PL-101: Introduction to Philosophy Fall of 2007, Juniata College Instructor: Xinli Wang

Transcription

1 1 PL-101: Introduction to Philosophy Fall of 2007, Juniata College Instructor: Xinli Wang Office: Good Hall 414 Phone: X-3642 Office Hours: MWF am Texts Required: 1. Christopher Biffle, A Guided Tour of Rene Descartes Meditations on First Philosophy, 3 rd edition, Mayfield [Descartes] currently out of print, pleases purchase your copy from Amazon.com 2. Robert Martin, Philosophical Conversations, broadview press, 2006 [Martin]. 3. E. D. Klemke and Steven Cahn, The Meaning of Life, Oxford University Press, 3 nd edition, 2007 [Klemke] 4. Viktor Frankl, Man's Search For Meaning (Mass Market Paperback) 5. Handouts on P: drive/wang/introduction to philosophy Optional: 6. Ann Edwards, Writing to Learn: an introduction to writing philosophical essays, McGraw Hill 2000 [Edwards] 7. Handouts on P: drive/wang/introduction to philosophy Course Objectives The course is designed to provide the beginning philosophy students with the background and conceptual tools necessary for more advanced study in the subject. Essentially, the course is a survey of some fundamental philosophical problems and the efforts made by significant thinkers to solve them. More precisely, our objectives are: 1. Introduce the works of some of the greatest philosophers of the Western tradition, initiating a lifelong interaction. Gain some appreciation for the value of what philosophers do and how they do it by seeing how greater clarity and self-knowledge can result from interacting with great thinkers of the past. 2. Acquire an overview of several central problems and perspectives in the history of Western philosophy. Become aware of the complexity of philosophical issues, gaining an understanding of how the various components of a worldview cohere and connect, and of what kind of evidence is relevant to evaluating a worldview. 3. Learn how to examine some of our own unconscious assumptions and biases and how to uncover some deep philosophical presuppositions underlying them through being exposed to the writings of philosophers who challenge the conventional wisdom of our times. 4. Learn analytic skills and a critical way of thinking necessary to conduct philosophical research and other areas of study. 5. Learn to exercise reason and civility in interacting with people with whom we have radical disagreements. 6. Acquire a set of reading, writing, and oral discussion skills that will allow you to engage philosophical texts in an interesting and deep manner, including: (a) the ability to discuss course readings in basic terms; (b) the ability to identify major concepts, positions, and arguments; (c) the ability to demonstrate overall comprehension of course texts; (d) the ability to explain material clearly, accurately, precisely; (e) the ability to draw insightful connections between issues and ideas;

2 2 (f) the ability to present alternative perspectives fairly and sympathetically; and (g) the ability to evaluate claims critically and to defend rationally a wide range of views. Class Format Every effort will be made to engage you personally in the philosophical enterprise through philosophical conversations. While there will be lectures, to the extent possible our classes will proceed in the format of a philosophy seminar, i.e., philosophical dialogues and discussions. That means that our class time will be devoted to lecture-discussion, with emphasis on class discussion. Lectures will be devoted primarily to presenting some necessary background, explaining and clarifying some difficult issues in the readings, and asking/answering your concerns and questions. That is why it is essential for you to do the assigned readings faithfully and thoroughly before you come to each class. Please feel free to interrupt me anytime in class if you suspect that you may miss something, disagree with something, or would like to share some insights with us. Your active participation in all kinds of class activities are the key to the success of our class. Course Evaluation Your course grade will be determined by the combination of the following factors: 1. Attendance, Preparation and Participation (10 points): A half point (0.5 out of 100) will be deducted from your course grade for each lecture you miss without an official excuse. You are strictly required to complete the reading assignments before each class. Class participation is an essential component of philosophical training. Active participation will definitely boost your grade, and poor participation will hurt your grade. 2. Pop Quizzes, group discussions, and debates (20 points): There will be some pop quizzes (taking a few minutes to finish) to make sure that you finish the reading assignments faithfully and effectively. We will have formal small group discussions from time to time (they will be graded based on group during the discussions). We will try to organize a few (maybe four) informal class-debates on some controversial topics. Each debate should last about 30 minutes. Each of you should have a chance to be a member of a debate team (pro and con teams, each team with about 3 to 4 members). 3. Five Essays (70 points): 1) ONE understanding/analysis essay on Meditation I (5 points): no more than 2 pages. For the format of the essay, refer to Edwards, pp , ) ONE evaluative essay on one of Descartes Meditations (15 points): 4-5 pages. For the format of the essay, please refer to Edwards, pp , and Descartes, pp ) TWO synthesis essays of your positions on two selected topics (15 points each): each 5-7 pages. For the format of the essay, please refer to Edwards, pp ) ONE research paper on a selected topic (20 points): 8-10 pages. Refer to Edwards, ch. 8. Rewrite options: you will have the option of rewriting two out of essays 2-3. If you do choose to rewrite, each version will count as 50% of the grade for the essay. Only an authentic rewrite, not simply editorial changes, will be accepted within seven days after the first version is returned. A late essay will result in a grade penalty.

