Philosophy Class: Participation, Quizzes, and Argument Basics

Quizzes, Grading, and Participation

• Quizzes policy
  • Students can take quizzes multiple times; the goal is to improve with each attempt.
  • If a student takes the quiz twice, the grade that counts is the higher one (accept your highest grade).
  • There is emphasis on using the textbook as a resource during quizzes.
  • Quizzes are tied to a small group assignment in the course.
  • A reminder to take quizzes with enough time; the aim is improvement, not penalty for retakes.
• Academic support resources
  • Academic coaches are available for students feeling overwhelmed or needing guidance.
  • Support includes access to academic coaches at the Academic Success Center; there is mention of tuition support in the dialogue, though it’s not framed as a tutor for this class.
  • If/when a tutor becomes available for this class, the instructor will announce it immediately.
  • The instructor suggests contacting academic coaches as a core resource for student success.
• Syllabus and participation as a grade component
  • Participation is part of the grade; the instructor will provide explicit guidance and a rubric.
  • Goals for participation include engagement with materials, respect for diverse opinions, active listening, and constructive commentary.
  • Evidence of engagement includes willingness to engage with course materials, respect for diverse opinions, listening carefully, and offering relevant commentary.
  • Students should avoid disruption, ridicule of others, and repeating questions already answered in the syllabus.
  • The class aims to cultivate thoughtful, respectful discussion.

Attendance and Participation Rubric

• Participation framework
  • The rubric assigns points toward the participation grade (Canvas shows a total of $20$ points for participation).
  • Absences are acknowledged; the instructor notes that illness, athletic commitments, and religious holidays may affect attendance.
  • Absent students should inform the instructor; the aim is to avoid uncommunicated disappearances.
• Levels of participation (descriptions from the rubric)
  • No participation: zero participation is possible, though this is discouraged.
  • Inadequate participation: often missing class without a legitimate excuse; not speaking or speaking disruptively; irrelevant contributions.
  • Occasional participation: speaks sometimes but with limited contribution; may present evidence infrequently.
  • Regular participation: almost always attend; contributes to discussions with evidence and relevant commentary; participates in small-group discussions.
  • Animated participation: aims to speak regularly, contribute ideas from other courses, discuss implications, and push the discussion deeper.
  • Creative/enthusiastic participation: participates with noticeable enthusiasm; helps move the discussion forward and connects ideas across contexts.
• Practical notes on participation
  • The instructor emphasizes “choose your own adventure” regarding participation; emphasis is on intellectual engagement rather than judging the person.
  • The rubric is designed to be explicit so students understand how to achieve higher participation grades.
  • The rubric accounts for common life events (illness, religious holidays, sports commitments) and asks for advance communication when possible.

Goals, Note-Taking, and Reflection

• Daily activity: goal setting
  • Students start by writing goals on notecards (quantitative and qualitative goals).
  • At the end of class, students reflect on whether they achieved those goals and turn in the notecards.
  • Attendance for the day is captured through this activity.
• Quantitative and qualitative goals
  • Quantitative goals example: number of times you want to talk, questions you want to answer, or attempts to answer a quiz question.
  • Qualitative goals example: listening carefully, building on others’ ideas, referring back to the text, avoiding interrupting, and contributing relevant commentary.
  • The instructor encourages setting explicit, specific goals (e.g., “I will speak at least once in small group discussion”).
• Note-taking on participation
  • On some days, students will tally how many times they talk and note what they contributed (interesting comments, questions asked, answers given).
  • After setting goals, students take notes during class and reflect at the end.
• Example student interactions
  • Students share examples of goals (e.g., “talk at least once today,” “answer two questions,” “referring to the text in my remarks”).
  • The instructor prompts for specificity and accountability (e.g., what kind of evidence will you reference? how will you move the conversation forward?).

Quiz Review: Philosophical Concepts and Readings

• Context for quiz discussions
  • The instructor mentions continuing discussions from a previous class period (e.g., “arc welder” discussion) and tying them to readings.
  • The quiz includes questions about famous quotes and their interpretation, as well as distinctions between disciplines.
• Key readings and quotes discussed
  • Bertrand Russell (1912), The Problems of Philosophy: Russell’s view on the value of philosophy and a passage used in quiz questions.
  • The Socrates quote commonly attributed to philosophy: often cited as “the unexamined life is not worth living” (notes: the transcript contains both the familiar phrasing and a garbled version; the common correct form is not worth living for an unexamined life).
  • Shauna Shiffrin: philosophy is not exclusively about identifying failures but also about charitable interpretation and reconstructing arguments in the best light.
• Quiz feedback and learning outcomes
  • Students performed well overall; some questions caused confusion, particularly those involving technical terms and precise textbook definitions.
  • The instructor emphasizes avoiding reliance on everyday definitions (e.g., Google search definitions) for technical terms; students should reference textbook definitions and class usage.

