Department of Philosophy & Religion
Introduction
to Philosophy 200
Fall 2009
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Instructor |
Safro Kwame, Ph.D. |
E-mail |
kwame@lincoln.edu |
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Phone |
Ext 7569 |
Office Hours |
MW |
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Office |
217 Dickey Hall |
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Robert Paul Wolff ed. Ten Great Works of Philosophy.
Course Packet (printed and/or online in
Course Description (See section 9 below.):
In this course, students will have the opportunity to examine sample philosophical questions in three classic areas of philosophy, including metaphysics, theory of knowledge, and ethics. These questions will include: Does God exist? What is it rational to believe? What is knowledge? What is the ideal state? Who am I? Am I free or determined? What are race, racism, and the relations of power? What role do women have in the transformation of society? In examining these questions, students will study representative selections from classic and contemporary authors. Through the study of these issues and philosophers, students will learn philosophical methods and approaches. Most important, they will learn to apply philosophical notions to issues in their own lives.
1. Students will learn what philosophy is and
what issues are philosophical issues.
2. Students will learn about issues in
several major branches of philosophy, including epistemology, metaphysics, and
ethics.
3. Students will learn to think critically
and to do philosophy as a critical thinking activity.
4. Students will learn ways to positively
and effectively engage in multi-cultural dialogue.
Required Exams and Essay Assignments: (See section 15 below.)
Other Rules and Requirements: (See section 19 below.)
Class Participation. Students are expected to participate in class,
including reading the assigned aterials and coming to class prepared for
discussion.
Attendance. Attendance is
required. Three lates equals an absence
and students may be graded down or failed for missing more than three classes. Students missing class are responsible for
all assignments and materials covered during class.
Academic Integrity. The instructor follows the University Policy for Academic Integrity. The statement of that policy is attached.
Classroom Conduct. In order to
provide all students with an opportunity to focus on learning, cell phones
must be turned off, hats removed, and other distractions, such as private
conversations during class discussion, must be avoided.
Extra Credit. (See section 19 below.)
Guide for
The assigned materials are all original works in
philosophy. The test of the truth of
those ideas lies in philosophical or rational discussion. Discussion will focus on understanding,
clarifying, and critiquing these works.
These discussions are an important part of the learning process where
students learn how to do philosophy by practicing
it in the classroom. To do this
students must read the assigned material.
Here are some useful questions to ask of the readings:
What terms are used by the author? Are they defined?
What question did the author attempt to answer?
What was the author’s main point or thesis?
What supporting reasons did the author give for his or
her main point?
What criticisms do you have concerning the author’s
point?
Evaluation: (See
section 15 below.)
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93-100 = A |
83-86 = B |
73-76 = C |
59 > = F |
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90-93 = A- |
80-82 = B- |
70-72 = C- |
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87-89 = B+ |
77-79 = C+ |
60-69 = D |
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Why philosophy?
What is the value of philosophy?
Plato, Apology
Plato, Apology
Plato, Crito
Plato, Phaedo
Russell, The Value of Philosophy
Is there something I can know for certain?
Descartes, Meditation I
Descartes, Meditation II
How do I know the external world exists?
Kant, Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics
How do I know that the future will be like the past?
Hume, Skeptical Doubts Concerning the Operation of the Understanding
Do I have a free will?
Or are all my choices and actions determined?
d'Holbach, The System of Nature
Sartre, Existentialism is a Humanism
What is the nature of my mind? How is it related to my body?
J.J.C. Smart, Sensations and Brain Processes
W. Lycan, Giving Dualism its Due
What makes me the same person at different points in
time?
Dennett, Where am I?
Searle, Can computers think?
Time Magazine "Can Animals Think?
What is God's nature? Does God exist?
St. Anselm, Ontological Proof, Proslogium
St. Thomas Aquinas,
Paley, Natural Theology
What is Evil? Does it prove God does not exist?
Dostoyevsky, Rebellion
John Hick, "Chapter 4 - The Problem of Evil," in
John Hick, Philosophy of Religion, 4th Edition,
Is it rational/ethical to believe without evidence? Is
belief meaningful?
Clifford, Ethics and Belief
William James, The Will to Believe
Popper, Conjectures and Refutations
Flew, Theology and Falsification
Evolution or Creationism?
Drange, Can Creationism be Scientific?
What relation is there between race and philosophy?
Martin Luther King, Letter from
Stokely Carmichael, Black Power Speech
West, Hope on a Tightrope
What is African Philosophy and its relation to Western
Philosophy?
Kwame Appiah, African Philosophy
Kobina Oguah, African Philosophy and Western Philosophy
What is the right thing to do?
