PHIL 1000, Sec. 001 Introduction to Philosophy: General survey of philosophy
Spring 2008 Tuesday and Thursday 9.10-10.30am S BEH AUD.Instructor: Stephen M. Downes, OSH 340E.
Office Hours: Tuesdays 11.00am to 12.00noon and by appointment.
Phone: 581 6094 Email: s.downes@utah.edu
TA's: Joel Van Zanten and Cinnamon Wuthrich
Email: Joel.vanzanten@utah.edu Cinnamon.wuthrich@utah.edu
Office Weds 12.50-1.50pm Weds 1.00-2.00pm
hours: OSH338B OSH338D
Course Requirements.
Weekly Readings and Assignments.
Quiz 1 review
Quiz 2 review
Quiz 3 Review
Quiz 4 Review
Review 5
Paper Assignment
Writing Handout
Re-writing handout
Catalogue Description.
This course is suitable for students taking their first philosophy course, or those wishing to broaden their understanding of philosophical issues. The course is a general survey of philosophy. Examples of the kinds of topics considered include: influential ideas introduced by significant historical figures (e.g., Plato, Kant, Mill, Nietzsche, Russell); important philosophical theories (e.g., utilitarian theories of morality); perplexing philosophical problems (e.g., the problem of how we could know that we're not living inside the Matrix); methods of philosophical inquiry (e.g., procedures for constructing and evaluating arguments.)
(3 credit hours. This course fulfills General Education Humanities Exploration Requirement. No pre-requisites.)
Class Description.
In this class we confront questions about the nature of God’s existence, whether our moral judgments are justified and whether our identity is bound up in an immortal soul. We address these and many other related questions by reading both from classic texts in the Western Philosophical tradition and contemporary interpretations of the texts. We will read two classics of Western philosophy: Rene Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy (From the 1600's) and David Hume's Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding (From the 1700's). We will finish up the course by reading a contemporary dialogue on personal identity and the immortality of the soul. Understanding philosophers' attempts to answer these and other questions in our readings helps us to develop critical reasoning skills. Students will learn how philosophical views are presented and defended and how these views can be carefully appraised and criticized.
Grades are assessed on the basis of in-class quizzes, an in-class final, short papers and attendance.
The final exam for this class is scheduled on Friday May 25th 2008 at 8.00am. Do not register for this class if you are unable to take the final at this time on this date. (See here for University of Utah Final Exam Schedules.)
Books
Required: Descartes Meditations on First Philosophy
Hume An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding
Hospers An Introduction to Philosophical Analysis
Perry A Dialogue on Personal Identity
(All available in the University Bookstore.)
Optional (recommended for future Philosophy Majors):
Feinberg Doing Philosophy
Arthur Studying Philosophy
(Available at good bookstores and online at Amazon.com)
(For course evaluations of earlier versions of this course by this instructor go to
Campus Information System, log on, scroll down and click on "Student
Accessible Results." Next go to Philosophy, search by faculty and click on Downes.)
