SYLLABUS PHILOSOPHY 102 INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY    

Spring, 2004         MWF   3:30 – 4:20 p.m.      

 

Mr. MacKay   Office hours:  MWTh  4:30 - 5:00 p.m. or by appointment  (King 122)

 

GENERAL AIM OF THE COURSE:  to introduce students to philosophy by studying several original philosophical works in their entirety.   (EXCEPT  sometimes a text will be abridged, or only selections will be emphasized.   Non-English language texts will be studied in English.) 

NOTE:   The American Philosophical Association says that “philosophy is fundamentally a matter of the cultivation of analytic, interpretive, normative and critical abilities.  It is less content- and technique-specific than most other academic disciplines.  The basic aim of education in philosophy is not and should not be primarily to impart information.  Rather it is to help students learn to understand various kinds of deeply difficult intellectual problems, to interpret texts regarding these problems, to analyze and criticize the argu-ments found in them, and to express themselves in ways that clarify and carry forward reflection upon them.”

 

BOOKS TO BUY                Classics of Western Philosophy, Steven M. Cahn (ed.) 

                                                Joseph Butler, Five Sermons

                                                Kant, Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics

 

FORMAT  This course is intended to proceed by lecture and discussion, in evolving proportions. 

 

EXPECTATIONS AND EVALUATION          In addition to attending regularly, preparing  by reading the assignments before class, and participating in class discussions, there will be two in-class exams, and one medium length (8 – 12 page) paper, scheduled as follows:

 

First hour exam (33%)*         from Plato, Hobbes, and Butler                                  Fri. March 26

                                                                *(Note that this is the last day before Spring Break.)

Second hour exam (33%)@      from Descartes and Locke                                    Fri. April 30

Final paper (34%)#                           from Hume or Kant                           due Tue. May 18, 4:30 p.m.

                                                                #(Note that this is the last day of the Reading Period.)

 

ABSOLUTE ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENT                In order to receive credit for this course, you must attend at least two-thirds of the class meetings (i.e., not counting exams, 25 classes).

 

                                PROVISIONAL CALENDAR (subject to revision)

 

Feb.  9 - 13            Week 1  Plato                      Euthyphro, Meno, Republic, Bk 1

Feb. 16 - 20           Week 2  Plato                      Republic, Bks 2 - 4

Feb. 23 - 27           Week 3  Hobbes                 Leviathan, Part One

Mar. 1 - 5              Week 4  Hobbes/Butler   Leviathan, Part Two, Sermons 1 - 3

Mar.  8 - 12           Week 5  Butler                    Sermons, 4, 5

Mar. 15 - 19         Week 6  Butler/ Descartes    Dissertation on Virtue, Meditation 1

Mar. 22 – 26*       Week 7  Descartes             Meditations 2 - 4

 

                SPRING BREAK        March 27 – April 4

 

Apr. 5 - 9              Week 8    Descartes           Meditations 5, 6

Apr. 12 - 16          Week 9    Locke                   Essay Conc. Human Understanding, Bk 2

                OBERLIN COLLOQUIUM IN PHILOSOPHY   April 16 - 18

Apr.  19 - 23         Week 10 Locke/Hume    Essay Conc. Human Understanding, Bk 2

Apr. 26 – 30@      Week 11 Hume                  Enquiry Conc. Human Understanding

May 3 - 7              Week 12  Hume/Kant     Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics

May 10 - 14          Week 13  Kant                    Grounding for Metaphysics of Morals

Tuesday May 18, 4:30 p.m.#                          (final paper due)