Technical Terms: Definitions, Distinctions, and Examples

• Core terms and definitions (as used in class)
  • Argument: a sequence of statements aimed at establishing or supporting a conclusion.
  • Premise: a statement asserted within the argument, possibly supported elsewhere; not necessarily proven within the immediate argument.
  • Conclusion: the claim the argument seeks to establish or support.
  • Validity: an argument is valid if and only if it is impossible for all its premises to be true while its conclusion is false. In logical notation: $ext{valid} \iff \neg( ext{Premises true} \land \text{Conclusion false})$
  • Soundness: an argument is sound if it is valid and all its premises are true. In notation: $ext{sound} \iff ( ext{valid} \land \text{all premises true})$
• Common clarifications
  • Valid does not imply the argument is good or true; a valid argument could have false premises.
  • A sound argument is always valid and has true premises; hence its conclusion must be true.
• Special terms and distinctions from the quiz discussion
  • Premises are not the same as premises in everyday sense; some premises may be supported elsewhere in the text.
  • The most important definitions come from the textbook and in-class usage, not just common-sense definitions.
• Examples discussed in class
  • An explicit example given: a sequence where if all premises were true, the conclusion would necessarily follow (valid). If premises are true and the conclusion follows, the argument is sound; if premises are false, even with a valid form, the argument may not be sound.
  • In some cases, even a valid argument can be a poor argument if its premises are dubious; soundness ensures reliability by truth of premises.
• Practical takeaway for exam preparation
  • Be able to identify premises, conclusions, and the logical relation between them.
  • Distinguish between validity and soundness; recognize that validity concerns form, while soundness requires truth of premises.
  • Be prepared to explain why a technical term (e.g., argument, premise, conclusion, validity, soundness) is used in a specific way in philosophy rather than relying on everyday language.

Reading-Based Quiz Questions: Examples and Close Reading

• Russell on philosophy
  • Passage: Russell argues philosophy is valuable and can sustain a sense of wonder by examining familiar things from a new angle; philosophy resists the “prison” of habitual belief and opens up new perspectives.
  • A quiz item asks why philosophy is valuable according to Russell; a volunteer reads the passage from The Problems of Philosophy (1912).
• Socrates and “the unexamined life”
  • The quiz references the famous Socratic claim that an unexamined life is not worth living; discussion centers on what this means and whether it is authentic or in need of interpretation.
• Shauna Shiffrin on philosophical study
  • Philosophy is not exclusively about identifying failures; alongside critical analysis, students should read charitably, reconstruct arguments, and consider the author’s aims.
• Practical quiz tips emphasized in class
  • Technical terms in philosophy may not align with everyday language; rely on textbook definitions and the way terms are used in the class.
  • Some quiz items involve matching technical terms to their textbook definitions, which can be tricky because technical terms don’t always map to everyday meanings.

Small Group Discussion: Structure and Prompts

• Group formation and process
  • The instructor allocates groups (e.g., groups of three) for small-group discussion after the quiz review.
  • Students are reminded of their participation goals and encouraged to recount what they said during the review.
• Discussion prompts
  • Question 1: How is philosophy different from the other subjects you’ve studied before?
  • Question 2: What stands out to you as good reasons to study philosophy? Pick your top three.
• Real-time group dynamics
  • Some group arrangements are adjusted to accommodate absences or scheduling needs (e.g., students with clinicals or other commitments may need alternate groups).
• Reflections and takeaways from discussion
  • Students share perspectives on what makes philosophy unique (subjectivity, emphasis on argument and reasoning) and what motivates study (critical thinking, analysis, ethical reasoning).
  • The groups include a variety of student experiences and majors, highlighting the interdisciplinary relevance of philosophical study.

Connections, Implications, and Real-World Relevance

• Ethical and collaborative implications
  • Respect for diverse opinions and civil discourse is framed as essential for learning and for the class community.
  • Charitable interpretation promotes constructive feedback and mutual understanding, aligning with scholarly practices in philosophy.
• Practical implications for study habits
  • Explicit goal-setting and reflective practice are designed to foster metacognition and continuous improvement.
  • The emphasis on attendance, preparation, and active participation supports long-term academic success across disciplines.
• Foundational principles emphasized
  • Critical thinking, logical analysis, and argument reconstruction are core to philosophy but also transferable to other fields.
  • The course links theory (concepts like validity and soundness) to practice (analysis of quiz questions and group discussions).

Example Readings and Notable Quotes (from the session)

• Bertrand Russell, The Problems of Philosophy (1912)
  • Readings used to illustrate the value of philosophy and the way arguments are presented in texts.
• Socrates on the examined life
  • The familiar maxim about the examined life, used in quiz discussions to evaluate the purpose and impact of philosophical study.
• Shauna Shiffrin on interpretation
  • The practice of charitable interpretation alongside identifying failures in arguments.

Quick Reference: Key Formulas and Definitions (LaTeX)

• Validity
  • An argument is valid iff it is impossible for all its premises to be true and its conclusion to be false: $ext{valid} \iff \\neg( ext{Premises true} \land \text{Conclusion false})$
• Soundness
  • An argument is sound iff it is valid and all its premises are true: $ext{sound} \iff ( ext{valid} \land \text{all premises true})$
• Premise
  • A statement asserted without proof within the current argument (and may be supported elsewhere): $ext{Premise} = ext{a statement asserted without proof within the argument}$
• Conclusion
  • The claim the argument seeks to establish or support: $ext{Conclusion} = ext{the claim the argument seeks to establish or support}$
• Russell’s quote (summarized)
  • Philosophy is valuable because it sustains a sense of wonder and challenges habitual belief, often opening familiar things to new interpretation.

Exam Preparation Takeaways

• Be comfortable identifying and distinguishing key terms: argument, premise, conclusion, validity, and soundness.
• Practice distinguishing textbook definitions from everyday language usage when answering quiz questions.
• Be prepared to discuss how philosophy differs from other disciplines and to articulate three strong reasons to study philosophy.
• Use the ideas of charitable interpretation and constructive critique when analyzing others’ arguments.
• Develop and review concrete goals for class participation, and maintain a brief tally of contributions to monitor progress toward the participation rubric.
• Review the quiz material on Russell, Socrates, and Shauna Shiffrin to understand the interpretation of philosophical texts and the value of close reading.