J. S. Mill, Utilitarianism
Thanksgiving Break
Kant, Metaphysics of Morals
What is Virtue? What is Happiness
Aristotle, Nicomachean ethics
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Day |
Date |
Discussion Topics, Learning Opportunities and Assessment |
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Thu |
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Prologue |
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Tue |
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Read Introductory Remarks to the Reader pp. vii-xi before today's class. |
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Thu |
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Read Plato: Apology Part I pp. 3-23 before today's class. |
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Tue |
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Read Plato: Apology Part II pp. 23-30 before today's class. |
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Thu |
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Classwork 1: Quiz on Text and Classes. |
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Tue |
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Read Plato: Crito pp. 33-46 before today's class. |
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Thu |
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Read Plato: Phaedo pp. 47-50 and 58-62 before today's class. |
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Tue |
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Read Aristotle: Poetics pp. 66-67 before today's class. |
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Thu |
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Classwork 2: Quiz on Text and Classes. |
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Tue |
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Read St. Anselm: The ontological Proof from Proslogium pp. 106-108 before today's class. |
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Thu |
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Read St. Thomas Aquinas: Proofs of God's Existence, from the Summa Theologica pp. 109-117 before today's class. |
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Tue |
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Classwork 3: Quiz on Text and Classes. |
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Thu |
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Discussion 1. |
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Tue |
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Discussion 2. |
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Thu |
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Comprehensive Midterm Exam. |
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Tue |
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Read Rene Descartes: Meditations on the First Philosophy I pp. 133-138 before today's class. |
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Thu |
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Read Rene Descartes: Meditations on the First Philosophy II pp. 138-148 before today's class. |
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Tue |
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Read The Meditations of Zara Yaquob - Handout before today's class. |
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Thu |
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Classwork 4: Quiz on Text and Classes. |
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Tue |
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Read David Hume: An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding pp. 342-345 before today's class. |
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Thu |
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Read Immanuel Kant: Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics pp. 359-361 and 364-365 before today's class. |
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Tue |
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Read John Stuart Mill: Utilitarianism pp. 484-488 before today's class. |
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Thu |
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Read William James: The Will to Believe pp. 556, 563-564, and 569-570 before today's class. |
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Tue |
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Classwork 5: Quiz on Text and Classes. |
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Thu |
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Read Eastern philosophy - Handout before today's class. |
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Tue |
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NO CLASS: Thanksgiving. |
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Thu |
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NO CLASS: Thanksgiving. |
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Tue |
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Read African American philosophy - Handout before today's class. |
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Thu |
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Read African philosophy - Handout before today's class. |
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T-F |
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Final Exam may be on |
1. Name of the Department: Philosophy and Religion Department.
2. Course Number and Title: PHL-200 Introduction to Philosophy. 3 Credits.
3. Semester: Fall 2009.
4. Name of the Professor: Dr. Safro Kwame.
5. Office Location/Room Number: Dickey Hall Room 217.
6. Conference Hours:
Mondays and Wednesdays
7. Office Extension: 7569. Tel: (484) 365-7569 Fax: (484) 365-8098.
8. E-Mail Address: kwame@lincoln.edu or kwame@mailshack.com (E-mail messages must have Philosophy in the subject line and, unless requested in other formats, attachments must be in plain text and not Microsoft Word.)
9. Course Description: An introduction to famous philosophers and philosophical issues. This course provides an introduction to philosophy through the examination of philosophical problems in the classic divisions of philosophy of ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology. Students are encouraged to learn to "do" philosophy. Course Objective: (a) To familiarize the student with some famous philosophers, (b) foster deep and critical thinking about very basic issues, and (c) exercise and develop the mind and challenge students mentally.
10. Course Pre-requisites: English 102 (now E101). You have to take and pass English 102 (now E101) before taking Introduction to Philosophy (PHL 200).
11. Required
Textbooks: Wolff, Robert. 2002. Ten
Great Works of Philosophy
12. Required Materials: Textbook, notebook, pencil and pen.
13. Student/Learner Outcomes (Learning Outcome - What student should be able to do at the end of course.): Define philosophy; Distinguish between philosophy, science and religion; Distinguish between epistemology, metaphysics and ethics; Identify some of the famous philosophers; Apply philosophical theories and techniques.
14. Learning Opportunities (and Course Assignments): (See above for specific discussion topics and assignments.) Class presentation of readings; Class discussion of readings; Excerpts from classical texts; Identification of the arguments in the readings; Application of the readings.
15. Assessment Tools/Grading Standards, including calculations of midterm and final grades (include weights in percentages): Explain philosophy to a child or novice; Distinguish between Western, African and African American philosophies; Identify the philosophical issues in the news; Write or formulate a philosophy of life paper; Take a comprehensive final examination. Course Evaluation: Mid-term grade will be determined by a mid-term exam and semester grade determined by final examination (100%) minus absences or lack of attendance and/or poor participation -- unless stated otherwise on supplementary details. If you like the classworks and have no complaint against them, you may petition to substitute any 2 classworks for the mid-term exam and any 4 classworks for the final exam provided you attend classes until the end of the semester. Unless you officially withdraw or formally request an incomplete (in writing) and submit appropriate documentation before the end of the semester, you will receive a passing or failing grade based on performance and attendance.
