course PHIL 80: Introduction to Philosophical Problems, Fall 2018 instructors J. Dmitri Gallow ( : jdmitrigallow@pitt.edu) Sabrina (Beishi) Hao ( : beh76@pitt.edu) Edward Schwartz ( : eas170@pitt.edu) Daniel Kaplan ( : dan.kaplan@pitt.edu) lecture times Mondays and Wednesdays, 15:00 15:50 Room G23, Parran Public Health Building office hours Dmitri s office hours are after lecture on Mondays and Wednesdays, from 16:00 to 17:00 (1029D, Cathedral of Learning) Sabrina s office hours are on Tuesday and Thursday, from 10:00 11:00 (1009E, Cathedral of Learning) Edward s office hours are on Monday, from 11:00 12:00 and Wednesdays, from 12:00 13:00 (1009D, Cathedral of Learning) Daniel s office hours are on Monday, from 16:00 17:00 and Tuesdays, 15:00 16:00 (1009F, Cathedral of Learning) course goals evaulation This course offers an introduction to Philosophy. Its central goal is to give students an appreciation of the methods of Philosophy and how they allow us to think through complicated questions. The questions we ll consider this semester include: Should we fear death?, Should we prohibit offensive or hateful speech?, Are moral claims only true or false relative to a culture?, Does God exist?, and Do we have free will?. Sadly, no academic field is in a position to teach us what to think about these matters. Philosophy is, however, in a position to teach us how to think about them. It can teach us about the costs and benefits of various answers to these questions, which distinctions we should bear in mind when thinking the questions through, and how our answers to some of the questions constrain which answers we can give to the others. Final grades will be determined by 5 components: Midterm 25% Final 25% Papers 25% Quizzes 15% Section 10% The midterm, final, and papers are mandatory. If you never take a midterm, never take a final, or never turn in a paper, you will receive a failing grade for the course. Midterm and Final: There will be an in-class midterm on October 31st, and a (noncumulative) final on December 14th (in our usual classroom, from 12:00 13:50). At the start of each lesson, I will provide an essay prompt on the material to be covered in that lesson. (That way, you know in advance what you really need to understand.) The essays on the midterm and final will be drawn (randomly as in, using a random number generator) from these. The expectation is that you will prepare by writing out essays for each prompt, and come to class prepared to reproduce any of those essays. Papers: Over the course of the semester, there will be four days on which you are allowed to turn in papers (see schedule). The papers must be written on material covered since the last paper-turn-in day. Paper assignments come in two levels.
evaluation (con t) Level 1: A level 1 paper is a 400 600 word expository paper. With these papers, you will be asked to select one particular argument from the readings and explain that argument, in your own words. Carefully identify the premises and the conclusion, and try your best to make the argument valid. Level 2: A level 2 paper is a 700 1000 word expository and critical paper. This is just like a level 1 paper, except that you will not only explain the argument from the reading, but additionally raise an objection to the argument you ve presented. That is: you ll give some reason to think that one of the argument s premises are false, or some reason to think that the argument is invalid. You must start at level 1. Each time you hand in a paper, you will receive one of four evaluations: 1. not much progress 2. good effort 3. almost 4. complete When (but only when) you receive a complete, you may progress to the second level. If you receive any other evaluation, you may try again at level 1 with your next paper. You have four chances to progress through both levels. Your final paper grade is determined by your final evaluation and your final level: Level 2 Level 1 Complete A B Almost A- B- Good Effort B+ C+ Not Much Progress B C You are not required to turn in a paper on every paper-turn-in day (though you are required to turn in a paper on some paper-turn-in day). If you complete level 2 on the second paper-turn-in day, you are free to hand in nothing on the third and fourth paper-turn-in days. (Note: If you are taking the Writing Intensive version of this course i.e. if your TA is Dan Kaplan then you will have separate writing requirements. You should contact your TA if you are unsure if this applies to you.) Quizzes: At the start of most class days, there will be a short comprehension quiz on the reading for that day. These quizzes will both test that you ve done the reading (by asking multiple-choice questions like Which of the following terms does J. L. Austin introduce in the assigned reading for today? ), and test that you ve understood the reading (by asking questions like Does David Lewis think that time travel is possible? ). In order to put you in a better position for these quizzes, the material appearing in the reading will be covered in class before you are asked to do the reading (see schedule). If you have an unexcused absence, you will not be allowed to make up a quiz you missed. (In order to complete these quizzes, you must either purchase a clicker or else download the ResponseWare app for your smart phones. You will also have to pay a small fee in order for your responses to be graded apologies.) Section: Finally, 10% of your grade will be determined by your recitation section leader in a manner of their choosing.
