INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY
Manchester College, Summer 2010 — ONLINE Instructor: Steve Naragon
Reading and Assignment Schedule
Required Texts
• Naragon, “A Book is a Machine to Help One Think”: An Introduction to Philosophy (Spring 2010)
• Plato, Five Dialogues, 2nd ed. (Hackett) [ISBN-10: 0872206335]
• René Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy, 4th ed. (Hackett) [ISBN-10: 0872204200]
Most of the assigned readings are found in the latter half of the textbook (Naragon, “A Book is a Machine” ...), and are indicated by author and title. Readings marked as “Naragon, §§” refer to sections in the first half of 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 would like to write an “Extra Credit Journal” (see “Writing”).
These reading materials are not like the Sunday cartoons or some easy-reading blogsite. You will need to read and re-read this material, making notes in the margins to help you follow the line of thought. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to understand the material!
Assignments
Most of the days in the schedule below will show something due: a quiz, a discussion forum post, or comments on a post. That is the last possible day for submitting the work without penalty. These days end at midnight; anything submitted after midnight is penalized one point, and an additional point every additional 24 hours. I encourage you to submit your work early.
The course material is arranged into twenty-five modules. These modules include learning objectives, readings, and additional resources — click on the [show] buttons to open each module. On average, you will need to complete one module each day. Most Wednesdays (and all week-ends) are left free of assignments; this is for you to catch up, catch your breath, or work ahead.
Read or view the materials listed with each module, work through the practice quiz for that module, read some more until you are confident that you understand the material, and then take the graded quiz. The practice quizzes and graded quizzes are available (and to be completed) on ANGEL.
About once each week you will need to write a Discussion Forum post, and comment on the posts of two other students (for a total of eight posts and sixteen comments). These are submitted into the numbered drop-box on ANGEL.
Finally, we will meet in Second Life every Tuesday and Thursday — except for the first and last Tuesday’s of the term. That is a total of twelve meetings, and you need to attend only ten of these meetings to receive a full score. This also includes an introductory meeting in Second Life on May 26 (Wednesday) to help everyone get oriented with Second Life and the class itself.
Any Extra Credit journals you might choose to write are due at midnight two days after they are posted.
Feel free to work ahead! The discussions in Second Life will follow the schedule below, but otherwise you are free to work as quickly as you can.
Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives (or learning competencies) are listed with the module given for each class day (click on [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.
Tue, May 25
(1) What is Philosophy? [show]
Quiz due (see ANGEL).
* Discussion Forum #1 is due (see ANGEL) [rubric]
Wed, May 26
Meet here in Second Life (10-11 AM or 9-10 PM EDT).
Discussion Topic: Orientation to Second Life. Come prepared to explore and have fun. For directions on getting started, see What You’ll Need. After we’re settled in, I’d like to look at Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”: What are the key elements in the allegory? What do they symbolize? Have there been any events in your life that felt like you were leaving or re-entering Plato’s Cave?
* Comments on DF #1 are due (see ANGEL) [rubric]
Logic and Belief
Thu, May 27
(2) Analyzing Arguments [show]
Meet here in Second Life (10-11 AM or 9-10 PM EDT).
Discussion Topic: Let’s begin with your questions on The Mind is a Machine, §§4-5 (Argument Analysis and Extended Arguments); everyone should come prepared with a question or two. I’ll have a few informational slides and some practice exercises to make sure you understand this material.
Quiz due (see ANGEL).
Fri, May 28
(3) Deductive Logic [show]
Quiz due (see ANGEL).
Mon, May 31
(4) Inductive Logic [show]
Quiz due (see ANGEL).
Tue, Jun 1
(5) On Belief [show]
Meet here in Second Life (10-11 AM or 9-10 PM EDT).
Discussion Topic: We'll be going over basic terminology of deductive and inductive logic, as well as some practice exercises.
Quiz due (see ANGEL).
Wed, Jun 2
* Discussion Forum #2 is due (see ANGEL) [rubric]
Socrates and Plato
Thu, Jun 3
(6) Plato’s Apology: The Role of the Philosopher [show]
Meet here in Second Life (10-11 AM or 9-10 PM EDT).
Discussion Topic: Let’s first discuss Plato’s Apology. Why did a democracy like Athens execute a man like Socrates? What was Socrates wanting to do with his life? What was his conception of the good life? Do you see any connections between Plato’s dialogue and Sartre’s short story?
