PHILOSOPHY 100 (FALL 2012) – INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY (HONORS SECTION)
Instructor: Ted Stolze
Office: SS-132
Office Phone: 562-860-2451, extension 2774
Office Hours: MTWTh 9-9:30am, M 11am-12pm
E-mail: tstolze@cerritos.edu
Webpage: www.cerritos.edu/tstolze
Transfer Credit:
CSU, UC
Course Description:
In this course we’ll develop philosophical concepts by investigating a wide variety of problems, systems of thought, and cultural perspectives. We’ll be reading carefully and critically selected philosophers and philosophies from ancient Greece through contemporary Europe and the United States.
Texts:
 James Rachels, Problems from Philosophy, 3 rd ed. (McGraw Hill, 2008) = PFP
 Brent Adkins, True Freedom: Spinoza’s Practical Philosophy (Lexington, 2009) = TF
Student Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this course you should be able to do the following:
 Explain Socrates’ statement, “The unexamined life is not worth living,” by applying the statement in at least two of the following areas: ethics, epistemology, and metaphysics.
 Demonstrate a basic understanding of methods of philosophy.
 Demonstrate an enhanced ability to articulate ideas about philosophical issues.
Use philosophical methods, assumptions, and principles to analyze philosophical ideas and positions,  including contemporary problems and issues.
 Evaluate philosophical arguments, methods, assumptions, and principles for coherence, relevance, truth, sources, and limits of knowledge.
 Explain philosophical arguments, methods, fundamental assumptions, and principles about the nature of reality, self, and freedom.
Explain philosophical arguments, methods, and evaluate fundamental assumptions and principles of
1.
 various ethical theories, including Deontology, Utilitarianism, and Virtue Ethics.
 Evaluate your own philosophical presuppositions, as well as the philosophical presuppositions of others in order to assess the merits of these assumptions.
Course Requirements:
Show up regularly and on time. Be prepared to discuss the readings. You should carefully read the assignment before class, noting difficult passages and writing down any questions you’d like to pose in class. You should also briefly reread the assignment after class to confirm that you now understand the author’s main points. NOTE: you must turn off all electronic devices before class begins (unless you have a demonstrable need).

2
NOTE: I reserve the right to drop any student who is absent for more than six class sessions during the course. Also, if you leave class early without permission, you will be considered absent for that session.
2. Take three exams, the first two of which will count for 20 points, and the third for 10 points, of your final grade. The second exam should be done as a take-home essay and is due on November 13.
3. Write two “position papers” (each around 750 words in length) in which you defend your own view on some aspect of philosophy that we have covered in this course. The first paper will cover Rachels’ book (due by
November 1) and the second will cover Adkins’ book on Spinoza (due by December 11). Each paper will count for 25 points of your final grade.
4. Final grades will be based on the following scale:
90 - 100 points
80 - 90 points
70 - 80 points
60 - 70 points
0 - 60 points
A
B
C
D
F
5. Cheating and plagiarism are ethically unacceptable and will result in automatic failure for a particular assignment.
Standards for Classroom Behavior and Discussion:
Our goal in this course is to achieve respectful philosophical dialogue in which everyone feels affirmed in the value of his or her ideas and contributions to the class. This means not only that we should speak in certain ways, but also that we should listen in certain ways. Respectful philosophical dialogue demands that even if we strongly disagree with others, we should be very careful not to speak in a way that demeans them or their ideas. We should instead engage in active listening—a technique that helps us to be less defensive in responding to criticism or disagreement. Mindful, active listening requires each of us to focus on the words of the person speaking rather than on what we ourselves might want to say, and to reserve judgment until he or she has finished speaking and we are sure that we really understand his or her perspective. At the very least, active listening requires the following respectful behavior:
 No side conversations, note-passing, or fiddling with your cell phone
 Body language that indicates supportive attention (e.g., eye contact with the speaker)
 No body language that is derisive (e.g., sighs, eye-rolling, muttering under your breath, throw-away comments after the speaker is finished).
Reading Assignments:
8/21
8/23
8/28
8/30
9/4
I. What is Philosophy?
Introduction to Philosophy
Video on the Life of Socrates
PFP, pp. 1-9, 191-199
II. Metaphysics: What is Reality?
PFP, pp. 10-26
VIDEO: Darwin and the Tree of Life

10/16
10/18
11/27
11/29
12/4
12/6
12/11
12/13
12/20
10/23
10/25
10/30
11/1
11/6
11/8
11/13
11/15
11/20
11/22-25
9/6
9/11
9/13
9/18
9/20
9/25
9/27
10/2
10/4
10/9
10/11
3
PFP, pp. 27-37
Video on Life after Death
PFP, pp. 38-51
PFP, pp. 52-66
Review
PFP, pp. 67-82
PFP, pp. 83-93
Exam #1
VIDEO: The Human Behavior Experiments
PFP, pp. 94-108
PFP, pp. 109-124
III. Epistemology: What is Knowledge?
PFP, pp. 125-138
Review
IV. Axiology: What is Value?
PFP, pp. 139-152
PFP, pp. 153-165
PFP, pp. 166-175
Video on the Life of Epicurus and Review
Library Assignment (Take-Home Exam #2) – Stolze in London
“ ”
Video on the Life of Spinoza
TF, pp. 1-20
TF, pp. 21-36
No Class – Thanksgiving Break
TF, pp. 37-53
TF, pp. 55-74
TF, pp. 73-81
TF, pp. 83-90
TF, pp. 91-97
Spinoza TBA
Exam #3 (10-12am)