Dr. Larry Carlin
Philosophy 109: Introduction to Philosophy
Fall 2008
Office Location: Polk 62 (basement of library)
Office Hours: MWF 4-5 PM, and by appointment
Phone: 424-1368 (with voice mail)
E-Mail: Carlin@uwosh.edu (this is the best way to reach me)
Course Web Site: http://www.uwosh.edu/faculty_staff/carlin/introhome.html
Course Text: Exploring Philosophy: An Introductory
Anthology, Steven M. Cahn, ed. SECOND EDITION (Oxford
UP, 2005) (EP)
Course Description
This course is designed to introduce students to a number of philosophical issues
that have fascinated humankind for centuries. We will ask such questions
as: Is it reasonable to believe in the existence of God? Do human beings have
freedom of the will, or are all their actions determined? What makes certain
actions right (moral) and others wrong (immoral)? Is the death penalty morally
acceptable? We will critically examine answers that have been offered
to these, and other questions. Since emphasis is placed on a critical
examination of these issues, this course is also designed to enhance reading,
writing, and reasoning skills. We will take a look at what makes an argument
a good/bad one, and apply what we learn to a host of arguments concerning the
most intriguing intellectual issues. Careful attention to these issues proves
highly rewarding, and this material could very well be the most exciting material
you have ever studied!
Course Schedule (Subject to Change)
Introduction
Reading:
Plato, “Euthyphro,” EP 218-236
1. Logic
Reading:
Logic Handout (click here to access)
Wesley Salmon, “The Scope of Logic,” EP
43-50
2. Philosophical Theology
Reading:
René Descartes, “Meditations on First Philosophy,” EP 239-241
Ernest Nagel, “Does God Exist?,” EP 183-191
Antony Flew and Basil Mitchell, “Theology and Falsification,”
EP 202-206
Richard Swinburne, “Why God Allows Evil,” EP
191-202
David Hume, “An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding,”
EP 241-247
Monroe and Elizabeth Beardsley, “Do Miracles Occur?”
EP 206-209
3. Epistemology
Reading:
René Descartes, “Meditations on First Philosophy,” EP 126-129
Plato, “Meno,” EP 120-124
Edmund Gettier, “Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?,”
(E-reserve)
4. Philosophy of Mind
Reading:
René Descartes, “Meditations on First Philosophy,” EP 174-180
Richard Taylor, “The Mind as a Function of the Body,”
EP 147-153
John Searle, “Do Computers Think?,” EP 158-160
5. Freedom and Determinism
Reading:
Steven Cahn, “Free Will or Determinism?,” EP 160-171
W.T. Stace, “Free Will and Determinism,”
EP 171-173
6. Ethics
Reading:
James Rachels, “The Challenge of Cultural Relativism,” EP
251-261
John Stuart Mill, “Utilitarianism,” EP 318-323
Immanuel Kant, “Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals,”
EP 313-317
Steven M. Cahn, “A Supreme Moral Principle?”
EP 271-276
Joel Feinberg, “Abortion,” EP 276-290
James Rachels, “Active and Passive Euthanasia,”
EP 294-300
7. Social and Political
Philosophy
Reading:
Plato, “Crito,” EP 383-396
John Stuart Mill, “On Liberty,” EP 396-398
Michael Walzer, “Political Action: The Problem of Dirty
Hands,” EP 339-343
Affirmative Action and/or Capital Punishment Readings (To
be announced)
Grading
3 Tests
20% each (=60%)
Paper
25%
Quizzes
10%
Class Participation
5%
Papers
There will be a major paper assignment. For most of you, this will be your first
time writing a philosophical paper. Thus, you are strongly
encouraged to get an early start. You will receive the paper topic long before
the paper is due in order to give you the opportunity to work through rough
drafts. Again, I strongly encourage you to get started early on your paper.
Unannounced Quizzes
There will be several unannounced quizzes throughout the semester. These
are basically designed to test your knowledge of the reading (and, of course,
they provide further incentive to do the reading). The quizzes will be
in a variety of different formats (short answer, multiple choice, etc.).
Provided that you stay on top of the reading throughout the semester, you should
have no problem with the quizzes. Students will be permitted to make up
a quiz only in the most extreme circumstances. Except in the most
extreme circumstances, if you miss a quiz, you are assigned a grade of zero.
Note that your average quiz grade constitutes 10% of your course grade.
This percentage can make the difference between (for example) a grade of B and
a grade of C. Thus, you are strongly advised to take advantage of this
portion of the course grade by staying on top of the required reading.
Attendance/Participation
We will be covering a lot of material in any one session. Therefore, attendance
is required. If you know in advance that you
will have to miss a class, please let me know about it. Note that class
participation does constitute part of your course grade. Note further that it
is class participation –– not mere class attendance ––
that constitutes part of your course grade. Rest assured that more than four
absences will have an adverse affect on your grade. Likewise, consistent
class participation will undoubtedly increase your course grade by at least
a half of a letter grade.
THIS IS A DISCUSSION CLASS! The course will
involve lecturing by the instructor, as well as lively critical discussion in
class. Students are expected to come to class having read and thought about
the assigned material. You are strongly encouraged to actively participate
in class discussions. I am aware that some people are a bit shy when it
comes to speaking in class. If you are one of these people, please feel
free to ask me questions over e-mail, during office hours, after class, etc.
But an integral part of learning philosophy is the active exchange of ideas.
I guarantee that active engagement with the material, and careful attention
to the readings, will maximize your enjoyment of this course.
A Note on the Readings
You cannot read philosophy in the way that you might be used to reading a novel.
Reading a philosophical text takes time and patience, and you must be willing
to put in the effort. Our reading load for each class period is rather light
for this very reason. The authors of the readings are not trying to be obscure.
Rather, they are trying to be precise when dealing with matters that are deep
and difficult. Reading philosophy is a skill that develops over time,
and we will work on developing that skill in this course. I guarantee
that for those willing to put in the effort, the rewards will be great.
The Value of Philosophy in Shaping a Liberal Arts Education, or …
Why Should I Study Philosophy?
Nearly every person who enrolls in this class does so to satisfy a general education
requirement. Indeed, this course is designed to contribute to your liberal
arts education. The value of such an education could not be exaggerated,
for it exposes one to a wide range of perspectives on, and ideas about humans
and the world in which they live. Moreover, such an education fosters
critical thinking, clear and effective communication, and the importance of
understanding views that conflict with one’s own.
The study of philosophy is sometimes said to be “impractical,” or
“irrelevant.” But given that it stands at the heart of the liberal
arts education described above, such accusations are clearly false. In
this course, we will spend most of our time evaluating our beliefs and desires.
We will critically examine opposing beliefs about religion, morality, politics,
society, science, and others––a project at the heart of the liberal
arts. Such beliefs are the very things you use to confront your experiences.
They are what motivate you, and frame your outlook on life’s most important
matters. Indeed, they are the very things that make you the person you
are. What could be more practical and relevant than an evaluation of those
beliefs?
Last Updated: 8/18//08
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