Philosophy depends on discussion -- and it's helpful in learning any subject to take in information through more than one sensory modailty, e.g. hearing as well as vision (reading) -- so I encourage regular attendance as a basic element of active participation in my courses. In cases of unavoidable absence, however, please contact another student for what you might have missed; there is no need to contact the instructor personally, unless there is an exam scheduled or a paper due that day. In the latter case, please contact the TA for the course, not the lecturer, and upon returning to class, bring documentation of the illness, signed by a health care professional.

Attendance does not count directly toward a student's grade, but it's a necessary condition of scoring high on whatever portion of the grade is set aside for class participation. Also, at the end of some courses, grades are "curved" to the extent of granting an upward adjustment to students who've actually been participants in the course, at least to the extent of exhibiting faithful attendance (barring emergencies) and courteous attention to what others have to say. (Behavior that distracts either class members or the instructor, such as wandering in and out of class at odd times or openly sleeping, is frowned -- and sometimes commented -- upon.)