PHIL 10200: Introduction to Philosophy
Spring 2015
Wednesday 6:30pm to 9pm
Andreas Keller
andreaskeller@runbox.com
office hours by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION: The general aim of this course is to serve as an introduction to central
philosophical problems and methods of philosophical argumentation and analysis. We will consider
some of the main topics of philosophy: knowledge and certainty, political philosophy, ethics, freedom,
and the mind-body problem.
READING: All of the readings for this course will be posted on the course website
(http://andreaskeller.squarespace.com/philosophy10200)
STRUCTURE OF SESSIONS: Except for the first and last session and the writing workshop, there are
reading assignments for each session. We will begin the session with a lecture on the assigned reading
and a discussion of how to interpret it. We will take a short break in the middle of the session. After the
break you will write a half-page reading response that briefly summarizes the thesis of the assigned
reading and the arguments or evidence adduced in support of that thesis (on 3/11, the reading response
will be replaced by an in-class exam, in which you have to answer questions about all the readings that
were assigned so far). For the rest of the session, we will discuss possible reactions/responses to the
writing. Is the text effective in convincing the reader? How do the presented ideas relate to other
writings and to your own experience? Do we agree or disagree with the thesis? Why?
The first and last session will not be centered on a specific reading, but instead provide the opportunity
for broader discussion. The Writing Workshop will give you guidance on how to write a critical essay. I
will present mainly the ideas found in A. P. Martinich's Philosophical Writing.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS: You will be required to write 10 half-page reading responses in class. In these
reading responses, you will briefly summarize the thesis of a piece of philosophical writing that you have
read and identify the arguments or evidence adduced in support of that thesis. In addition, there will be
one in-class exam on 3/11. In addition, you will have to write a 6-page paper at the end of the semester.
In this longer paper, you will have to defend your own thesis.
Paper 45%; Reading responses 25%; Exam 15%; Attendance and Participation 15%
LATE ASSIGNMENT POLICY: Late papers will only be accepted in cases of emergency. Arrangements must
be made with me at least 48 hours in advance.
ATTENDANCE: Regular attendance is required. You will be granted up to three excused absences
(medical, family emergencies, etc.) throughout the term. Unexcused absences and late arrival to class
will affect your grade significantly.
PLAGIARISM: Plagiarism and other forms of cheating will be subject to penalties in conformity with the
College’s policy on Academic Integrity.
(http://www1.ccny.cuny.edu/facultystaff/provost/policies_integrity.cfm)
LEARNING COURSE OBJECTIVES: By the end of this course you should: (1) Be able to read philosophy;
that is, to identify the thesis of a piece of philosophical writing and the arguments or evidence adduced
in support of that thesis. (2) Be able to write philosophy; that is, to present a claim in clear terms and to
defend it in a logically coherent manner. (3) Be able to reconstruct and debate some foundational issues
in the Western philosophical tradition.
As part of the College’s General Education Curriculum, this course is designed to satisfy the
requirements for a Logical-Philosophical Perspective course. Students successfully completing this
course will develop the following proficiencies: will have had multiple experiences in communicating
ideas in writing and speaking by completing writing assignments, will have had experiences that
emphasize analytic and/or philosophical reasoning to critically examine fundamental questions of ethics,
justice and epistemology, and will have had multiple experiences in finding information and evaluating
the reliability of this information.
Wednesday 1/28: Introduction; What is philosophy? Why study philosophy? Preview
KNOWLEDGE AND CERTAINTY
Wednesday 2/4: Descartes Meditation I & II
Wednesday 2/11: John Locke An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (selection)
Wednesday 2/18: no class; Monday schedule
POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
Wednesday 2/25: Stuart Mill Utilitarianism (selection)
Wednesday 3/4: Stuart Mill On Liberty (selection)
Wednesday 3/11: in class exam; Robert Nozick Anarchy, State and Utopia (selection)
ETHICS
Wednesday 3/18: Peter Singer Famine, Affluence, and Morality
Wednesday 3/25: Thomson A Defense of Abortion
FREEDOM
Wednesday 4/1: Peter Van Inwagen The Incompatibility of Free Will and Determinism
Wednesday 4/8: no class; Spring recess
Wednesday 4/15: Jean-Paul Sartre Being and Nothingness (selection)
Wednesday 4/22: Writing Workshop
MIND-BODY PROBLEM
Wednesday 4/29: Thomas Nagel What it is Like to be a Bat
Wednesday 5/6: Robert Van Gulick What would Count as Explaining Consciousness?
Wednesday 5/13: Review; Questions; Open discussion