary objective quality undergraduate education. Commitment to this objective must include an obligation by all members of the University community to promote and protect the highest standards of integrity in study, research, instruction and evaluation. Dishonesty or unethical behavior does not belong at an institution dedicated to the promotion of knowledge and learning. Integrity of the academic process requires fair and impartial evaluation by faculty and honest academic conduct by students. Specific integrity attributes can be found: www.utm.edu/departments/conduct/new_academic_integrity.php
Standard of Conduct: When persons enroll in The University of Tennessee at Martin, they retain the rights and duties of a citizen. Additionally, they must assume the duties and observe the regulations imposed by the University community. Specific conduct attributes can be found: www.utm.edu/departments/conduct/conduct.php
Disability Services: The University of Tennessee provides reasonable accommodations (academic adjustments and auxiliary aids) to ensure equal access to educational content and university programs for students with disabilities. Students who are eligible for and who request accommodations through the Disability Services office must provide instructors with a letter of accommodation. The Disability Services office is located in the Student Success Center, 203 Clement Hall, (731) 881-7605.
KEY CAMPUS RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS
Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog: Listing of academic programs, courses, and policies (www.utm.edu/catalog.php).
Important Dates: add/drop, payments (www.utm.edu/departments/registrar/registration.php).
Student Success Center: Academic support resources (www.utm.edu/departments/success/).
Student Health and Counseling Services: Mental and physical health services (www.utm.edu/departments/shcs/).
Library: Access to library resources, databases, course reserves, and services (www.utm.edu/library.php).
Career Services: Career counseling and resources; Vault job search system (www.utm.edu/departments/careers).
Help Desk: computer and technology assistance (731-881-7900, www.utm.edu/help)