Philosophy 101: Introduction to Philosophy
Course Information
Time & Location: 8:00-9:15am, Tuesday/Thursday – ICB 1707
Instructor: Andrew Higgins
Email: aahiggi@gmail.com
Course Description
This course is an introduction to philosophical topics and reasoning. We will consider issues
related to ethics, religion, logic, and science. After beginning with the ethics of civil
disobedience, we will spend two weeks on logic and reasoning. The reasoning strategies
covered will be applied to the arguments put forward on three major topics in philosophy.
First, we consider questions in science and religion. Does God exist? If so, what is God like?
How could we know? Is there any evidence for intelligence design? If evolutionary theory is
true, how should we understand adaptive fitness and natural selection? We then turn to
consider questions related to the nature of the mind and the self, starting with Galileo’s
revolutionary idea that math is the language of the universe. The course concludes by
applying the arguments regarding the mind and self to two controversial topics in applied
ethics. For each topic the emphasis will be on critically evaluating the arguments for and
against each position.
Required Readings
Most readings for this course will be found in the course packet which may be purchased
from the bookstore for approximately $33. Readings not found there will be provided to you.
If you do not want to buy the textbook, you may instead loan me a labeled flash drive, and I
will save all pdfs for the course onto your flash drive and return it to you by the next day of
class. Also, note that the first two readings (MLK and Plato) can be found for free online.
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Assignments & Grades
Your grade will be based on class participation (10%), a take-home quiz (10%), five response
papers (10% each, 50% total), and two essays (15% each, 30% total).
Response papers must be typed, double spaced, 1-2 pages, and submitted in class.
Essays must be 1200-1600 words, include at least two citations and a bibliography page, and
be submitted by email in doc or docx format.
In general, extensions will not be granted. Late assignments will receive a 5% penalty for
each class day late. So, for example, a paper due on Tuesday but turned in on Wednesday or
Thursday will receive -5%. If turned in the following Tuesday, -10%. If the final essay is
turned in late, you will receive a 3% penalty per day.
Plagiarism/Academic Integrity:
Plagiarism occurs when you present another’s work as your own. For response papers and
essays, plagiarism occurs if you fail to give proper citation where credit is due. This includes
paraphrasing from class materials, other students, or internet sources. This is a serious
offense. Please see HCC’s policy on academic integrity for further clarification:
http://www.heartland.edu/documents/aqip/AcademicIntegrity/policy.pdf
Schedule
Aug 19
Introductions & Syllabus
§1. Civil Disobedience
Aug 21
King, Letter from Birmingham Jail
Aug 26
Plato, Crito
§2. Logic & Reasoning
Aug 28
Deductive Reasoning (sections 1-3)
Sep 2
Inductive & Analogical Reasoning (section 4)
Response Paper #1 Due
Sep 4
Scientific Reasoning (sections 5 & 6)
Sep 9
Newcomb’s Problem
§3. Philosophy of Religion & Biology
Sep 11
Hume, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion
Take-home Logic Quiz Due
Sep 16
Hume (cont)
Sep 18
Hume (cont)
Sep 23
Hume, A Treatise of Human Nature
Response Paper #2 Due
Sep 25
Nietzsche, On Truth and Lies in a Nonmoral Sense
Sep 30
Plantinga, The Evolutionary Argument Against Naturalism
Oct 2
Sober, What is Wrong with Intelligent Design?
Oct 7
Dawkins, The Selfish Gene
Response Paper #3 Due
Oct 9
Wilson, Levels of Selection
§4. Philosophy of Mind & the Self
Oct 14
Galileo, The Assayer
Oct 16
Descartes, Meditations
First Essay Due by email by 11:59PM
Oct 21
Descartes (cont)
Oct 23
No Class
Oct 28
Olson, An Argument for Animalism
Oct 30
Dennett, Where Am I?
Response Paper #4 Due
Nov 4
Parfit, Reasons & Persons Part 1
Nov 6
Parfit, Part 2
Nov 11
Parfit, Part 3
Nov 13
Parfit, Part 4
Response Paper #5 Due
Nov 18
Korsgaard, Reply to Parfit
Nov 20
Korsgaard cont.
§5. Applied Ethics
Nov 25
Marquis & Thomson, Abortion
Dec 2
Rachels & Doerflinger, Euthanasia
Dec 4
Euthanasia cont.
Final Essay Due by email by 11:59PM