Introduction to Philosophy
Instructor Information
Course Information
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Jonathan S. Miller, PhD
Literature and Languages
BUS 245
903.566.7456
jmiller@uttyler.edu
M 12:30-3:30
PHIL 1301
001
21157
MWF 9:05-10:00
BUS 210
1/26/15
1. Course Description
What is the fundamental nature of reality? What is knowledge? Does God exist? Is the soul immortal? What is a good
human life? How should society be governed? This course will examine these and other questions from the history of
philosophy, through a close reading of the works of Plato, Descartes, Hume, Confucius, and Mencius.
2. Required Texts
[P] Plato. Five Dialogues. 2nd edition. Hackett, 2002.
ISBN 978-0872206335
[D] Rene Descartes. Meditations on First Philosophy. 3rd edition. Hackett, 1993.
ISBN 978-0872201927
[H] David Hume. An Enquiry concerning Human Understanding. 2nd edition. Hackett, 1993.
ISBN 978-0872202290
[C] Daniel K. Gardner. The Four Books. Hackett, 2007.
ISBN 978-0872208261
3. Course Objectives
3.01Constructing and Defending a Philosophy
Philosophy can be defined as critical thinking about basic beliefs and values—beliefs about being, knowledge, meaning,
and logic, and moral, political, and spiritual values.
The purpose of this course is to help you use critical thinking to construct and defend your own set of basic beliefs and
values. Just as an engineer must put mechanical designs to the test to see if they work, you must put your own beliefs and
values to the philosophical test to see if they are rationally justified.
3.02 Cognitive Skills
Philosophy involves training in basic cognitive skills that are useful to members of every profession:
1. Think: Analyze the arguments, theories, and definitions of others, and develop your own.
2. Read: Interpret difficult texts, and analyze their contents in terms of distinct theses and arguments.
3. Write: Compose essays in which you explain an issue, state a thesis, and defend it with arguments.
4. Talk: Communicate with others in a clear, persuasive, and respectful fashion.
3.03 Moral Skills
1. Personal Responsibility: Complete readings and assignments without cheating or plagiarism.
2. Social Responsibility: Fulfill the obligations you have as a member of a community.
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4. Graded Coursework
4.01 Individual Quizzes (100 Points: 10 @ 10 Points Each)
There is an individual quiz the first time class meets each week. The quiz is based on the required reading for that
particular class meeting. A quiz consists of matching, true/false, or multiple choice questions. The questions are based on
the key terms and key questions from a study guide. You must take the quiz from your memory of the reading; you may
not use notes or the book (unlike with an exercise).
4.02 Team Quizzes (100 Points: 10 @ 10 Points Each)
There is a team quiz immediately after every individual quiz. The team quiz is identical to the individual quiz, except that
you take it with the other members of your team.
4.03 Team Exercises (100 Points: 10 @ 10 Points Each)
There is one team exercise during each week of the course. The team exercise is based on the required reading for that
week, and builds on the questions asked on that week’s quizzes. Unlike with a quiz, you may use your reading notes and
book with a team exercise.
4.04 Individual Exercises (100 Points: 10 @ 10 Each)
There is one individual exercise during each week of the course. The individual exercise is given sometime after the team
exercise, and uses a different question—generally, one of the key questions from the study guide. Unlike with a quiz, you
may use your reading notes and book with an individual exercise.
4.05 Papers (200 Points: 4 @ 50 Points Each)
Each paper is a 2-3 page (1,000-1,500 words) response to a key question from a study guide.
The paper must include: (1) a clear statement of the key question and your thesis; (2) explanations of the concepts,
theories, and arguments relevant to understanding and answering the key question; (3) quotations from the textbook or
other relevant sources; (4) one or more arguments in support of your thesis; (5) discussion of one or more objections to
your thesis; and (6) your rebuttals to those objections.
4.06 Exams (200 Points: 2 @ 100 Points Each)
The mid-term and final exams have the same format. They consist of 40 matching, true/false, or multiple choice questions
(40 points) and 3 short essay questions (60 points).
All of the exam questions are based on the study guides. The short essay questions are taken from the key questions on the
study guides. (Sometimes the key questions are modified or combined when they appear on the exams.)
4.07 Participation (200 Points)
Participation is a measure of the quality of your contribution to the class. Your participation score is determined at the end
of the semester, based on the following factors:
1. Attendance and Punctuality (100 Points). Showing up on time and not leaving early. If you miss more than 6 hours of
class, you will automatically receive a score of 0 for Attendance and Punctuality.
2. Team Work (25 Points). Contributing to team quizzes and exercises.
3. Class Discussion (25 Points). Quality and quantity of contributions to class discussions.
4. Preparedness (25 Points). Bringing your textbook to class and having done the reading. You will lose 5 points every
time you fail to bring the textbook to class.
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5. Professionalism (25 Points). Paying attention in class (not looking at your cell phone or other screens) and
communicating respectful with your peers and instructor.
Graded Coursework Table
Coursework
Points
Individual Quizzes [IQ] (10)
100
Team Quizzes [TQ] (10)
100
Individual Exercises [IE] (10)
100
Team Exercises [TE] (10)
100
Papers [P] (4)
200
Exams (2)
200
Participation
200
Total: 1,000
Final Grade Table
Total Points Final Grade
900-1,000
A
800-899
B
700-799
C
600-699
D
0-599
F
5. Course Policies
5.01 No Screens during Class
There is considerable evidence that use of screens in class causes distractions and lowers student learning. 1 Don’t use your
cell phone, laptop, or tablet during class. Focus on completing the quiz or exercise, or on following the lecture and
contributing to class discussion.
