Dr. Laurence Carlin
Philosophy 110: Honors Introduction to Philosophy
Spring 2008
Office Location: Polk 62 (basement of library)
Office Hours: MWF 4-5pm, 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/phil110.html
 
Course Text:  Exploring Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology, Steven M. Cahn, ed. SECOND EDITION (Oxford UP, 2005)  (EP)
 
This seminar 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
                            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
2 Essay Exams                                                20% each (=40%)
2 Papers                                                          20% each (=40%)
Homework/Unannounced Quizzes                 10%
Class Participation                                           10%
 
 
Papers
There will be two major paper assignments. 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 topics 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.
 
 
Homework/Unannounced Quizzes
There will be several unannounced quizzes throughout the semester.  These are designed to test your knowledge of the reading (and, of course, they provide further incentive to do the reading).  The quizzes will consist of one or two short answer questions.  Provided you stay on top of the reading throughout the semester, you should have no problem with the quizzes. Students will not be permitted to make up a quiz. However, the two lowest quiz scores will be dropped. If you miss a quiz, you are assigned a grade of zero. Occasionally, there will be a homework assignment, and these too consist of a question designed to get us thinking about the reading before class. Note that your average homework/quiz grade constitutes 10% of your course grade.  This percentage can make the difference between (for example) a grade of A and a grade of B.  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 constitutes 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 some lecturing by the instructor, but mostly it will involve 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?
 
 
 

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