Philosophy of the Human Person (Phil 115)
Dr. Joshua Stuchlik
Office: John Roach Center, 216a
Email: jstuchlik@stthomas.edu
Office Hours:
MWF 2:45-3:30 pm
and by appointment
Course Description:
An ancient motto for philosophy is “Know thyself.” But what am I? Easy: a human
person. But what exactly is that? A soul? A body? A combination of the two?
Philosophers have struggled with these questions for two and a half millennia. This
course is devoted to understanding various competing accounts of the human person and
the meaning of human life. Our overall goal will be the difficult—but hopefully
rewarding—task of learning something about ourselves.
Some of the questions we’ll be looking at in particular are the following: (1) Are we
capable of surviving death? (2) Do we have free will? (3) Do we have any reason to
believe that God exists? Finally, you will also acquire some of the basic logical tools you
need to analyze and evaluate different answers to these questions.
Course Objectives:
The course has three main objectives: First, you will learn fundamental philosophical
principles, generalizations, and theories. Second, you will gain factual knowledge about what
philosophers have said about the human person. Finally, you will learn how to analyze
and critically evaluate ideas, arguments, and points of view.
Meeting Times:
MWF Sept. 9 – Dec. 18, 2015
Note: For every hour of class time, students are expected to devote at least two hours of
study to this course, including homework reading, review, and written assignments.
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Required Texts
1. Anthony Weston, A Rulebook for Arguments, Fourth Ed. (ISBN: 978-0872209541)
2. Plato, Five Dialogues, Second Ed. (ISBN: 978-0872206335)
3. John Perry, A Dialogue on Personal Identity and Immortality (ISBN: 978-0915144532)
4. John Lemos, Freedom, Responsibility, and Determinism: A Philosophical Dialogue
(ISBN: 978-1603849302)
Course Requirements and Grading:
Midterm exam: 25%
Final exam: 25%
Homework: 25%
Quizzes: 12.5%
Participation: 12.5%
Exams
Exams will consist of a combination of “objective” (multiple choice and true/false) and essay
questions. See the final page of the syllabus for the date and time of the final exam.
Homework
There will be 10 short homework assignments over the course of the semester. The purpose
of these assignments is to practice the logical skills you’ll be learning in class. Late
homework will not be accepted.
Please note that you will be completing the first five homework assignments through our
course’s Blackboard website. Each of these assignments must be completed by 9:00 am on the day
they are due.
Quizzes
There will be 11 short weekly quizzes, which will cover the reading assigned for the day and
material covered in the previous class. Each quiz will have three (multiple choice and
true/false) questions. The purpose of these quizzes is to provide an incentive to do the
reading, review your notes, and attend class.
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Quizzes will be announced one class period in advance. At the end of the term, your lowest
quiz grade will be dropped. Make-up quizzes will only be given in the case of an excused
absence.
Participation
Regular attendance and attentive and respectful listening to the instructor and to your peers
will be sufficient to earn a participation grade of “C”. In order to receive a higher grade, you
must thoughtfully contribute to full class discussions on a regular basis.
Attendance
I will be taking attendance as part of your participation grade. In addition, if there is a quiz
on the day you are absent you will not be able to make it up unless your absence is excused.
Excused absences are those due to (1) a serious illness, (2) a documented job/internship
interview, (3) the death of a family member, or (4) an activity sponsored by the university.
Any other absence must be discussed with me in advance in order to count as excused.
Academic Integrity:
Please note that we will be following the UST Academic Integrity Policy. Plagiarism and
other forms of academic dishonesty, such as cheating, will not be tolerated. Confirmation of
academic dishonesty will result in notification of the dean and the maximum penalty possible.
You can read more about the university’s academic integrity policy online:
http://www.stthomas.edu/policies/student_policy_book/academic_integrity_policy.asp.
Classroom Accommodations:
Students who may need classroom accommodations due to a disability should make an
appointment within the first two weeks of the term with the Enhancement Program—
Disability Resources office (Murray Herrick, room 110; Telephone: 651-962-6315 or 800-3286819, extension 6315).
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Schedule:
DATE
1
2
Sept. 9
Sept. 11
3
4
Sept. 14
Sept. 16
5
Sept. 18
6
Sept. 21
7
Sept. 23
8
Sept. 25
9
Sept. 28
10
Sept. 30
11
Oct. 2
12
Oct. 5
13
14
Oct. 7
Oct. 9
15
Oct. 12
SUBJECT
Week 1
Introduction
On Bullshit
Week 2
Arguments
Arguments vs. Non-Arguments
Socrates
Socrates on Trial
Atomic and Molecular Statements
Week 3
Socrates on Trial (cont.)