3 3 Tentative Schedule Week 1 (8/27-31) 1. Introduction: What Is Philosophy? A Philosopher in Action M: course requirements; Reading Philosophy, Edwards, pp W & F: Plato s Euthyphro (the Socratic Method) (on P: drive). Week 2 (9/3-7) 2. Descartes Meditations: How Can I Obtain Certain Knowledge? M: Meditation I (Cartesian universal doubt), Descartes, pp. 1-17, W: Meditation II (the Cogito), Descartes, pp F: Meditation III (cosmological arguments for the existence of God), Descartes, pp Your understanding/analysis essay on Meditation I due in the Friday s class (9/7). Week 3 (9/10-14) M: Meditation V (the ontological argument for the existence of God), Descartes, pp W & F: Meditation VI (the Cartesian dualism), Descartes, pp Week 4 (9/17-21) 3. Philosophy of Religion: Should I Believe in God? M & W: Arguments for the existence of God, Martin, pp F: Arguments against the existence of God, Martin, pp Your evaluative essay on one of Descartes meditations due in the Friday s class (9/21) Week 5 (9/24-28) M: Reason and faith: other alternatives? Martin, pp Section 3 supplemental readings (on P: drive, especially useful for your essay): - Thomas Aquinas, The Five Ways (cosmological arguments) - St. Anselm and Gaunilo, The Ontological Argument - William Paley, The Watch and the Watchmaker, (the argument from design) - David Hume, A Critique of the Teleological Argument (the full text of Hume s Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion is on - Blaise Pascal, Faith is a Logical Bet (Pascal s Wager) - Bertrand Russell, Why I am not a Christian (atheism) - Ernest Nagel, Defending Atheism (atheism) - William James, The Will to Believe (the power of belief) Possible debate topics: (a) Does God exist? (b) Reason or faith? 4. Ethics: How Should I Act? W & F: Hedonism and utilitarianism, Martin, pp Week 6 (10/1-5) M: Rights and Kantian categorical imperative, Martin, pp W & F: Meta-ethics, Martin, pp Section 4 supplemental readings (on P: drive): - John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism - Kant, The Moral Law

4 4 - James Rachels, The Challenge of Cultural Relativism - James Rachels, Subjectivism in Ethics Possible debate topics: (a) utility or duty? (b) moral absolutism or moral relativism? Week 7 (10/8-12) 5. Philosophy of Mind: What Am I A Mind or A Body? M: Materialism, Martin, pp W: Dualism, Martin, pp F: Behaviorism, Marin, pp Your 1 st synthesis essay on either God or some ethical issue due in the Friday s class (10/12). Week 8 (10/15-19) Monday, fall recess, no class! W: Artificial Intelligence, Martin, pp Section 5 supplemental readings (on P: drive): - Paul Churchland, On Materialism and Functionalism (defending materialism) - Thomas Nagel, What Is It Like to Be a Bat? (against materialism) - J. P. Moreland, A Contemporary Defense of Dualism (defending dualism) - Alan Turing, Computing Machinery and Intelligence (for AI) - John Searle, Minds, Brains, and Computer (against AI) Possible debate topics: (a) Can a machine ever think? (b) the mind: dualism or monism? 6. Metaphysics I: Personal Identity Who Am I? F: John Perry, A Dialogue on Personal Identity and Immortality (on P: drive) Week 9 (10/22-26) M & W: Substance theory, Martin, pp F: Memory theory, Martin, pp Week 10 (10/29-11/2) M: Memory theory Section 6 supplemental readings (on P: drive): - Daniel Dennett, Where Am I? (a though experiment) - John Locke, Our Psychological Properties Define the Self (the classical memory theory) - Thomas Reid, Of Identity and Of Mr. Locke s Account of Our Personal Identity (defense of substance theory and criticism of memory theory) - Parfit and Vesey, Brain Transplants and Personal Identity: A Dialogue (a new version of memory theory) - David Hume, We Have No Substantial Self with Which We are Identical (denial of the self). Possible debate topics: Personal identity: memory or soul? 7. Metaphysics II: Determinism and Free Will Am I Free? W & F: Determinism, Martin, pp Week 11 (11/5-9) M: Libertarianism, Martin, pp

5 5 WF: Soft determinism, Martin, pp Your 2 nd synthesis essay on either the mind/body issue or personal identity due in the Monday s class (11/5). Week 12 (11/12-16) M: Soft determinism, Martin, pp W: Punishment, Martin, pp Section 7 supplemental readings (on P: drive): - Baron D Holbach, We are Completely Determined (hard determinism) - B.F. Skinner, Determinism Rules out Freedom, (hard determinism) - Richard Taylor, Fate (fatalism) - C.A. Campbell, Has the Self Free Will? (libertarianism) - David Hume, Of Liberty and Necessity (classical soft determinism) - W.T. Stace, Compatibilism (soft determinism) Possible debate topics: (a) Am I really free? (b) Why should one be punished? 8. The Meaning of Life Does My Life Have a Meaning? F: Class discussion: the meaning of my life. (a) Introduction: the question of the meaning of life, Klemke; (c) Tolstoy, My Confession, Klemke. Week 13 (11/19) 8.1 The Theistic Perspective M: Pojman, Religion Gives Meaning to Life, in Klemke WF: Thanksgiving recess, no class! Week 14 (11/26-30) M: Quinn, The Meaning of Life According to Christianity, in Klemke 8.2 The Non-Theistic perspective W: Schopenhauer, On the Sufferings of the World, in Klemke F: Russell, A Free Man s Worship, in Klemke Week 15 (12/3-7) M: Camus: The Myth of Sisyphus in Klemke W: Frankl s logotherapy: Man s Search for Meaning F: Baier, The Meaning of Life, in Klemke Week 16 (12/10) M: Klemke, Living without Appeal, in Klemke Possible debate topics: (a) Is human life absurd? (b) Can only religion provide life meaning? Your research paper on either free will issue or the meaning of life due on the reading day, Wednesday, 12/12