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

Every Thursday, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Academic Center 327
Sam Torgerson, 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, May 5. 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, Jan 28

(1) What is Philosophy? [show]

DF #1 is due at midnight (see D2L) [rubric]

Logic and Belief

Tue, Feb 2

(2) Analyzing Arguments [show]

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

Thu, Feb 4

(3) Deductive Logic [show]

Tue, Feb 9

(4) Inductive Logic [show]

Thu, Feb 11

(5) On Belief [show]

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

Socrates and Plato

Tue, Feb 16

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

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

Thu, Feb 18

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

Tue, Feb 23

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

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

Thu, Feb 25

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

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

Tue, Mar 1

— Exam #1 —

Ethics

Thu, Mar 3

(10) Why Be Moral? [show]

Tue, Mar 8

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

Thu, Mar 10

(12) Ethical Subjectivism [show]

Tue, Mar 15

(13) Aristotle’s Virtue Ethic [show]

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

Thu, Mar 17

(14) Mill’s Utilitarianism [show]

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

—— Spring Break ——

Tue, Mar 29

[Revised material to make up for the cancelled class on Thur, Mar 17: see the abbreviated reading and list of what you need to know how to do. You may ignore the material under item 14 (above); some of that has been included in item 15 (below).]

(15) Mill’s Utilitarianism & Kant’s Deontologism [show]

Epistemology

Thu, Mar 31

(16) What Can I Know? [show]

Tue, Apr 5

(17) Cartesian Dualism [show]

Thu, Apr 7

(18) Locke’s Empiricism [show]

Tue, Apr 12

— Exam #2 —

The Metaphysics of Being Human

Thu, Apr 14

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

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

Tue, Apr 19

(20) Minds and Machines [show]

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

Philosophy of Religion

Thu, Apr 21

(21) Believing and Disbelieving in God [show]

Tue, Apr 26

(22) Faith and Reason [show]

Thu, Apr 28

(23) The Argument from Design [show]

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

Tue, May 3

(24) The Problem of Evil [show]

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

Thu, May 5

(25) Pascal’s Wager [show]

Finals Week

— Exam #3 —

Monday, May 9, 8:00-9:50 a.m.

Manchester University // Registrar // Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies // Last updated: 26 Mar 2016