Introduction to Philosophy (PHI2010) Spring 2010 1. Course description This course is a general introduction to philosophy. We will begin by discussing two dialogues of Plato, possibly the most famous and most influential of philosophers. The rest of the class will be divided into three main sections. The first of these sections will look at the philosophy of religion, focusing on arguments for and against the existence of God. The second section will consider epistemology, the theory of knowledge. We'll focus here on skeptical views: views that allege we know much less than we usually think we do. The third section will be about ethics. We'll consider whether one might have a moral theory (a very general account of what makes things good and bad, right and wrong, virtuous and vicious) and what that might look like; discuss some skeptical approaches to ethics; and look at philosophical discussion of some concrete ethical problems. Throughout our discussion of these various topics, we will have two main aims. The first is to come to understand some views that philosophers have had on these issues. The second is to develop your own relevant skills in such matters as careful reading, critical thinking, and clear writing. The class format involves both lectures and discussion section meetings. The lectures will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 to 9:20am, in 1064 Weimer Hall. The discussion sections all meet on Fridays. Course webpage: http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/sdrd/2010spring/2010/ 2. Contact information Dr Stewart Duncan sdrd@ufl.edu Office hours: Tuesday 2:00-5:00pm, and by appointment, in 314 Griffin-Floyd Hall Office phone: (352) 273-1808 Mr George Belic. Sections 4455, 4459, 3329 belic@ufl.edu Office hours: Tuesday 9:30-10:30am, and by appointment, room TBA Mr Shawn Burtoft. Sections 4442, 5111, 3332 burtoft1@ufl.edu Office hours: Wednesday, 7 th period (1:55-2:45pm), and by appointment, room TBA Mr Ron Claypool Sections 4446, 3289, 2853 ronclaypool@ufl.edu Office hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 3 rd period (9:35-10:25am)and by appointment, in 316 Griffin-Floyd 1
3. Book Jonathan E. Adler and Catherine Z. Elgin (ed.), Philosophical Inquiry: Classic and Contemporary Readings (Indianapolis: Hackett, 2007). ISBN: 0872208672 / 9780872208674. $39.95. I have ordered this at the University Bookstore in the Reitz Union. You don t need to use that bookstore, but you do need to get a copy of this anthology. 4. Assessment Your overall grade for the class will be determined by your grades on three papers, a final exam, and a series of quizzes. Moreover, attendance is required, and you may lose points from your grade for absence from discussion sections. 4.1 Papers The three papers will each count for 20% of your grade for the class. They should each be between 1300 and 1500 words long. 1 Topics will be handed out in class two weeks before papers are due, along with detailed instructions about how and where to submit papers. Any papers handed in late without a good excuse will be penalized two points (on a hundred-point scale) for every weekday they re late. No papers will be accepted after the final class on 20 April. If you fail to submit an assignment, you will receive a grade of zero for it. 4.2 Final exam The final exam will be held on Wednesday 28 April from 5:30 to 7:30pm in our usual classroom. The final exam will count for 25% of your grade for the class. Makeup final exams will only be given in those few circumstances that merit the awarding of an incomplete grade for the class. 4.3 Quizzes and attendance There will be fifteen quizzes given in lectures during the semester. The dates and times of the quizzes will not be announced in advance. These quizzes will together account for 15% of your grade for the class. Quiz questions will usually based on the reading for the class, but may also ask about material previously covered in the course. 1 This class qualifies for 4000 words of credit for the university writing requirement (Gordon Rule). Note that there is a separate grade for the writing requirement. Professors will indicate whether or not students met the writing requirement AND will assign a course grade. Therefore, to receive writing credit students must receive a grade of C or higher AND satisfactory completion of the writing component. It is possible not to meet the writing requirement and still pass the class (http://www.registrar.ufl.edu/catalog/policies/advisinggordon.html). 2
