INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY
PHI2010 (3 Semester Hours; Gordon Rule Writing)
Dr. Nicholas P. Power
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Philosophy is not an abstract, “pie-in-the-sky” activity, to be pursued by us in our spare time, but
is at the core of our intellectual understanding of the world and our place in it. It is a part of the
Humanities, and is also vital for an investigation into the foundations of the sciences. Subjects such as
the philosophy of physics and of biology are increasingly important, and the philosophy of social
science is relevant for social theory and political activism. The connection between logic and the
development of computing is well known. There is a dimension of values at the root of any academic
discipline you are currently in or in any career you may some day find yourself in, and moral
philosophers study these values carefully and systematically. Medicine and biology, law, government
and international relations, environmental studies and geography, and especially psychology and the
human sciences each have a core of standards of professional responsibility and proper behavior, and
studies in ethics provide the framework for this core. Because of its pivotal role, Philosophy lies at the
heart of the work of any program of University study worthy of its name. While some areas of
Philosophy have become highly formalized and technical, philosophers also tackle practical issues, for
example in such areas as applied and professional ethics. Philosophy is both analytical and systematic,
taking its own history seriously.
For the serious student, Philosophy nurtures a wide variety of skills. The heart of Philosophy is a
set of modes of thinking acquired through rigorous training. Of its nature, with its stress on independent
thought, Philosophy is an open-ended subject, constantly being revised and extended in the light of new
insights and new problems. Yet its history, at least in the Western world, stretches back for 2,500 years.
Great philosophers such as Socrates or Wittgenstein resisted the idea that Philosophy is simply a body of
knowledge to be taught. Yet at the same time it is surely usual for someone fully trained in Philosophy
to know something about some figures such as Socrates or Wittgenstein. Philosophy has been practiced
for thousands of years, and in many different cultures, giving rise to a diversity of traditions. Students of
Philosophy in Introductory courses are introduced to works originally written in different languages, in
different historical periods. This gives the subject great intellectual breadth, and affords the student the
opportunity to gain new insights on his or her own intellectual history, and his or her own sense of self.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
I. In terms of knowledge and understanding, successful students of this course will gain the
following:
1. Familiarity with the writings of some of the major philosophers: Plato, Descartes, Kant, Rawls, etc.
2. Familiarity with some central theories and arguments in the fields of Metaphysics, Epistemology,
Ethics and the Philosophy of Mind.
3. Some appreciation of the wide range of techniques of philosophical reasoning.
II. In addition to this, there are general philosophical skills which you will gain and or sharpen:
1. An ability to identify underlying issues in various debates.
2. Grasp of some philosophical problems, mentioning arguments for or against proposed solutions.
3. Understanding of the importance of careful interpretation of a variety of texts.
4. Familiarity with the use of specialized philosophical terminology.
5. Awareness of the nature of sound arguments and logical fallacies.
6. Appreciation of how generalizations can be supported or weakened by detailed discussion.
7. Recognition of arguments on both sides of a philosophical question.
III. Also, as the student will gain some experience in engaging in philosophical discourse,
students will be better able than before to do the following:
1. Ability to conduct arguments about matters of the highest moment without recourse to insult or
susceptibility to take offence.
2. Willingness to evaluate opposing arguments, to formulate and consider the best arguments for
different views and to identify the weakest elements of the most persuasive view.
3. Ability to cross traditional subject boundaries, examining the limitations and virtues of other
disciplines and practices, and recognizing philosophical doctrines in unfamiliar places
4. Ability to apply philosophical skills and techniques to issues arising in everyday life.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Your grade for the course will be determined by six separate letter grades scored from 1-100, on a scale
where a total of 96-100 points will result in an A, 90-95 in an A-; 89-87 a B+, 86-83 a B, 82-80 a B-; 7977 a C+, 76-73 a C, 72-70 a C-; 69-67 a D+, 66-63 a D, 62-60 a D, and 0-59 in an F and where the six
letter grades (and 6 x 100 available points) are distributed as follows:
1.
50% 3 essays on assigned reading materials (@ 100 points each) Two of these will be
held in-class and will be on the major philosophers we cover in the course—the first one, on
Plato, will be during week four of the semester, the second, on Descartes, in week seven (though
this calendar may change slightly). They will require that you be very familiar with those views
and arguments of the subject which we have discussed in class, and will require that you be able
to plan an organized essay and think on your feet. If you have missed class, or don’t understand
the material, you will not do well on this requirement. They will be graded according to the
rubric given below. The third essay will allow you to choose any essay from the textbook that we
have not read, and explore it further by answering one of the “Study Questions” supplied in the
text at the close of each chapter. More on this essay later, but it will be about three typed pages
long and will be due at the last day of classes also will be graded according to the rubric below.
2.
30% multiple-choice type Mid-Term and (non-cumulative) Final Exam (@ 100 points
each)
3.
20% Class Participation and attendance (50 points for attendance; 50 for five “pop
quizzes” and/or homework assignments that I hold in reserve for use in dire circumstances, like,
where y’all ain’t readin’ the danged book)
My Policies and Procedures include the following:
1. Attendance is mandatory; roll will be taken at each class meeting. More than five missed class
meetings will result in a very bad headache, dizziness, bouts of depression, hair loss, and a
recommendation that you withdraw from the class. On ten randomly chosen occasions, your absence
will cost you 5 attendance points. Make it a priority to make it to class on time, so as not to disrupt your
conspecifics. Although this is an 11:00am class, your lifestyle may prevent you from having sufficient
rest to stay awake throughout the class. If so, then leave; do not fall asleep in my class, as this gives a
bad impression to your mates and to me. Should you sleep, you will first be warned (and embarrassed)
then you will lose 10 attendance points.
