PHIL B6a: Introduction to Philosophy
Instructor: Moya Arthur
Bakersfield College
Fall 2009
Reading Assignments/Class Assignments
Tuesday
Thursday
8/25
8/27
Introduction to the class
Philosophical method: Argument
Class Topic
Course content/expectations
Fact verses theory
How to be a good philosophy student
What is “truth”?
h/o#1: “Does Philosophy Bake Bread?,
Re-read “Mud’s Eye View” and consider
Assigned
(VofW, pgs. 14-18).
it again in light of our class discussion,
Reading
h/o#2:”Mud’s Eye View”
and the questions below.
1. What sorts of questions does
1. What is an argument?
What you should philosophy ask?
2. What is the difference between a
know/understand 2. What sorts of answers can it get?
“fact” and “theory”?
3. How can philosophical thinking be
from this*
3. How do we know what is “true”?
helpful?
*These questions are the sorts of things you chould understand when you are finished reading the material and participating in
the class that addresses the reading. You should know the definitions and uses of all words in bold. Revisit these questions
continually as you progress through the reading assignments. Notice how the “answers” you give change as you learn more about
the material.
Week 1
Week 2
Class Topic
Assigned Reading
Tuesday
9/1
The Apology (first third of dialogue)
Recognizing arguments
Argument Forms: Modus Tollens
Scientific Method
The Apology, VofW, pgs. 48-56ish
On-line at:
Thursday
9/3
The Apology (second third of dialogue)
Knowledge
Argument from Analogy
1. Why is everyone mad at Socrates?
2. What and why is Socrates doing what
makes people so angry?
3. Who are the two sets of accusers, and
which set does Socrates believe is the
most dangerous? Why?
4. What does Socrates see as the “limits
of human wisdom”? What can we
know and why?
1. Identify and explain Meletus’ charge
of atheism. How does Socrates refute
this charge?
2. What does Socrates see as the
“Philosopher’s Mission”?
3. Identify and explain Socrates’
argument that he is a “gadfly.”
4. Explain what an argument of
analogy is and show how Socrates uses
one of these to prove his point.
The Apology, VofW, pgs. 56-60ish
<http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/apology.html>
What you should
know/understand
from this
Week 3
Class Topic
Assigned Reading
Tuesday
9/8
The Apology (last third of dialogue)
Argument Forms: Constructive
Dilemma
The Apology, VofW, pgs. 60-63
On-line at:
<http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/apology/html>
What you should
know/understand
from this
Week 4
Class Topic
Assigned Reading
Week 5
Class Topic
The Euthyphro
What is it to be “good”?
The Euthyphro
On-line at:
<http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/euthyfro/html>
1. Why is Socrates found guilty? Is he
really?
2. Why does Socrates believe that
nothing bad will happen to him, even in
death? Explain.
3. Show how Socrates’ argument that his
death will be a good thing can be seen as
a Constructive Dilemma.
1. What is Euthyphro doing at Court?
2. How does Euthyphro know he is
right?
3. Does Euthyphro have knowledge?
Tuesday
9/15
The Euthyphro, cont. “
Argument Form: “Argument ad
Absurdum,” “Indirect Proof”
The Euthyphro
On-line at:
Thursday
9/17
The Euthyphro, cont.
The limits of human knowledge, as
process of knowing.
The Euthyphro
On-line at:
1. Identify each proposed definition of
piety, and how Socrates refutes it.(You
should find between 7 and 9 proposed
definitions).
2. What is a Daedelus? Why does
Euthyphro call Socrates this?
1. What did Socrates learn through the
process of questioning?
2. Did Euthyphro learn from it?
Why/why not?
3. How might this knowledge relate
back to the Apology and socrates’
supposed “wisdom”? Explain.
<http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/euthyfro/html>
What you should
know/understand
from this
Thursday
9/10
Tuesday
9/22
Review for Exam #1
Develop exam questions
Assigned Reading
Reread all assigned reading to this point.
What you should
know/understand
from this
Understand the process that instructors
use to develop exam questions.
<http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/euthyfro/html>
Thursday
9/24
Exam 1
Take-home exam questions due at
11am.