INTRO TO PHILOSOPHY: SURVEY OF PROBLEMS

COURSE SYNOPSIS

PREREQUISITE: Completion of ENG 21 or Eng 22 or ESL 15 or Placement in ENG 100 or ENG 102.

TEXT: Looking at Philosophy, by Donald Palmer.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Introduction to Philosophy: Survey of problems, will look at major philosophers, methods and central issues in western philosophy. Discussion will focus on such problems as our knowledge of reality, free will verses determinism, the relationship between mind and body, the soul, morality, ethics, and the existence of God. Great philosophical issues, theories and controversies, are examined, in a historical survey. From the origins of Western Philosophy to contemporary trends, the central issues, problems and major figures in the history of philosophy will be studied.

COURSE PURPOSE:

To facilitate development of students understanding and application of the basic principles of philosophy. By applying a critical thinking approach in surveying some of the major figures and issues in philosophy, students will learn the value of philosophy first hand. Further, to critically examine and learn to appreciate the values, beliefs and attitudes of one's own and others World-Views.

COURSE OUTCOMES: Students will:

• Understand, recognize and demonstrate knowledge of some major figures and perennial problems in the history of western philosophy, using appropriate philosophical terminology.
• Demonstrate an appreciation for philosophy as an academic discipline by engaging in discussions, texts, artifacts, concepts, processes as well as theories and issues of philosophical concern.
• Use their understanding to examine their own and others, 'World Views' and belief systems.
• Think critically and express ideas, values and opinions adequately, by engaging in free and open discussion of competing ideas.
• Demonstrate an ability to inquire into methods of study and reflection on and argumentation of ideas that are relevant to philosophical inquiry.
• Define, describe and apply some of the basic concepts of major areas of philosophical inquiry: Metaphysics, Epistemology, Logic, Axiology, Social and Political Philosophy and Theology.
• Use methods of philosophical inquiry, i.e., Critical Thinking, Critical Reading, Critical Writing and various epistemological criteria to test validity and reliability of belief .

METHOD OF INSTRUCTION:

Lectures, demonstrations, readings and interactive class discussion, argumentation and debate.

EVALUATION:

Written Assignments ..... 60%

Attendance ..................... 30%

Internet searches ........... 10%

Participation, Preparedness and timely completion of written assignments will be considered when determining your grade. Any student missing a total of two weeks, during the semester, will receive an F grade. All disappears will receive an F grade. All students must abide by the Student Code of Conduct. Any student with a documented disability who would like to request accommodations should contact Karen Kane at ex. 30702, as early in the semester as possible.
In order to do well in this class you must:

1.  Show up for class.  2.  participate.  3.  Do the work.

SCHEDULE: LECTURE & READING:

Week:

1. ....... Introduction/Orientation: What is philosophy? 

2. ....... The Pre-Socratics: Superstition v/s a Naturalistic world view.

3. ....... Socrates and Protagoras: Relativism v/s Normative Ethics.

4. ....... Plato: Rationalism/Normative Ethics.

5. ....... Aristotle: Empiricism: Entelechy/Teleology. (1^st Essay)

6. ....... Hellenistic Period: Epicures - The Stoics - Pleasure/Coping.

7. ....... Aquinas - Descartes: Faith/Reason

8. ....... Descartes: Mind/Body - Religion/Science/Interactionism.

9. ....... British Empiricism: Locke: Representative Realism. (2nd Essay)

10. ..... Berkley: Idealism.

11. ..... Hume: Skepticism.

12. ..... Kant: Formalism/Deontology.  (3rd Essay)

13. ..... Mill: Social Utilitarianism. Marx: Dialectical Materialism.

