WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY
Introduction to Philosophy
PHI 101, Section 8 – Spring 2015
Instructor:
E-mail:
Website:
Office:
Office Hours:
Dept. Office:
Dept. Phone:
Patrick Denehy
pdenehy@wcupa.edu
patrickdenehy.com
Anderson Hall 336
Monday, 12:00 – 1:00 PM
And by appointment
Anderson Hall 108
(610) 436-2841
Course Information
Locations and Times
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
Main Hall 413
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 11:00 – 11:50 AM
Required Texts
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All texts will be made available to you electronically or in class – refer to my website
Course Description
The chief problems and methods of philosophic thought, with a survey of some typical
solutions. The place and influence of philosophy in life today. Offered every semester.
More specifically, we will discuss traditional philosophical themes by investigating texts from
ancient, modern, and contemporary philosophy. Themes include: Socratic Dialogues, God,
Reason and Faith, Epistemology, the Mind and Consciousness, Applied Ethics (abortion,
euthanasia, same-sex marriage, spousal obligations, drug laws, moral luck), the Self and
Identity, and Human Meaningfulness.
Learning Outcomes
General Education Learning Outcomes
PHI 101 is an approved course in the WCU General Education program. It is designed toward
helping students meet the following general education goals:
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
Goal 3: Think critically and analytically. This course will contribute toward this goal
through readings focused on argument identification and evaluation, ten response
papers, and four examinations testing overall comprehension.
Goal 6: Make informed decisions and ethical choices. This course will contribute toward
this goal by discussing and evaluating arguments about competing values within both
applied ethics and human meaningfulness.
Philosophy Program Learning Outcomes
PHI 150 contributes toward the following program student learning outcomes:
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Demonstrate the ability to identify key figures, concepts, theoretical perspectives and
historical eras in philosophy (1a). This course will contribute toward this goal reading
key figures in ancient, modern, and contemporary philosophy, including philosophers
like Plato, Descartes, Kierkegaard, Nagel, Thomson, and Wolf.
Demonstrate the ability to apply ethical theories in philosophy to real-world cases (3a).
This course will contribute to this goal by investigating the topics of abortion,
euthanasia, same-sex marriage, spousal obligations, drug laws, and moral luck.
Demonstrate the ability to analyze and evaluate arguments from selected texts (4a).
This course will contribute toward this goal through selected close readings,
reformulations, and assessment of arguments from both historical and contemporary
texts, both during in-class discussions and via exams.
Demonstrate the ability to define and apply logical terminology: deductive, inductive,
validity, soundness, strength, cogency, fallacies (4b). This course will contribute toward
this goal in conjunction with close readings of arguments to determine their form and
proper assessment, especially when discussing epistemology.
Course Requirements and Policies
Graded Assignments and Activities
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
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Participation
Response Papers (10)
Exams (4)
Total
20 p
40 p
40 p
100 points
Participation: includes contributing to our class discussions and paying attention during class,
which implicitly requires being present and prepared. By the end of the course, you will be
judged as a frequent, regular, occasional, or rare contributor, with the following grade
structure:




Frequent:
Regular:
Occasional:
Rare:
18 – 20 points
15 – 18 p
10 – 15 p
<= 10 p
2
If you are having difficulty participating as much as you would like, please talk to me and we will
come up with solutions.
As for attendance, you are permitted 3 absences without penalty. After that, I will reduce your
grade by 2 points for each absence. You should keep track of your absences throughout the
term. I will grant excused absences only for legitimate and documented reasons, and only
within two weeks of the relevant absence. Specifically, I will not accept excuses late in the term
for classes earlier in the term outside the two-week window.
Avoid cell phone use and Internet-browsing temptations. Most students desire a classroom
free of needless distractions, so this is not just for your sake, but for the sake of your peers. I
may take off points if your inattention becomes problematic – and this is entirely up to my
discretion.
Response Papers: You are expected to write 10 responses papers worth 4 points apiece.
Response papers will largely be graded pass/fail, resulting in 4 points or 1 point. Missing
response papers, i.e. fewer than 10 by the end of the term, will receive a zero.
Each response should be 200 – 250 words (about 1 page double-spaced). Any citations should
be footnoted in some recognizable style. You must submit response papers in two ways:
1. Hard copy in class
2. Digital copy uploaded to Turnitin in D2L (within an hour post-class)
There are two reasons for the digital copy: to check for originality and to keep a running record
of your responses – that way we can track them together. If you do one without the other, you
will fail that response paper and receive 1 point.
Response papers are due the day after we discuss a topic in class. For example, if we discuss
Plato’s Crito on a Wednesday, your response would be due on that Friday. No late responses
will be accepted.
Please note that my comments on your response papers may be minimal. However, if you
would like to discuss any in more depth, just come chat with me.
Exams: There will be 4 exams throughout the term. Exams 2, 3, and 4 will be cumulative in the
sense that we will build knowledge throughout the course and questions may demand
comparison and contrast with previously discussed topics. Nevertheless, the bulk of each exam
will cover the material in the weeks leading up to that particular exam.
Each exam will test your comprehension of the texts, arguments, and authors studied based on
outside readings, lectures, and in-class discussions. Expect a combination of multiple choice,
short answer, and short essay questions. I will make a study guide available before each exam.