5.02 Finish Assigned Readings before Class Meets
The reading listed on the course schedule for a given day must be completed before class meets on that day.
5.03 Bring the Textbook to Class
Bring the textbook with you whenever you come to class, since you will need it to work on exercises and to participate in
class discussion.
5.04 No Make-Ups for Quizzes or Exercises
All quizzes and exercises must be completed when class meets. You are not permitted to make up quizzes or team that
you missed.
However, extra credit quizzes and exercises are offered at the end of the semester, so that you have an opportunity to
partially compensate for any work you may have missed earlier in the semester.
See, for example, Valerie Strauss, “Why a leading professor of new media just banned technology use in class,” The Washington
Post, September 25, 2014 (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/09/25/why-a-leading-professor-of-newmedia-just-banned-technology-use-in-class/).
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5.05 Late Paper Penalty
Late paper assignments receive a -10% penalty per day turned in late.
5.06 Exam Make-Ups
You may only schedule a make-up for an exam if you inform me at least 24 hours in advance and if you are unable to
attend the exam for a reason outside of your control, such as serious illness. (Travel plans which conflict with the
scheduled exam dates do not count as a reason outside of your control.)
5.07 Academic Honesty
The two main kinds of academic honesty are cheating and plagiarism. Cheating includes (but is not limited to): using
unauthorized materials to complete a quiz, exam, or other assignment; talking to or otherwise getting help from another
student to complete a quiz, exam, or other assignment; looking at another student’s work during a quiz or exam (with or
without their consent).
Plagiarism is using the words or ideas of another writer without attribution in a written work which you present as your
own.
Any assignment completed using cheating or plagiarism will receive a grade of 0, and will be reported to the office of
student affairs as a violation of the code of academic conduct.
5.08 Additional Policies
Additional university-wide policies governing this and other courses can be found at:
http://www.uttyler.edu/academicaffairs/syllabuspolicies.pdf.
6. Philosophy Resources
6.01 Philosophy Guides
Pink Guide to Philosophy: https://sites.google.com/a/wellesley.edu/pinkguidetophilosophy/
6.02 Philosophy Videos
Wi-Phi (Wireless Philosophy): http://www.wi-phi.com/
Philosophical Installations: http://philinstall.uoregon.edu/
6.03 Philosophy Encyclopedias
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: http://plato.stanford.edu/
The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: http://www.iep.utm.edu/
6.04 Philosophy Research Databases
Phil Papers: http://philpapers.org/
UT Tyler Library: http://libguides.uttyler.edu/philosophy/
Google Scholar: http://scholar.google.com/
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Course Schedule
Date
1.12
1.14
1.16
1.19
1.21
1.23
1.26
1.28
1.30
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
3.30
4.1
4.3
4.6
4.8
4.10
4.13
4.15
4.17
4.20
4.22
4.24
TBA
Topic
Introduction
Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking
MLK JR. DAY
Plato: Euthyphro
Plato: Euthyphro
Plato: Apology
Plato: Apology
Plato: Apology
Plato: Phaedo
Plato: Phaedo
Plato: Phaedo
Descartes: Meditations 1
Descartes: Meditations 2
Descartes: Meditations 1-2
Descartes: Meditations 3
Descartes: Meditations 4
Descartes: Meditations 3-4
Descartes: Meditations 5
Descartes: Meditations 6
Descartes: Meditations 5-6
Open
Mid-Term Review
Mid-Term Exam
SPRING BREAK
SPRING BREAK
SPRING BREAK
Hume: Enquiry 1-3
Hume: Enquiry 4-7
Hume: Enquiry 1-7
Hume: Enquiry 8
Hume: Enquiry 9
Hume: Enquiry 8-9
Hume: Enquiry 10
Hume: Enquiry 11-12
Hume: Enquiry 10-12
Confucianism: Analects 1-10
Confucianism: Analects 11-20
Confucianism: Analects
Confucianism: Mencius
Confucianism: Mencius
Confucianism: Mencius
Confucianism: The Great Learning
Confucianism: Maintaining Perfect Balance
Final Review
Final Exam
Reading
Quizzes & Exercises Papers
Fallacies Handout
IQ1, TQ1, TE1, IE1
P 1-20
P 21-44
P 93-122
P 122-154
D 1-17
D 17-24
D 24-35
D 35-42
D 42-47
D 47-59
H 1-15
H 15-53
H 53-69
H 69-72
H 72-90
H 90-114
C 11-33
C 33-49
C 53-78
C 78-103
C 1-8
C 107-129
5
IQ2, TQ2
TE2, IE2
IQ3, TQ3
TE3
IE3
IQ4, TQ4
TE4
IE4
IQ5, TQ5
TE5
IE5
IQ6, TQ6
TE6
IE6
IQ7, TQ7
TE7
IE7
IQ8, TQ8
TE8
IE8
IQ9, TQ9
TE9
IE9
IQ10, TQ10
TE10
IE10
IQx1, TQx1
TEx1
IEx1
IQx2, TQx2
TEx2
IEx2
IQx3, TQx3
TEx3
IEx3
P1
P2
P3
P4