INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY (PHIL 201)

Reading and Assignment Schedule

Required Texts

• Naragon, “A Book is a Machine to Help One Think”: An Introduction to Philosophy (Fall 2015)

• Plato, Five Dialogues, 2nd ed. (Hackett)

• René Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy (Hackett)

Most of the assigned readings are found immediately following the relevant chapter in the textbook (Naragon, “A Book is a Machine” ...). Readings marked as “Naragon, §§” refer to sections in the textbook. Additional readings, videos, audio files, and films listed under “Other Resources” are for interested students wanting to explore a topic further and/or who would like to write an “Extra Credit Journal” [see].

The films listed under “Other Resources” usually include a link to a trailer, so that you can acquire some sense of the film before watching it (the extra credit journal is to be over the film, of course, and not the trailer).

Please note: These reading materials are not like the Sunday cartoons or some easy-reading blogsite. You will need to read and re-read this material, taking notes to help you follow the line of thought. There will be a quiz on the readings nearly every day. To prepare for these, you should look at the items under “What you need to know how to do” for that day, read the materials closely, then re-examine that list of what you are supposed to know how to do, and re-read the material, if necessary. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to understand the readings!

Philosophy Study Table

Sunday, 6-7 PM, and Tuesday, 7-8 PM, at the Success Center
Shannon Lee, tutor

Assignments

Due dates for the Discussion Forum postings and comments are listed below; the topics are described on the “Writing” page [see]. You may submit these materials as early as you like; the deadline for Discussion Forum postings and comments is always midnight of the day for which they are listed.

Extra credit journals [see] are always due seven days after the day for which they are listed (under “Other Resources”) — except for the last week of the semester: all work needs to be submitted by Thursday, December 8. All of these are to be submitted through the appropriate drop box in D2L. Late work can still be submitted, but it will be penalized. I encourage you to submit work early, when you can.

Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives (or learning competencies) are listed with the materials given for each class day (click on the [show] links). These objectives are normally prefaced with some verb: identify, describe, distinguish, diagram, define, use, construct, explain, evaluate, compare, discuss. You may click on these terms for a brief description and example of what I have in mind.

Thu, Aug 27

(1) What is Philosophy? [show]

Discussion Forum #1 is due (see D2L)

Logic and Belief

Tue, Sep 1

(2) Analyzing Arguments [show]

Comments on DF #1 are due (see D2L) [rubric]

Thu, Sep 3

(3) Deductive Logic [show]

Tue, Sep 8

(4) Inductive Logic [show]

Thu, Sep 10

(5) On Belief [show]

Discussion Forum #2 is due (see D2L) [rubric]

Socrates and Plato

Tue, Sep 15

(6) Plato’s Apology: The Role of the Philosopher [show]

Comments on DF #2 are due (see D2L) [rubric]

Thu, Sep 17

(7) Plato’s Meno: The Benefits of Philosophy [show]

Tue, Sep 22

(8) Plato’s Euthyphro: The Nature of Definitions [show]

Discussion Forum #3 is due (see D2L) [rubric]

Thu, Sep 24

(9) Plato’s Crito: The Citizen and the State [show]

Comments on DF #3 are due (see D2L) [rubric]

Tue, Sep 29

— Exam #1 —

Ethics

Thu, Oct 1

(10) Why Be Moral? [show]

Tue, Oct 6

(11) From Moral Intuition to Moral Theory [show]

Discussion Forum #4 is due (see D2L) [rubric]

Thu, Oct 8

(12) Ethical Subjectivism [show]

Comments on DF #4 are due (see D2L) [rubric]

Tue, Oct 13 — Fall Break

Thu, Oct 15

(13) Aristotle’s Virtue Ethic [show]

Discussion Forum #5 is due (see D2L) [rubric]

Tue, Oct 20

(14) Mill’s Utilitarianism [show]

Comments on DF #5 are due (see D2L) [rubric]

Thu, Oct 22

(15) Kant’s Deontologism [show]

Epistemology

Tue, Oct 27

(16) What Can I Know? [show]

Thu, Oct 29

(17) Cartesian Dualism [show]

Tue, Nov 3

(18) Locke’s Empiricism [show]

Thu, Nov 5

— Exam #2 —

The Metaphysics of Being Human

Tue, Nov 10

(19) Minds, Brains, and Selves [show]

Thu, Nov 12

(20) Minds and Machines [show]

Discussion Forum #6 is due (see D2L) [rubric]

Philosophy of Religion

Tue, Nov 17

(21) Believing and Disbelieving in God [show]

Comments on DF #6 are due (see D2L) [rubric]

Thu, Nov 19

(22) Faith and Reason [show]

Tue, Nov 24

(23) The Argument from Design [show]

Discussion Forum #7 is due (see D2L) [rubric]

Thu, Nov 26 — Thanksgiving

Tue, Dec 1

(24) The Problem of Evil [show]

Comments on DF #7 are due (see D2L) [rubric]

Thu, Dec 3

(25) Pascal’s Wager [show]

Finals Week

— Exam #3 —

11:00 a.m. section: Tuesday, Dec. 8, 10:30-12:20.

12:30 p.m. section: Wednesday, Dec. 9, 3:30-5:20.

Manchester University // Registrar // Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies // Last updated: 21 Nov 2015