If you are going to miss an exam for any reason, you must contact me before the exam period;
otherwise, you will receive a zero.
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Late Assignments & Make-Ups Policy
Response Papers: No late response papers accepted (see above).
Exams: Notification required prior to exam absenteeism (see above). If you notify me before
the exam, we will settle on a make-up exam time. If your absenteeism is excusable, you may
make up the exam for full credit; if not, you may take it for reduced credit, at my discretion.
Excused Absences
If you are a student athlete, please provide me in advance with your travel and game schedule
indicating when you will need to miss class to participate in athletic events. While travel for
athletics is an excused absence, you will still be responsible for making up any missed work.
I will grant excused absences only for documented reasons provided in a timely fashion. For
WCU’s policy, please see:
http://www.wcupa.edu/_information/official.documents/undergrad.catalog/acpolpro.htm#exc
used.
WCU Final Grade Scale
LETTER GRADE
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
PERCENTAGE
100-93
92-90
89-87
86-83
82-80
79-77
76-73
72-70
69-67
66-63
62-60
<60
GPA POINTS
4.0
3.67
3.33
3.0
2.67
2.33
2.0
1.67
1.33
1.0
0.67
0.0
Academic Integrity and Student Conduct
For questions regarding Academic Integrity, the No-Grade Policy, Sexual Harassment, the
Disruptive Behavior Policy, or the Student Code of Conduct, students are strongly encouraged
to refer to their major department’s handbook, the Undergraduate/Graduate Course
Catalogue, the Ram’s Eye View, or the University Web Site. Conduct that violates any of these
policies will not be tolerated in the classroom or elsewhere.
Campus Emergencies
The emergency phone number for the WCU Department of Public Safety is 610-436-3311. Call
this number immediately if you become aware of an emergency situation on campus.
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ADA Policy Statement
If you have a disability that requires accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA), please present your letter of accommodations from the WCU Office of Services for
Students with Disabilities (OSSD) and meet with me as soon as possible so that we can make
appropriate arrangements. Accommodations cannot be granted retroactively. OSSD is located
at 223 Lawrence Center. OSSD can be contacted by phone at 610-436-2564, by fax at 610-4362600, and by email at ossd@wcupa.edu. OSSD hours of operation are Monday – Friday, 8:30
a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Consult the OSSD website (http://www.wcupa.edu/ussss/ossd) for further
information about OSSD services.
In an effort to assist students that either receive or may believe they are entitled to receive
accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the University has appointed a student advocate to be a contact for
students that may have questions regarding the provision of their accommodations or their
right to accommodations. The advocate will assist any students that may have questions
regarding these rights. Dr. Idna Corbett, Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Student Support
Services, has been designated in this role. Any students that may need assistance with their
rights to accommodations should contact her at icorbett@wcupa.edu.
E-mail Policy
All faculty, staff, and students are expected to activate and maintain regular access to
university-provided e-mail accounts. Official university communications, including those from
your instructors, will be sent through your WCU e-mail account. You are responsible for
accessing that email account regularly to be sure to obtain official WCU communications.
Failure to access university-provided e-mail regularly will not exempt individuals from their
responsibilities associated with this course.
Caveat
I reserve the right to modify the syllabus, schedule, and grading schema as the circumstances
dictate. Any significant changes will be relayed to you in advance.
Course Outline
See below, and refer to my website for the course schedule and readings: patrickdenehy.com
Week
1
2
Date
1/21
1/23
1/26
1/28
1/30
Day
W
F
M
W
F
Text
Syllabus
Plato, Euthyphro
Plato, Euthyphro
Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling (excerpts)
TBD (extra assignment)
5
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
2/2
2/4
2/6
2/9
2/11
2/13
2/16
2/18
2/20
2/23
2/25
2/27
3/2
3/4
3/6
3/9
3/11
3/13
3/16
3/18
3/20
3/23
3/25
3/27
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
3/30
4/1
4/3
4/6
4/8
4/10
4/13
4/15
4/17
4/20
4/22
4/24
4/27
4/29
5/1
5/4
5/8
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
F
Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling (excerpts)
Plato, Apology
Plato, Apology
Russell, Why I Am Not a Christian (excerpts)
Pascal, The Wager
EXAM 1
Descartes, Meditations I-II
Descartes, Meditations II-III
Crane, Computers and Thought
Dreyfus, Disembodied Telepresence
Nagel, What is it like to be a bat?
Noe, Wide Minds
Salmon, The Problem of Induction
Salmon, The Problem of Induction
EXAM 2
Spring Break
Spring Break
Spring Break
Film (TBD)
Film (TBD)
Film (TBD)
Thomson, A Defense of Abortion
Marquis, Why Abortion is Immoral
Rachels, The Morality of Euthanasia
Bolte, Do Wedding Dresses Come in
Lavender?
Steinbock, Adultery
Fromm, The Art of Loving (excerpts)
Huemer, America's Unjust Drug War
Nagel, Moral Luck
EXAM 3
Blackburn, Self
Blackburn, Self
Franzen, My Father's Brain
Williams, The Self and the Future
May, Our Practices
Svendsen, Work and Meaning
O'Neill, Between Consenting Adults
Borges, The Aleph
Wolf, Meaning in Life
Wolf, Meaning in Life
EXAM 4 (10:30 am - 12:30 pm)
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