Deductive Validity and Deductive Soundness
Socrates on Trial (cont.)
Modus Ponens and Modus Tollens
Socrates on Trial (cont.)
More Common Valid Argument Forms
Week 4
Philosophy and Death
The Argument from Opposites
Generalizations
The Argument from Recollection
Week 5
The Argument from Affinity
Arguments by Analogy
The Harmony Theory
The Argument from the Form of Life
Week 6
Problems for Substance Dualism
Reductio Ad Absurdum Arguments
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ASSIGNMENT
---Frankfurt, “On Bullshit”
Weston, Rulebook Ch. 1
----Homework 1 Due by 9:00 am
(on Blackboard)
Plato, Apology 17a-24b
Homework 2 Due by 9:00 am
(on Blackboard)
Plato, Apology 24b-28a
Plato, Apology 28b-36a
Weston, Rulebook Ch. 6, pp. 3739
Homework 3 Due by 9:00 am
(on Blackboard)
Plato, Apology 36a-42a
Weston, Rulebook Ch. 6, pp. 4043
Homework 4 Due by 9:00 am
(on Blackboard)
Plato, Phaedo 57a-67e
Homework 5 Due by 9:00 am
(on Blackboard)
Plato, Phaedo 67e-72e
Weston, Rulebook Ch. 2
Plato, Phaedo 72e-77a
Plato, Phaedo 77a-84c
Weston, Rulebook Ch. 3
Plato, Phaedo 84c-95a
Plato, Phaedo 102b-107d, 115b118a
Perry, Dialogue First Night
Weston, Ch. 6, pp. 43-44
16
Oct. 14
The Memory Theory
17
Oct. 16
The Memory Theory (cont.)
18
Oct. 19
19
Oct. 21
Oct. 23
20
21
Oct. 26
Oct. 28
22
Oct. 30
23
24
Nov. 2
Nov. 4
Can Computers Think?
Week 9
Categorical Statements
Categorical Syllogisms
25
Nov. 6
Categorical Syllogisms (cont.)
26
Nov. 9
Week 10
Freud’s Critique of Religion
27
28
Nov. 11
Nov. 13
29
Nov. 16
30
31
Nov. 18
Nov. 20
32
Nov. 23
33
Nov. 25
Nov. 27
34
Nov. 30
35
36
Dec. 2
Dec. 4
Week 7
The Somatic Theory
Review for Midterm Exam
***MIDTERM EXAM***
Fall Break
Week 8
Hylomorphism
Hylomorphism (cont.)
The Cosmological Argument
The Cosmological Argument (cont.)
Week 11
The Teleological Argument
Movie: God on Trial
The Problem of Evil
Week 12
Philosophy and Coping with Suffering
TBD
Thanksgiving Break
Week 13
Do We Have Free Will?: The Leopold and
Loeb Trial
The Dilemma of Determinism
Classical Compatibilism
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Perry, Dialogue Second Night,
pp. 19-27
Homework 6 Due in Class
Perry, Dialogue Second Night,
pp. 28-36
Perry, Dialogue Third Night
----
---Aquinas, “Soul in Human
Beings” and “My Soul is Not
Me”
Searle, “Can Computers Think?”
------Homework 7 Due in Class
---Homework 8 Due in Class
Freud, The Future of an Illusion
Chs. III and VI
Homework 9 Due in Class
Taylor, “God,” pp. 99-108
---Paley, “Natural Theology,” pp.
55-62
------Epictetus, Handbook §1-22, 44,
53
------Baatz, “Leopold and Loeb’s
Criminal Minds”
Lemos, Freedom Act 1
Lemos, Freedom Act 2, pp. 21-7
Homework 10 Due in Class
37
Dec. 7
Week 14
New Compatibilism
38
39
Dec. 9
Dec. 11
Libertarianism
Free Will and Divine Foreknowledge
40
Dec. 14
Week 15
Course Wrap-up and Review for Final Exam
Final Exam:
PHIL 115-03: Friday, Dec. 18, 8:00 am – 10:00 am
PHIL 115-16: Friday, Dec. 18, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
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Lemos, Freedom Act 2, pp. 2737
Lemos, Freedom Act 3
Boethius, Consolation of
Philosophy Book 5 (excerpts)
----