Introduction to Philosophy

Philosophers study fundamental questions. Some fundamental questions we will discuss in this class will be: Can we prove that God exists (or is religion a matter of faith)? Is knowledge possible (or are our beliefs uncertain)? Are there universal standards of right and wrong (or does morality depend on culture)? We study such questions to better understand the universe and our place within it, as well as to improve our analytic and critical skills.

We will read and discuss works of western analytic philosophy. You will be asked to write essays on these readings and to demonstrate your understanding in examinations. The readings will show you some approaches that have been taken to these questions in the past. Rather than simply memorizing what others have said, we will seek to understand the problems, the proposed solutions, and the methods that philosophers use when considering such problems.

Instructor:

Dr. David Newman

Office: Weber House

Phone: 351-2574

Office Hours: MWF 1-2pm, and by appointment.

Electronic Mail: TBA

Dates and Times

Section 008: MWF 2:30-3:20pm, Candelaria 2375

Section 009: MWF 3:35-4:25pm, Candelaria 1260

Last Day to Drop: September 2, 2005

Last Day to Withdraw: October 14, 2005

Section 008 Final Exam: 10:45-1:15 Monday, December 5

Section 009 Final Exam: 1:30-4:00 Friday December 9

Texts:

Descartes, Rene, Meditations on First Philosophy, Hackett, Indianapolis, 1993.

Hume, David, Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Hackett, Indianapolis, 1993.

Melchert, Norman, Who’s to Say?, Hackett, Indianapolis, 1994.

Mill, John Stuart, Utilitarianism, Hackett, Indianapolis, 1979.

Moody, Todd C., Does God Exist?, Hackett, Indianapolis, 1996.

Plato, Trial & Death of Socrates, Hackett, Indianapolis, 2000.

Grading:

Attendance	100
Participation	100
Critical Reading Exercises (5)	200
Exams (6)	600
Total	1000

Attendance

Regular attendance is required except in cases of illness, emergency, or special circumstances. Attendance will be taken via a sign-in sheet. It is the student’s responsibility to sign in each day. If a student forgets to sign in, that will be considered an absence. Absences are excused only if the absence has been pre-approved by the professor or the absent student can document illness or emergency.

Participation

Student participation will be judged by the instructor. The instructor will consider such things as participation in class discussion, in-class exercises, group work, visits to office hours, and any other behavior that indicates active engagement with the class.

Critical Reading Exercises:

CREs are one-page exercises based on the material in a reading assignment. They must be typed double-spaced, with one-inch margins, and in a 12-point Times font or its equivalent. They must not be longer than one page since the second page will be discarded. Your full name and the section number must be on the back of the page. Electronic CREs will not be accepted. A CRE should be a critical comment about the text (positive or negative). Be critical and show original thought. Be concise and do not bother reviewing the material: you only have one page to get to the point, and the professor has read the article already.

Exams:

Exams will be in multiple-choice format. Each will cover one book. Many questions are intended to make you think about what you have read rather than simply memorizing.

Late Work:

Exams may be made up or work turned in late without penalty under the same conditions that attendance is excused. Unexcused late work will be penalized 20% per calendar day it is late.

Extra Credit:

There is no extra credit available. Students should be sure to earn the grade they desire through the regular assignments.

Cheating:

Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. If students are caught representing the work of others as their own, they will be subject to the university disciplinary process.

Reading:

Students are responsible for keeping up with the reading. You should read the material at least twice: once before we discuss it, and again after we have discussed it. You will need to read carefully: you can’t understand philosophy if you skim.

Record Keeping:

The instructor keeps all grades on a computer. You should keep all work returned to you since you may need to show it to the instructor to verify the grade if the instructor’s computer crashes or if the instructor records the grade incorrectly.

Student Behavior:

Students are expected to behave in a way that does not disrupt the class or interfere with other students’ learning. Students should not make or take telephone calls, conduct conversations with other students during lecture, listen to music, or bring food or drink into the classroom.

Tentative Course Schedule

Last Modified: August 28, 2005
By: David Newman