PHIL101.001 Introduction to Western Philosophy Fall, 2014
TR 9:30-10:50 CURTIS 455; Pete Amato, MAC5030: M,W,R 11-1, and other times by appt., ext. 1353, peterama@drexel.edu
Welcome! Philosophy is commonly identified with life’s socalled Big Questions—what does it mean to exist?, what is
justice?, what is the meaning of life?, etc. Philosophy is
concerned with large, intractable issues because they arise out
of and feed into human experience. We are usually preoccupied
with immediate concerns in everyday life, and find ourselves in
the midst of many particular tasks. But every task involves us in
deeper questions we could investigate—what does it mean to be
doing this rather than something else?, am I really just a body
moving through space and time, or am I something else?, is this
action or these social and political arrangements fair? Just the
act of thoughtfully asking questions like these makes us different
people and helps us understand ourselves and the world better.
Philosophers consider life in all its complexity in the pursuit of
truth, and this requires us to probe and question everything—
even the conclusions we may have drawn ourselves quite
recently. The result is the ongoing dialogue we know as the
Philosophical Tradition.
La Trahison des Images - Rene Magritte
Texts: There are two texts and one online article to read for this course, plus a variety of recommended readings posted at the
BBLearn site for our class (https://learn.dcollege.net/). Please get the specific editions of the books I have ordered—each has very
high quality introductory material and notes. The Plato translation is also specifically very good. Please bring each of our required
readings with you to class when we are talking about it:
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Howard Gardner, “The Philosophy-Science Continuum”, The Chronicle of Higher Education, March 9, 2001,
http://chronicle.com, Section: The Chronicle Review, B7, retrieved from: http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~pa34/gardner.htm
Plato, The Last Days of Socrates, Christopher Rowe, editor, Penguin Classics, ISBN-13: 978-0140455496
Edwin A. Abbott Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions, Rosemary Jann, editor, Oxford, ISBN-13: 978-0199537501
Assignments, exams, and grading: We will have three short essays this term. For each, you will write a thoughtful, well-focused,
detailed 4-5 page essay in response to your choice from a list of questions and topics. They will be more like take-home essay exams
than formal essays, and they will not at all be like research papers, (15% each). Exams will be in-class short essay answer type exams.
A study guide will be distributed in advance of each. We will have one midterm exam (20%) and one final exam (25%). The midterm
will ask you to write six short essay answers of about 10-12 sentences each in response to questions based on our readings and
conversations in class. The final will be similar, except it will have a mixture of new questions with a few taken from the midterm, and
you will have to answer eight in all. You’ll have two hours for the final. On both exams, the questions will ask you to carefully explain
an important concept or idea from the class, and to either respond to it with your own ideas or to relate it thoughtfully to
something else from the class or your own knowledge and experience. Best way to prepare for both our essays and exams: Read the
texts carefully, take good notes in class, ask questions and participate in class conversation. Grading Chart.
Class participation and attendance: Your class participation and attendance grade, (10%), will reflect your presence, preparation for,
and involvement in the class from day to day. Anything that interferes with your ability to attend class must be documented within two
weeks of its occurrence or it will not be excused. Documentation involves providing written evidence that attendance was
impossible or extremely difficult due to illness, emergency, or legal, or family responsibility. If you can’t document absences, if you
do not do so within two weeks of their occurrence, or if I don't agree they were necessary, they will not be excused. Good class
participation requires being involved in class discussion regularly and having no more than one week of unexcused absences. Two
weeks of unexcused absences automatically loses all class participation credit. More than two weeks automatically results in failure
for the class. Please note: Simple physical attendance does not equal involvement and participation in class. If you spend class-time
sleeping or doing something unrelated to class this will be counted as an unexcused absence. Participation and Attendance Chart.
Classroom unplugged: Please put your cell phones and smart phones away and off during class. The use of any electronic devices
during class for purposes other than taking notes or following class discussion of an online text constitutes an unacceptable
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distraction to the class and the instructor and is for this reason strictly prohibited. You will be marked absent each time you are
observed in violation of this policy regardless of your physical presence in the room or contributions to class discussion. Repeated
violation will result in automatic loss of all class participation credit (10% of grade) and a report to the Office of Student Conduct and
Community Standards for disruptive classroom behavior. If you have any questions or concerns related to this policy or would like to
discuss it with me please let me know. For university policy regarding disruptive classroom behavior see here: Student Handbook.
Academic integrity: Plagiarism is the failure to identify sources consulted in the production of graded work, including online or printed
material, published or not, and papers or homework written by others for any classes, (even this one), given at any time. Working
together with other students is cheating if it saves you time and effort. It is a great thing to do if it involves working harder and
actually learning with others. Any assignment involving any infringement of academic integrity will lose all credit and may be reported
to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards. A second instance will result in failure for this class and a full report:
http://drexel.edu/studentaffairs/community_standards/studentHandbook/general_information/code_of_conduct/.
Learning aims: Successfully completing the work in this class will help the student develop skills associated with:
 Thinking for oneself,
 Reading and interpreting complex, nuanced texts and responding to them reflectively and critically,
 Logical reasoning and analysis, rational argumentation, and dialogue,
 Understanding some of the central questions, concepts, and problems of Western intellectual culture.
Schedule of Readings and Assignments – please complete the reading prior to the class meeting indicated
1. Tuesday, September 23
Introduction to the class and subject matter
2. Thurs., September25
Gardner: The Philosophy-Science Continuum
3. Tues., September 30
Discussion of Gardner article continued
4. Thurs., October 2
Plato, Introductory Material, pp. i-xxxiii; First Short Paper Assigned
Tuesday, October 7: No Class due to Convocation
5. Thurs., October 9
Plato, Euthyphro [you-thuh-frow] pp. 3-10
6. Tuesday, October 14
Plato, Euthyphro pp. 11-16
7. Thurs., October 16
Plato, Euthyphro pp. 16-20; First Short Paper due
8. Tuesday, October 21
Plato, Euthyphro pp. 21-27
9. Thurs., October 23
Plato, Apology pp. 29-36; Second Short Paper assigned
Tuesday, October 28: Midterm Examination
10. Thurs., October 30
Plato, Apology pp. 37-44
11. Tuesday, November 4
Plato, Apology pp. 45-52; Return MT
12. Thurs., November 6
Plato, Apology pp. 53-62; Second Short Paper due
13. Tuesday, November 11
Abbott, Introductory Material, pp. i-xlii;
14. Thurs., November 13
Abbott, Flatland, pp. 1-30
15. Tuesday, November 18
Abbott, Flatland, pp. 31-52
16. Thurs., November 20
Abbott, Flatland, pp. 53-73; Third Short Paper assigned
17. Tuesday, November 25
Abbott, Flatland, pp. 74-94
Wednesday to Sunday, November 26-30, Thanksgiving Holiday: No Classes
18. Tuesday, December 2
Abbott, Flatland, pp. 95-107; Study Guide Final Exam
19. Thurs., December 4
Abbott, Flatland, pp. 108-118; Third Short Paper due
December 8-13: Exam Week
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