Philosophy 101

Introduction to Philosophy

Section 011 12:30-2:05 Friends 202 Summer Session I 2007

OVERVIEW: Philosophy 101 is an introduction to several traditional problems of philosophy. After introducing students to some basic tools and methods of philosophy, the course will consider the following questions: (1) Are there good reasons for believing that God exists or does not exist? (2) Are there good reasons for believing that an external world exists? (That is, how do we know that what we call reality is not just a dream or a computer simulation?) (3) What changes can a person undergo and still exist as the same person? In particular, is it possible for a person to survive death? (4) If human actions are causally determined by heredity and environment, is there any free will? We will examine competing answers to each of these questions, drawing from ideas proposed by both contemporary and historical philosophers. The aim will be for students to think critically about these proposed answers, so that they may come to know first-hand what is required of a well-reasoned response to the course’s questions.

PROFESSOR: Craig Duncan

Email: cduncan@ithaca.edu

Professor Duncan's webpage: www.ithaca.edu/faculty/cduncan

Online coursepage: http://www.ithaca.edu/faculty/cduncan/f01-101/101.htm

Office phone: 274-3580

COURSE MATERIALS:

• Joel Feinberg and Russ Schafer-Landau, eds., Reason and Responsibility, 13th ed. (Wadsworth Publishing Company, 2008) (required).

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

• Reading Comprehension Sheets. For the first two articles we read, I will pass out a sheet with 5 reading comprehension questions on it. You will hand this in on the day of the reading assignment. The point of this is to teach you how to read a philosophy article well. Each question sheet counts for 5% of your overall grade.
• Quizzes: After each of the five units of the course (see below), there will be a brief quiz (around 20 minutes long). Each quiz counts for 9% of your overall grade
• Written Exercises: There will be four short (2 pages) written exercises asking you to apply a theory we have studied to a concrete case. Each written exercise counts 9% toward your overall grade.
• Class Discussion: Philosophy cannot be passively learned. It requires active engagement, both with the texts and with individuals in the form of discussion. For this reason class participation counts for 9% of your overall grade. In order to get a good participation grade, you must have excellent attendance, do the assigned reading for each class period, and regularly take an active role in class discussions. (For more information see the “Teaching Policies” section below.)

READING ASSIGNMENTS:

Reading assignments will be announced during class one or two class periods ahead of time. If you miss class, it is your responsibility to find out the reading assignment, by contacting me or another classmate. Unless otherwise noted below, readings are in the textbook. Online readings are available via the course webpage (http://www.ithaca.edu/faculty/cduncan/f01-101/101.htm).

You will find that the readings assigned in this course are shorter on average than the typical reading assignments in, say, history or literature. This does not mean, however, that you will spend less time reading in this course than in a history or literature course. Philosophy articles usually involve quite intricate reasoning and thus reading them can often be as difficult as reading a mathematical text (indeed, reading them can even be more difficult, since the concepts involved in philosophy are harder to pin down in precise language than mathematical concepts are). While of course successful reading speeds vary somewhat from individual to individual, if you are reading more than 6-7 pages an hour, you are probably reading too fast.

I. INTRODUCTION: A LITTLE BIT OF LOGIC

Craig Duncan, “Logic Crash Course” (in-class handout).

II. GOD

Overview

On-line handout.

The Cosmological Argument

William Rowe, “The Cosmological Argument” (pp. 23-32)

Michael D. Lemonick, "Before the Big Bang" (online)

The Problem of Evil

Dostoevsky, “Rebellion” (pp. 72-78)

J. L. Mackie, “Evil and Omnipotence? (pp. 78-86)

Richard Swinburne, "Why God Allows Evil" (pp. 89-97)

Film: My Flesh and Blood

“About EB FAQ” (online)

Faith and Evidence

In-class video: The Power of Belief

Clifford, “The Ethics of Belief” (pp. 101-106)

Robert Todd Carroll, “What’s the Harm?” (on-line)

James, “The Will to Believe” (pp. 106-114)

III. THE EXTERNAL WORLD

René Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy (p. 164-197)

John Pollock, “A Brain in a Vat” (pp. 137-139)

G.E. Moore, “Proof of an External World” (pp. 157-164)

Bertrand Russell, “Appearance and Reality and the Existence of Matter” (pp. 157-164)

IV. PERSONAL IDENTITY

John Perry, "A Dialogue on Personal Identity and Immortality"

The First Night (pp. 387-394)

Peter Smith and O. R. Jones, “Difficulties for the Dualist” (in-class handout)

John Perry, "A Dialogue on Personal Identity and Immortality"

The Second Night (pp. 394-401)

The Third Night (pp. 401-406)

Film: Unknown White Male

V. FREE WILL

Hard Determinism

Paul Holbach, “The Illusion of Free Will” (pp. 458-464)

Libertarianism

Roderick Chisholm, "Human Freedom and the Self" (pp. 418-425)

Compatibilism

Walter Stace, "The Problem of Free Will" (pp. 419-425)

In-class video: Trichotillomania

On-line handout on Harry Frankfurt's and Susan Wolf’s compatibilist theories of free will.

Wolf, "Sanity and the Metaphysics of Responsibility" (pp. 501-511)

On-line handout: overview of compatibilist theories

Morality and Free Will

Derk Pereboom, “Why We Have No Free Will and Can Live Without It” (pp. 464-477)

Thomas Nagel, “Moral Luck” (pp. 493-501)

Film TBA

TEACHING POLICIES:

Attendance

During class I will often introduce material that is not covered in the reading assignments. You will be held responsible for knowing this material. If you do not come to class, you will not know this material. So come to class.

Also, attendance is a significant part of your class participation grade. Everyone is allowed two absences, no questions asked. Absences beyond that will hurt your participation grade. Note, too, that very good attendance by itself does not guarantee a high participation grade; participation during class is necessary too. For example, someone who had perfect attendance but who rarely volunteered comments in class would probably get no higher than a C+ participation grade.

Academic Conduct

Students are expected to conform to the Standards of Academic Conduct printed in the Student Handbook. Please familiarize yourself with these standards. Violations will be reported to the Ithaca College Conduct Review Board. Additionally, you will receive a grade of zero on any assignment that is not completed according to these standards.