Attendance in lectures will not be graded as such, but if you miss a quiz you will receive a grade of zero for it. Attendance in discussion sections is required. You may miss two sections without penalty during the semester. For each further absence, you will lose one point (on a hundred point scale) from your overall numerical grade for the class. Make-up quizzes will only be given, and absence from discussion sections only excused, if you have an appropriate and documented excuse. 4.5 Numerical grades and letter grades All assignments will be given a numerical grade on a hundred point scale. At the end of the semester, your overall numerical grade will be calculated, based on your grades for and the relative weights of the assignments. This numerical grade will be converted to a letter grade using the following scale. Numerical grade (n) Letter grade GPA 90 n 100 A 4.0 86 ⅔ n < 90 A- 3.67 83 ⅓ n < 86 ⅔ B+ 3.33 80 n < 83 ⅓ B 3.0 76 ⅔ n < 80 B- 2.67 73 ⅓ n < 76 ⅔ C+ 2.33 70 n < 73 ⅓ C 2.0 66 ⅔ n < 70 C- 1.67 63 ⅓ n < 66 ⅔ D+ 1.33 60 n < 63 ⅓ D 1.0 56 ⅔ n < 60 D- 0.67 0 n < 60 E 0 5. Academic honesty You must abide by the university s academic honesty policy. See http://www.dso.ufl.edu/studentguide/studentrights.php and http://www.registrar.ufl.edu/catalog/policies/students.html#honesty. You should expect the minimum penalty for academic dishonesty to be a grade of E for the class (not just the assignment). All incidents of academic dishonesty will be reported to Student Judicial Affairs. Repeat offenders may be penalized by suspension or expulsion from the university. You should already have a good idea of what constitutes plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty. I will also review this when handing out paper assignments. If you have any questions about this, ask me or your TA before it s too late. 3
6. Accommodations for students with disabilities Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students Office. The Dean of Students Office will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the Instructor when requesting accommodation. 7. Schedule Details of reading assignments are listed below, but are subject to change. Changes will be announced in class. Large changes will be posted on the class website. Most reading assignments will come from the Adler and Elgin anthology, referred to as AE below. Tuesday 1/5. Introduction. Thursday 1/7. Plato, Euthyphro Reading: Plato, AE 450-8 Tuesday 1/12. Plato, Euthyphro Reading: Plato, AE 450-8 Thursday 1/14. Plato, Apology Reading: Plato, AE 517-29 Tuesday 1/19. Plato, Apology Reading: Plato, AE 517-29 Thursday 1/21. Existence of God: cosmological argument Reading: Aquinas, AE 711-2 Paper 1 topics handed out Tuesday 1/26. Existence of God: ontological argument Reading: Anselm, AE 709-10 Thursday 1/28. Existence of God: design argument Reading: Hume, AE 719-27 Tuesday 2/2. Existence of God: Pascal s wager Reading: Pascal, AE 784-6 Thursday 2/4. Existence of God: knowledge of miracles Reading: Hume, AE 772-7 Paper 1 due Tuesday 2/9. Existence of God: problem of evil (1) Reading: Mackie, AE 757-64 4
Thursday 2/11. Existence of God: problem of evil (2) Reading: Leibniz, AE 753-6 Tuesday 2/18. Final class on philosophy of religion Reading: To be arranged Thursday 2/18. Knowledge and skepticism: Descartes and some general skeptical arguments Reading: Descartes, AE 50-2 Paper 2 topics handed out Tuesday 2/23. Knowledge and skepticism: Locke on ideas and knowledge Reading: Locke, AE 115-25, 132-40 Thursday 2/25. Knowledge and skepticism: Berkeley s Three Dialogues Reading: Berkeley, AE 141-59 Tuesday 3/2. Knowledge and skepticism: Berkeley s Three Dialogues Reading: Berkeley, AE 159-62 Thursday 3/4. Knowledge and skepticism: Zeno s paradoxes Reading: Will be available on class website Paper 2 due Tuesday 3/16. Knowledge and skepticism: Skepticism and everyday life Reading: Stroud, AE 95-107 Thursday 3/18. Final class on skepticism Reading: To be arranged Tuesday 3/23. Ethics: moral theory Reading: Mill, AE 493-503 Paper 3 topics handed out Thursday 3/25. Ethics: moral theory Reading: Mill, AE 493-503 Tuesday 3/30 Ethics: egoism Reading: Darwall, AE 529-42 Thursday 4/1 Ethics: skepticism about objective values Reading: Mackie, AE 554-64 Tuesday 4/6. Ethics: genealogy Reading: Nietzsche, AE 503-516 Paper 3 due Thursday 4/8. Ethics: problems (1) Reading: Singer, AE 604-11 5
Tuesday 4/13. Ethics: problems (2) Reading: Nagel, AE 611-20 Thursday 4/15. Final class on ethics Reading: To be arranged Tuesday 4/20. Review class for final exam Wednesday 4/28, 5:30 to 7:30pm. Final exam 6