|
Course Text
Introduction to Philosophy: Classical and Contemporary Readings, edited by John Perry, Michael Bratman, John Martin Fischer
Course Description
This class is an introduction to philosophy concentrating on core issues in the field such as metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of religion, philosophy of mind, and logic. The course will be conducted through lectures and discussion sections.
Course Objectives
The course objectives are threefold: (1) to acquaint students with philosophical questions and introduce them to some major figures in the history of philosophy, (2) to encourage and facilitate careful and thoughtful reading of text, and (3) to improve critical thought and reasoning.
Course Requirements
Exams (80%):
There will be three in-class exams during the semester, and a final exam during finals week. Each exam is worth 20% of your course grade. Exams will be a combination of multiple choice, fill in the blank, and short answer.
Quizzes and Written Assignments (20%)
There will be a quiz or written assignment each week during the discussion section with your Graduate Assistant. There are 14 discussion section meetings. Your discussion section grade will be based on 10 of these assignments. You may attend more discussion meeting and assignments. If you do so, your best 10 will be counted. If a student attends less than 8 discussion sections and less than 8 discussion section quizzes/assignments, they will automatically receive a 0 for the Quizzes and Written Assignments portion of their grade.
Discussion Sections
Times and Locations:
Friday, 9:00-9:50 LA3 106
Friday, 9:00-9:50 LA3 107
Friday, 10:00-10:50 LA3 106
Friday, 10:00-10:50 LA3 107
Friday, 11:00-11:50 LA3 107
Friday, 11:00-11:50 LA3 204
Discussion sections are run by the Graduate Assistants. All quizzes and written assignments (not exams) are administered during the discussion sections. Discussion sections are also used for Exam preparation, in-depth discussion of material, and, at times, the presentation of new course material. You are required to attend at least 10 discussion sections to receive a full grade for quizzes and written assignments (see Course Requirements), and you must attend at least 8 discussion sections to receive any grade at all.
Lecture Topics, Reading Assignments, and Exams
January 29th – Introduction to Course, Syllabus, Course Expectations, Discussion Sections
January 31st – “On the Study of Philosophy” (Introduction, 1-8)
February 5th – “The Value of Philosophy” (9-12)
February 7th – “The Absurd” (21-27)
February 12th – “Apology: Defense of Socrates” (28-42)
February 14th – “The Myth of Sisyphus” (43-45)
February 19th – President’s Day – NO CLASS
February 21st – “The Meaning of Lives” (62-74)
February 26th – EXAM 1
February 28th – “The Ontological Argument” (78-79)
March 5th – “The Existence of God” (80-82)
March 7th – “The Wager” (82-86)
March 12th – “Dialogue on Good, Evil, and the Existence of God” (First Day, 133-145)
March 14th - “Dialogue on Good, Evil, and the Existence of God” (Second Morning, 145-151)
March 19th - “Dialogue on Good, Evil, and the Existence of God” (Second Afternoon, 151-156)
March 21st – EXAM 2
March 26th - “Meditations on First Philosophy” (Meditation I, 171-173)
March 28th – “Meditations on First Philosophy” (Meditation II & III, 173-182)
April 2nd – SPRING BREAK NO CLASS
April 4th – SPRING BREAK NO CLASS
April 9th – “Bad Dreams, Evil Demons, and the Experience Machine” (195-202)
April 11th – “An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding” (Section IV, 228-234)
April 16th – “The Argument from Analogy for Other Minds” (285-287) “Eliminative Materialism”
(321-325)
April 18th – “What is it Like to be a Bat?” (354-362)
April 23rd – EXAM 3
April 25th - “A Dialogue on Personal Identity and Immortality” (368-380)
April 30th – “A Dialogue on Personal Identity and Immortality” (380-388)
May 2nd – “Where Am I?” (412-420)
May 7th – “The Paradoxes of Time Travel” (On BeachBoard)
May 9th – Introduction to Aporetics and Paradoxes (782-789)
May 14th - Aporetics and Paradoxes (782-789)
May 16th - Aporetics and Paradoxes (782-789)
Final Examination Wednesday, May 23rd, 10:15am – 12:15pm.
|