Grading Scale: A=100-90, B=89-80, C=79-70, D=69-60, F=59-0 or for difficult exams A=100-80%, B=70-60%, C=50-40%, D=30-20%, F=10-0%. (+/- determined by curve.)
16. Attendance Policy
(as printed in University Bulletin):
18. Schedule of Weekly Assignments: See below or attachment.
19. Miscellaneous Expectations: (a) Classwork consists of in-class quizzes for which there is no make-up. If your name is not printed in capital letters throughout or your cell phone rings or is used in class, half-a-point (5%) or more will be taken off your final grade or score. When graded, papers or quizzes will be distributed at the end (not the beginning) of class. You are required to save all your quizzes and papers. If your attendance and participation are excellent, you may petition to use your classworks in place of your final exam. If you leave in the middle of a quiz or exam, for whatever reason, you will have to answer a different set of questions when you return. (b) Papers: All papers should explain the main question and evaluate the arguments on all sides and be submitted in both electronic and hard copies (i.e. printed on paper and also sent as e-mail). Papers should be typed and accompanied by an abstract (summary of main points, facts and arguments) and bibliography. Use "Save As" to save you paper as plain text and attach it to your e-mail with Philosophy in the subject line. E-mail attachments (in Microsoft Word or Works or WordPerfect or compressed or zipped) which are not in plain text (i.e. txt format) are unacceptable. Late extra-credit papers won't be accepted. Late required papers will be dropped by 1 letter grade. (c) Attendance: Signing the attendance sheet for someone else or missing a class, for whatever reason, may cost you up to 5% on your final grade for each occurrence. According to University regulations, 4 absences may result in a failure and 3 tardy arrivals or departures may count as an absence. (d) Extra-Credit: Extra-credit papers, if permitted, should apply all the readings to your philosophy of life (see papers, above, & website below), due in class on the day of the last quiz, and count as one quiz. At best, 3 philosophy club meetings (you must participate and sign attendance) or a class-presentation (which is an oral critique of a reading/topic, not used for paper, with a written abstract), if permitted, will push 1 classwork up by 1 letter grade.
20. Class/Course Website: http://www.lincoln.edu/philosophy/kwame.html or http://philosophydepartment.tripod.com/ or http://www.kwame.50webs.com/ or http://kwame.atspace.com/ WebCT: http://webct41.lincoln.edu:8900 To check your grade on the computer or internet, go to any one of the websites listed above and follow the instructions there. Note that some of the websites may be down and not updated.
21. How to Check and Monitor Your Grade in Dr. Kwame’s Class
Your semester grade will be determined by the final examination minus absences or lack of attendance and/or poor participation. If a term paper is required for this course (check syllabus), your semester grade will be determined by the final exam (80%) and a typed paper as specified by your syllabus (20%), minus absences or lack of attendance and/or poor participation. Note that students are expected to attend classes regularly and participate in class discussions. Hence, no special points are given for attendance or class participation. Points, however, are taken off for absences or lack of attendance and/or poor participation.
To estimate or
monitor your overall or semester grade, do the following:
1. Start with an “A” grade and a score of 100%. Later on, when you have 4 or more quizzes or you take the final examination or the semester ends, replace your starting grade and score with either your final exam grade and score or the average of 4 quiz grades and scores (i.e. add the scores or percentages from any 4 quizzes and divide by 4 and, then, use any one of the grading scales you like from the syllabus to convert your average score into a grade). If a term paper is required for this course, add your grade and score for your term paper to either your score on the final examination or average score from 4 quizzes and divide by 5 and, then, use any one of the grading scales you like from the syllabus to convert the resulting score into a grade.
2.
If
you have missed 4 or more classes, for reasons other than representing the
University in athletic events or other University sanctioned activities, deduct 100 points from your overall
score or average as calculated above or,
if you prefer, deduct 5 points for every absence (regardless of the reason
for your absence); then, use any one of the grading scales you like from the
syllabus to convert the resulting score into a grade. If you have missed 3 or fewer classes, skip this step: do not deduct
any points.
Your final or semester grade is roughly whatever grade results from following steps 1 and 2 above. Grades are determined by performance and not just given.
Extra-credits, if available for this particular class or course (check syllabus), are applied to your quiz grade or score i.e. added to your quiz grade or score and not your final examination grade or score.
22. Absence and Excuses Form. Which absences do you want to be excused and why?
Name: ____________________________ Class: _____________________________
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