14. ..... Existentialism: Kierkegaard, Nietzsche and Sartre: 

15. ..... James - Perice: Pragmatism/Pragmaticism.  (Final Essay)

Reading assignments:

Week 1 and 2

1.    Introduction and chapter one.

Week 3

1.    Chapter two, The Philosophy of Plato

Week 4

Aristotle

Week 5 and 6

1.    Descartes

Week 7-9

The British Empiricists

Week 10

Kant

Week 11

Utilitarianism

Week 12

Existentialism

Week 13-14

Wittgenstein

Week 15 

Pragmatism

Class Notes:

1.    Create a file.  Store all your work during the semester.

2.    Click here for books all first year college students should read:

                                The Apology:   http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/p/plato/

                                                                                                        or 

                                                                             http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/apology.html

                             The Symposium: http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/ancient/plato-symposium.txt  

                                                                                                        or                      

                                                                               http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/p/plato/p71sy/symposium.html

                                                    Flatland               

http://books.google.com/books?id=HKackp-vG YC&dq=Flat+LAnd&pg=PP1&ots=Uquv6AxLsl&sig=mx9mSL8gYdICM7llqTYOeg0iv3M&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result

                    Click here for: 

                1.    Writing a Philosophy Essay

                2.    Essay Format

     3.    http://www.hawaii.edu/ecafe

Assigned Internet Searches:   

You will be required to do at least 10 Internet searches on selected topics during the semester.      

1.    Lilith

2.    Flat Earth

3.    Nicola Tesla

4.    Kumulipo

5.    A creation myth other than your own

6.   The Gettier Problem

7.    The Problem of Induction

8.    The Naturalistic Fallacy

9.    Smeet (artificial meat)

10.   The Greek Elements

Internet Search links:

Please visit these interesting sites found by students in your class.

1.    Rachel person found these sites.

Lilith:

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1513/whats-the-story-on-lilith-adams-first-wife
http://jewishchristianlit.com/Topics/Lilith/

Flat Earth society:

http://www.alaska.net/~clund/e_djublonskopf/Flatearthsociety.htm
http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/fe-scidi.htm

2.    Michael person found these sites:

Lilith:

http://www.lilitu.com/lilith/historical.html http://witcombe.sbc.edu/eve-women/7evelilith.html http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=421&letter=L http://www.answers.com/topic/lilith http://www.pantheon.org/articles/l/lilith.html http://www.geocities.com/aquarianessence/lilith.html http://www.halexandria.org/dward382.htm http://www2.kenyon.edu/Depts/Religion/Projects/Reln91/Power/lilith.htm http://www.bib-arch.org/e-features/lilith.asp http://www.timelessmyths.com/mirrors/lilith.php

Flat Earth

http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/flatearth.html http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/fe-scidi.htm http://www.positiveatheism.org/writ/flatearth.htm http://www.physics.smu.edu/pseudo/FlatEarth/ http://www.ethicalatheist.com/docs/flat_earth_myth.html http://www.bede.org.uk/flatearth.htm http://www.christiananswers.net/q-aig/aig-c034.html http://www.veritas-ucsb.org/library/russell/FlatEarth.html http://www.somethingawful.com/d/weekend-web/flat-earth-society.php http://sol.sci.uop.edu/~jfalward/Flat_Earth.htm

                    Lindsey person found this site:

                    The History of Philosophy in 5 minutes

                    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltuX_DmwPZk&feature=related

         Michael person found these sites on Tesla:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGmMWuIfNt4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ErM8vJK7L4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8Y6HJlfxPM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI6xw92kNgw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79_pPxSiJhU&feature=related

         Donna person Found this site on Tesla, really good visdeo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gt8Y93k0pB0

Dana person found these very interesting sites:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLlSySWuoiA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tm0Uq08xXhY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1awvC1l7mM&feature=related

The Gettier Problem

http://www.siue.edu/~wlarkin/teaching/PHIL310/gettier.html
http://www.philosophyofinformation.net/publications/pdf/otluotgp.pdf
http://www.philosophysquirrel.org/Classes/Phil302/Notes/Gettier3.pdf
 