schedule date questions and readings 8/27 What will this course be about? no reading 1: Meaning, Life, and Death 1.1. The Meaning of Life. 8/29 Are our lives meaningless? Syllabus 9/5 What is it for a life to be meaningful? Thomas Nagel, The Absurd 9/10 Should we fear death? Susan Wolff, The Meaning of Lives First Paper Topics Distributed 1.2. Death. 2: Ethics (What should we do?) 2.1. Ethical Theory: Consequentialism & Non-consequentialism. 9/12 Is it always right to do what produces the most good? Epicurus & Lucretius (selections) Thomas Nagel, Death 9/17 Or is it sometimes wrong to do what s best? J. S. Mill, Utilitarianism First Paper-Turn-In Day 2.2. Applied Ethics: Free Speech. 9/19 Should we prohibit offensive or hateful speech? Fred Feldman, Kantian Ethics 9/24 Is it even possible for speech to be free? J. S. Mill, On Liberty (selections) 9/26 What does it mean to say that speech should be free? Mari Matsuda et. al., Words that Wound (selections) [Optional] Stanley Fish, There s No Such Thing as Free Speech, and It s a Good Thing, Too (selections) 2.3. Metaethics: Ethical Relativism. 10/1 Is ethical truth relative to culture? J. L. Austin, How to Do Things with Words, Lecture VIII (selections) 10/3 Is ethical truth relative to a moral standard? Ruth Benedict, Morality is Relative [Optional] James Rachels, The Challenge of Cultural Relativism Second Paper Topics Distributed
schedule (con t) date questions and readings 3: Metaphysics (What is the nature of reality?) 3.1. Free Will & Determinism 10/8 Do we have free will, or are we determined to act as we do? Gilbert Harman, Moral Relativism (selections) 10/10 If we are determined to act as we do, can we be held responsible for our actions? Theodore Sider, Free Will and Determinism Second Paper-Turn-In Day 10/16 Does time flow forward? 3.2. Time Harry Frankfurt, Alternate Possibilities and Moral Responsibility 10/17 Is time travel possible? Theodore Sider, Time 3.3. God, Evil, and Free Will 10/22 Why would an all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good god not prevent evil and suffering? David Lewis, The Paradoxes of Time Travel 10/24 Does the value of freedom explain why an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-good god would not prevent evil and suffering? J. L. Mackie, Evil and Omnipotence 10/29 What will be on the Midterm? 10/31 Midterm Richard Swinburne, Why God Allows Evil Midterm Review Sheet Third Paper Topics Distributed 4: Epistemology (What do we know? What should we believe?) 4.1. External World Skepticism 11/5 Do we know that our religious or scientific beliefs are true? If so, how do we know this? Al-Ghazali, Deliverance from Error, 4 15 4.2. Skepticism about Reason 11/7 Can we trust our own reason? Richard Feldman, Skepticism (pp. 108 119) Third Paper-Turn-In Day 11/12 What is the best kind of reasoning we have at our disposal? What makes this kind of reasoning good? Richard Feldman, Skepticism (pp. 119 128)
schedule (con t) date questions and readings 4.3. Inductive Skepticism 11/14 How do we form beliefs about the future? Jennifer Fisher, An Overview of Classical Logic 11/19 Should we think that our beliefs about the future will be true? David Hume, Skeptical Doubts Concerning the Operations of the Understanding (part I) 5: Philosophy of Science (What can science teach us?) 5.1. Falsificationism. 11/26 Can we do science using only reasoning which is guaranteed to not lead us astray? David Hume, Skeptical Doubts Concerning the Operations of the Understanding (part II) 11/28 Is science only in the business of falsifying theories? Karl Popper, Conjectures and Refutations (sections I, IX, and X) Fourth Paper Topics Distributed 6: Philosophy of Logic (What is logic, and why should we trust it?) 6.1. The Problem of Deduction 12/3 Should we think any of our reasoning will lead to truth? Hilary Putnam, The Corroboration of Theories (selections) 12/5 What will be on the final? Lewis Carroll, What the Tortoise Said to Achilles Susan Haack, The Justification of Deduction (selections) Fourth Paper-Turn-In Day 12/14 Final (in our usual classroom, from 12:00 13:50) Final Review Sheet academic integrity disability services laptop policy Students in this course will be expected to comply with the University of Pittsburgh s Policy on Academic Integrity. Any student suspected of violating this obligation for any reason during the semester will be required to participate in the procedural process, initiated at the instructor level, as outlined in the University Guidelines on Academic Integrity. This may include, but is not limited to, the confiscation of the examination of any individual suspected of violating University Policy. Furthermore, no student may bring any unauthorized materials to an exam, including dictionaries and programmable calculators. If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation, be sure to contact me within the first two weeks of the semester, as well as Disability Resources and Services (DRS), 140 William Pitt Union, (412) 648-7890,, (412) 228-5347 for P3 ASL users. DRS will verify your disability and determine reasonable accommodations for this course. As a general rule, laptops and smart phones are not permitted during class (except when taking reading quizzes at the start of class). If you have some good reason for requiring a laptop or a cell phone during class, come speak to me about it in office hours.
recording policy schedule revision To ensure the free and open discussion of ideas, students may not record classroom lectures, discussion and/or activities without the advance written permission of the instructor, and any such recording properly approved in advance can be used solely for the student s own private use. As the course progresses, the course schedule may be revised. If it is, I will notify all enrolled students via email and post an updated syllabus to Courseworks.