Quiz due (see ANGEL).
* Comments on DF #2 are due (see ANGEL) [rubric]
Fri, Jun 4
(7) Plato’s Meno: The Benefits of Philosophy [show]
Quiz due (see ANGEL).
Mon, Jun 7
(8) Plato’s Euthyphro: The Nature of Definitions [show]
Quiz due (see ANGEL).
* Discussion Forum #3 is due (see ANGEL) [rubric]
Tue, Jun 8
(9) Plato’s Crito: The Citizen and the State [show]
Meet here in Second Life (10-11 AM or 9-10 PM EDT).
Discussion Topic: We will discuss the Euthyphro, the Crito, and King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.”
Quiz due (see ANGEL).
* Comments on DF #3 are due (see ANGEL) [rubric]
Ethics
Wed, Jun 9
(10) Why Be Moral? [show]
Quiz due (see ANGEL).
Thu, Jun 10
(11) From Moral Intuition to Moral Theory [show]
Meet here in Second Life (10-11 AM or 9-10 PM EDT).
Discussion Topic: Ethics! What is it, and where does it come from? Are humans selfish by nature? What does Singer’s discussion of the Prisoners’ Dilemma suggest to us here? Finally: Do our moral beliefs ever change? If so, why?
Quiz due (see ANGEL).
* Discussion Forum #4 is due (see ANGEL) [rubric]
Fri, Jun 11
(12) Ethical Subjectivism [show]
Quiz due (see ANGEL).
* Comments on DF #4 are due (see ANGEL) [rubric]
Mon, Jun 14
(13) Aristotle’s Virtue Ethic [show]
* Discussion Forum #5 is due (see ANGEL) [rubric]
Tue, Jun 15
(14) Mill’s Utilitarianism [show]
Meet here in Second Life.
Quizzes #13 & #14 due (see ANGEL).
Wed, Jun 16
* Comments on DF #5 are due (see ANGEL) [rubric]
Thu, Jun 17
(15) Kant’s Deontologism [show]
Meet here in Second Life (10-11 AM or 9-10 PM EDT).
Discussion Topic: [We will not meet in Second Life today]
Quiz #15 due (see ANGEL).
Epistemology
Fri, Jun 18
(16) What Can I Know? [show]
Review Quiz on modules 10-15 due (see ANGEL).
Mon, Jun 21
(17) Cartesian Dualism [show]
Tue, Jun 22
(18) Locke’s Empiricism [show]
Meet here in Second Life (Note time change: 9-10 AM or 9-10 PM EDT).
Discussion Topic:
Quizzes #16, #17, & #18 due (see ANGEL).
* Discussion Forum #6 is due (see ANGEL) [rubric]
Wed, Jun 23
* Comments on DF #6 are due (see ANGEL) [rubric]
Review Quiz on modules 16-18 due (see ANGEL).
The Metaphysics of Being Human
Thu, Jun 24
(19) Minds, Brains, and Selves [show]
Meet here in Second Life (10-11 AM or 9-10 PM EDT).
Discussion Topic:
Quiz #19 due (see ANGEL).
Fri, Jun 25
Mon, Jun 28
(20) Minds and Machines [show]
* Discussion Forum #7 is due (see ANGEL) [rubric]
Tue, Jun 29
(21) Are We Free? [show]
Meet here in Second Life (Note time change: 9-10 AM or 9-10 PM EDT).
Quizzes #20 & #21 due (see ANGEL).
* Comments on DF #7 are due (see ANGEL) [rubric]
Discussion Topic:
Wed, Jun 30
Review Quiz on modules 19-21 due (see ANGEL).
Philosophy of Religion
Thu, Jul 1
(22) Believing and Disbelieving in God [show]
Meet here in Second Life (10-11 AM or 9-10 PM EDT).
Discussion Topic:
Quiz #22 due (see ANGEL).
Fri, Jul 2
(23) Faith and Reason [show]
Quiz #23 due (see ANGEL).
Mon, Jul 5
(24) The Argument from Design [show]
Quiz #24 due (see ANGEL).
* Discussion Forum #8 is due (see ANGEL) [rubric]
Tue, Jul 6
(25) The Problem of Evil [show]
Quiz #25 due (see ANGEL).
Review Quiz on modules 22-25 due (see ANGEL).
* Comments on DF #8 are due (see ANGEL) [rubric]
Manchester College // Registrar // Department of Religion and Philosophy // Last updated: 18 May 2010