The Problem of Induction
http://www.princeton.edu/~grosen/puc/phi203/induction.html
http://broodsphilosophy.wordpress.com/2009/02/11/the-problem-of-induction/
http://wapedia.mobi/en/Problem_of_induction
 

The Naturalistic Fallacy
http://www.epjournal.net/filestore/ep023246.pdf
http://www.c2.com/cgi/wiki?NaturalisticFallacy

Chandler person found these sites:

www.iep.utm.edu/gettier/

dieoff.org/page126.htm

www.utilitarian.org/texts/prior.html

Leif person found these sites:

Problem of induction
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/induction-problem/
http://www.proginosko.com/docs/induction.html

Naturalistic Fallacy
http://www.jimpryor.net/teaching/courses/epist/notes/gettier.html

        Jenea person found these sites:

            United Nations Declaration of Human Rights

      http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/

            Problem of induction

            Cows genetically altered to not feel pain.

             http://ireland.indymedia.org/article/93989

             Schmeat

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/11/test-tube-meat-aka-shmeat_n_150037.html

Chyenne person found these sites on the  Greek Elements.

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_element
 http://www.webwinds.com/myth/elemental.htm
 http://www.kheper.net/topics/cosmology/elements.html
 http://www.friesian.com/elements.htm

Mary person found these really good sites

http://www.stjustin.com/sjmbio.htm

  http://www.princeton.edu/~grosen/puc/phi203/induction.html

  http://www.erenkrantz.com/Humor/SevenDirtyWords.shtml

  http://www.answers.com/topic/open-question

  http://www.fallacyfiles.org/adnature.html

  http://www.friesiam.com/elements

Kewena person found these sites:

Shmeat:
http://www.healthkicker.com/696114732/would-you-eat-shmeat-to-prevent-animal-cruelty/

Shmeat:
http://www.lime.com/magazines?uri=wholelifetimes.com/lime/2009/03/healthyliving0903.html

Human Rights:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Pages/WhatareHumanRights.aspx

Michael person found these sites on the Two-slit experiment in Quantum Physics:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfPeprQ7oGc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXvAla2y9wc

Cheyenne person found these sites:

Shmeat

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90235492

Universal declaration of human rights:

http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/

Cows that feel no pain:

http://fitnessfortheoccasion.wordpress.com/2009/09/04/cows-that-feel-no-pain/

Shaymyn person found these sites on the Naturalist Fallacy:

http://www.utilitarian.org/texts/prior.html

http://skepticwiki.org/index.php/Naturalistic_Fallacy

http://www.iscid.org/encyclopedia/Naturalistic_Fallacy

Joann person found these sites on:

Problem of Induction:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problem_of_induction

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/induction-problem/

http://dieoff.org/page126.htm

http://www.proginosko.com/docs/induction.html

http://www.princeton.edu/~grosen/puc/phi203/induction.html

Moller Flying car:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moller_Skycar_M400

http://www.moller.com/skycar.htm

http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/reader_rides/4308953.html

http://blogs.edmunds.com/straightline/2009/08/moller-skycar-could-be-used-by-us-military-in-afghanistan.html

Smoking Animals:

http://www.smokinganimals.com/facts.html

Funded by the U.S. government, ORPRC experimenter Eliot Spindel acknowledges that "the deleterious effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy are all too well established." Yet his five year study, during which he will kill the baby monkeys and dissect their lungs, is funded (with tax money) through 2004

http://blogcritics.org/scitech/article/the-strange-case-of-smoking-animals/

http://globalphilosophy.blogspot.com/2006/05/strange-case-of-smoking-an_114850474711282822.html

Saudi Arabian Prince torturing his own people:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/correspondent/2480379.stm

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2009/04/27/2003442090

http://article.wn.com/view/2009/04/27/UAE_princes_torture_of_Afghan_revealed_on_video/

http://www.ccadp.org/williamsampson.htm

Soylent Green:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soylent_Green

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