2. Late work is unacceptable; quizzes, which are short and comprised of reading-comprehension type of
questions based on that class meeting’s reading assignment, cannot be made up at a later date; any
writing assignments will be penalized one-third of a letter grade for each calendar day they are late.
Please don't ask for exception to these policies after the fact, though let me know if you know you will
miss a class meeting.
3. Plagiarism is the unacknowledged, or insufficiently acknowledged, use of another's ideas and/or their
expression. This applies to equally to borrowing from books and articles, notes taken/works prepared in
other classes, or from the work of other students. Whenever an idea is not the result of the student's own
primary research and thinking and is not reasonably understood to already be part of the public domain,
its source must be properly identified in a footnote or other format; otherwise, plagiarism results.
Plagiarism combines theft with fraud, and within the academy, no offense is more destructive, hence no
offense is penalized more. At my discretion, I may fail you for that assignment, for the course, and I
may recommend that you be suspended from UWF. I take this issue very seriously. You should know
and abide by the UWF's plagiarism policies (see your student handbook under “Expectations for
Academic Conduct” and available online at http://uwf.edu/uwfMain/stuHandbk/ ). My department
prosecutes about 10 cases of this per term, and I have seen to it that the worst violators are suspended
from UWF.
4. Let me know if something comes up that will interfere with your class work and I promise to work
with you, but you must do this ahead of time. My door is always open
TEXTBOOK
1. Philosophy: A New Introduction, by Douglas Mann and G. Elijah Dann, Wadsworth/ Thomson 2005.
INSTRUCTOR
Office: Bldg. 50; Rm. 230; Hours: TBA
Phone: 474-2677
E-mail: npower@uwf.edu Web site: www.uwf.edu/npower
COURSE SCHEDULE/ READING LIST
(This is subject to change as we proceed.)
Week 1.
Week 2.
Week 3.
Week 4.
Week 5.
Week 6.
Week 7.
Week 8.
Week 9.
Week 10.
Week 11.
Week 12.
579)
Week 13.
Week 14.
148-158)
Week 15.
Jan 2:
Introductions (First readings assigned)
Jan 11, 13
Ancient Views of Reality (Have read: pp. 1-18, 19-23, 36-50)
Jan 18, 20
Socrates, the ideal philosopher (Have read: the Apology, pp. 50-67)
Jan 25, 27
Plato’s Theory of the Forms (Have read: 102-106)
Feb 1, 3
Mind and Body (Have read: pp. 193-220)
Feb 8, 10
Mind as Body (Have read: pp. 220-227, 233-238)
Feb 15, 17
The Nature of Human Knowledge (Have read: pp. 319-330)
***Mid-term Opportunity will be scheduled hereabouts***
Feb 22, 24
Ethics I: Mill and Utility (Have read pp. 394-401, 409-419)
March 1, 3
Ethics II: Kant and Duty (Have read: 419-426)
March 8, 19 Ethics III: Virtue Ethics Old and New (Have read: pp. 106-112, 443-451)
March 15, 17 Political Philosophy I: Hobbes (Have read: pp. 463-470, 479-489)
March 29, 31 Political Philosophy II: Marx & Socialism (Have read: pp. 495-512, 570April 5, 7
April 12, 14
Political Philosophy III: Liberals & Libertarians (Have read: pp. 526-538)
Arguments for (& against) the Existence of God (Have read: pp. 125-142;
April 19, 21 The Problem of Evil (Have read: pp. 166-176)
***Final Exam tentatively scheduled: April 26: Final Exam, at 11:00 sharp
ESSAY RUBRIC
Each of your essays are worth 100 points and will be graded according to the following criteria. (A
version of this document, with appropriate scores added, will be attached to your essay when it is
returned to you.) Some of these, such as II., 4, only apply to your third, “study-question” essay.
I. Content (overall worth 75 points):
1. (worth 25 points) The student answered the questions by appropriately applying the most
relevant disciplinary concepts and terms discussed in class, and did so in a way that
demonstrated a familiarity with the meanings of these terms.
2. (worth 25 points) The student selected and described appropriate contexts or frameworks from
within the history of philosophy to use in answering the question; that is, he/she didn’t neglect
any obvious claims or ideas relevant to the question.
3. (worth 25 points) The student critically engaged the correct aspects of the philosophical
problem or theory in answering the question, and presented, in a charitable manner, the major
problematic claims or consequences of the view.
II. Stylistics (overall worth 25 points)
1. (worth 5 points) The paper is logically organized, with an apparent, easy-to-follow structure,
with transitions between major sub-parts or sub-topics.
2. (worth 10 points) The paper follows the conventions of grammar and punctuation.
3. (worth 5 points) The paper follows the conventions of citing sources and providing references.
4. (worth 5 points) The paper is properly formatted and turned in on time.
Based on your score on these measures, your paper will receive a total score and attendant letter grade
whereby:
“A” 90-100 Student shows clear mastery of the topics relevant to the question and as they are
presented in the text and lectures.
“B” 80-89
Student shows many strengths in communicating the content of the topic although there
was some room for improvement in concept accuracy, framework use, or convention writing.
“C” 70-79
Student demonstrated both strengths and weaknesses in communicating the content of the
topic.
“D” 60-69
Student’s communication of the content was problematic although some competence was
evidence in concept accuracy, framework use, or conventional writing.
“F” 0-59
Insufficient competence in disciplinary content was evident. Student was unable to use
appropriate terminology, apply disciplinary frameworks, and/or write in acceptable disciplinary
conventions.