PHILOSOPHY 1200 (A01) – INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY COURSE SYLLABUS 1900-2145 TR SPC 313 Instructor: Dave Hampton St. Paul’s College 308 Email: valaruakar68@hotmail.com Office Hours: by appointment Course Description: The overall objective of this course is to provide the student with an understanding of the scope and concerns of philosophy as well as the ‘tools’ of philosophical inquiry – critical reasoning. In pursuing the former this course will provide the student with an introduction to three of the core fields within philosophy: axiology (value theory), epistemology (theory of knowledge), and metaphysics (the nature of reality). In the value theory section of the course we will examine the nature of morality (meta-ethics), ethical theory and applied ethics. In the theory of knowledge section of the course we will examine the challenge of scepticism and the student will be introduced to the traditional theories of knowledge. In the nature of reality section of the course we will consider the nature of the mind and human agency. Required Text: Pojman, L., Fieser, J., eds., Introduction to Philosophy 4th Ed. (OUP, 2008) Student Evaluation: Attendance & Participation 15% Class Tests 45% Short Essay 15% Final Examination 25% Important Note: Final course grades are subject to the approval of the Faculty of Arts and may be subject to change in order to fall within the parameters set by this Faculty. Evaluation Explanations: Attendance & Participation: Students are expected to attend class regularly. A sign-in sheet will be distributed on class dates selected by the instructor. The student’s attendance will comprise ⅔ of this evaluation element with the balance derived from a grade for class participation grade. In-Class Tests: There will be three short tests held in class at the conclusion of the first three units of course content (May 27, June 26 and July 15). Tests will be held at the start of the scheduled classes and will consist of short answer questions related to the unit just completed. Each test will be worth 15% of the student’s course grade. Short Essay: There will be one short (1250 words; @ 5 pp.) argumentative essay due on July 24. Students will be provided with a selection of topic questions to choose from during the first week of July (if not sooner). The essay will be worth 15% of the student’s course grade. Final Examination: There will be a final examination scheduled in the end-of-term exam period. It will be 2 hours long and will consist of short answer questions covering the last unit (axiology) of course content and an essay question (students will have a choice from several questions). Late Policy & Academic Dishonesty: Overdue work will only be accepted with a documented medical excuse or on the basis of a serious personal crisis. Note that failing to manage one’s time is not a ‘serious personal crisis.’

Students should acquaint themselves with the University’s policy on plagiarism, cheating and examination impersonation (see the Academic Integrity Section of the University of Manitoba Academic Regulations, Undergraduate Calendar, 2013-14). Please note that the Philosophy Department possesses a ‘no tolerance’ policy with regard to exam offences. Approximate Grade Scale: A+ 93%+ A 87-92% B+ 80-86% B 74-79% C+ 68-73% C 62-67% D 55-61% F <55%

APPROXIMATE SCHEDULE Readings with page numbers indicated in brackets are from the course text; other readings will be posted to the ‘Files’ section of Jump as pdf documents for the student to download. May 6 Course Introduction & Expectations

What is Philosophy? Russell, “The Value of Philosophy” (pp. 25-29)

May 8, 13, 15 Philosophical Argument through Philosophy of Religion

Read Aquinas, “The Five Ways” (pp. 183-185), Anselm versus Guanilo, “The Ontological Argument” (pp. 205-209), Paley, “The Watch and the Watchmaker” (pp. 196-198), Hume, “A Critique of the Teleological Argument” (pp. 199-205) and Trueblood, “The Evidential Value of Religious Experience” (posted to Jump)

May 20, 22 Read Russell, “The Problem of Evil: Why is there so Much Suffering?” (pp. 230-236) and Swinburne, “A Theistic

Response to the Problem of Evil” (pp. 236-247), Excerpt from B. C. Johnson, “The Problem of Evil” (posted to Jump) May 27 First In-Class Test

Metaphysics: The Nature of Mind Read text pp. 282-286

May 29, June 3 Read Shaffer, “Consciousness and the Mind-Body Problem” (pp. 294-304), Churchland, “A Critique of Dualism” (pp. 305-

314), Chalmers, “Against Materialism” (pp. 336-348)

June 5, 12 Metaphysics: Free Will & Determinism Read text pp. 387-395, d’Holbach, “A Defense of Determinism” (pp. 396-400), and Taylor, “Libertarianism: Defense of Free Will” (pp. 401-407), Kane “Libertarianism” (posted to Jump)

June 17 Read Stace, “Compatibilism: Free Will is Consistent with Determinism” (pp. 408-413) June 19, 24 Metaphysics: Personal Identity

Read Locke, “The Self as Psychological Properties” (pp. 361-364), Reid, “A Critique of Locke’s Theory of Personal Identity” (posted to Jump), Hume, “The Self as a Bundle of Perceptions” (pp. 364-366), Parfit & Vesey, “Brain Transplants and Personal Identity” (pp. 367-372)

June 26 Second In-Class Test

Epistemic Norms Read Clifford, “The Ethics of Belief” (pp. 259-263) July 3, 4 Skepticism & Cartesian Foundationalism

Read Huemer, “The Lure of Radical Skepticism” (posted to Jump), Descartes, “Meditations on First Philosophy” (pp. 49-79)

July 8, 10 Empiricism, Internalism & Externalism

Read Locke, “Essay Concerning Human Understanding” (pp. 80-88), Pojman “Theories of Justification: Internalism and Externalism” (posted to Jump)

July 15 Third In-Class Test

Axiology: Meta-ethics Read Herodotus “Custom is King” (pp. 513-514), Benedict, “In Defense of Moral Relativism” (pp. 514-519) and Rachels, “The Challenge of Cultural Relativism” (posted to Jump)

July 17, 22 Moral Agency

Read Nagel, “Moral Luck” (pp. 655-663), Stawson, “The Impossibility of Moral Responsibility” (pp. 445-454), Levin, “A Compatibilist Defense of Moral Responsibility” (pp. 455-465) and Walker, “A Libertarian Defense of Moral Responsibility” (pp. 467-471)

July 24, 29 Normative Theories of Ethics: Theories of the Good and of the Right

Read Aristotle, “Virtues” (pp. 592-601), Bentham “The Principle of Utility” (posted to Jump), and Kant, “Duty and the Categorical Imperative” (pp. 617-628)

July 24 Short Essay Due July 31, Aug 5 Applied Ethics

Read text pp. 471-474, Kant, “The Right to Punish: Retributivism” (pp. 475-477), Glover, “Utilitarianism and Punishment” (pp. 478-484), Rawls, “Two Concepts of Punishment” (pp. 494-498)

August 7 Review and Tips for the Final Exam Saturday August 9, Final Exam