Introduction to Philosophy
PHIL 2000 Fall
2009 Call # 45929
Instructor: Dr. Kent Baldner (baldner@wmich.edu)
Class: TR: 9:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m., Chemistry
Bldg. 01260
Office Hours: MW: 12:00—1:00 and TR
11:00—12:00, Moore Hall 3013
Office Phone: 387‑4402
Assistant: Mr.
Nevin Climenhaga
Sections: Wed., 12:00—12:50,
Wed., 1:00—1:50, Dunbar Hall 2203: (PHIL 2000-540;
Baldner)
Wed., 3:00—3:50,
Wed., 4:00—4:50,
Required Text: Reason and Responsibility,
13th edition, edited by Feinberg and Shafer-Landau.
Class Web Page: http://homepages.wmich.edu/~baldner/introsyl.htm (This page includes links to PowerPoint presentations outlining daily reading assignments.)
Grading:
Grades will be based upon multiple-choice
tests for the first four chapters, given in your discussion sections, worth 40
points each (40 questions); a multiple-choice final exam, given during the
scheduled final exam period, Monday,
December 14th, 10:15—12:15 consisting of 40 questions on the
fifth chapter, and 5 questions on each of the first four chapters (i.e., a
total of 20 questions on the first four chapters), for a total of 60 points;
and the best eight out of nine short-essay quizzes, given in your sections
(dates below), worth 10 points each. (I
will drop your lowest quiz score, counting only your best eight.) This makes a total of 290 possible points.
Make‑Ups: To be
eligible for a make‑up test, you must contact me in advance or no later
than the end of the day the test was given.
Make‑ups will be given no later than one week after the missed
test. Each student is eligible for at
most one such make‑up.
There will be no make-ups for missed quizzes.
Grading Scale:
|
267 - 290 (92% - 100%) |
A |
247 – 266 (85% - 91%) |
BA |
|
226 - 246 (78% - 84%) |
B |
206 – 225 (71% - 77%) |
CB |
|
186 - 205 (64% - 70%) |
C |
165 – 185 (57% - 63%) |
DC |
|
145 - 164 (50% - 56%) |
D |
144 and below (Below 50%) |
E |
Classroom Courtesy: This is a
large class, so there is a natural tendency for people to occasionally
"chat" with their neighbors during class. A little of this is to be expected, but it
doesn't take much to create a background "hum" which interrupts my
concentration, and hinders others from hearing what is going on. So please have consideration for me and your
fellow students and remain quiet during class.
Likewise, please turn off any cell phones, radios, etc. Finally, if you want to read the paper or
catch up on your sleep, please don’t come to class. There must be more comfortable places to
sleep than in this classroom.
Academic Honesty: You are responsible for making yourself aware of and
understanding the policies and procedures in the Undergraduate
Catalog that pertain to Academic Honesty. These policies include cheating,
fabrication, falsification and forgery, multiple submission, plagiarism,
complicity and computer misuse. If there is reason to believe you have been
involved in academic dishonesty, you will be referred to the Office of Student
Conduct. You will be given the opportunity to review the charge(s). If you
believe you are not responsible, you will have the opportunity for a hearing.
You should consult with me if you are uncertain about an issue of academic
honesty prior to the submission of an assignment or test.
Religious Observance: (The following is from the
University’s Policy on Religious Observance) The University is a diverse,
multicultural enterprise and, as a community, we jointly embrace both
individual responsibility and dignified respect for our differences. It is our
general policy to permit students to fulfill obligations set aside by their
faith.
It is
our intent that students who must be absent from scheduled classes to fulfill
religious obligations or observe practices associated with their faith not be
disadvantaged. However, it is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements
with his/her instructors in advance.
Instructors should assume that a claim of religious observance has veracity, especially when advance notice is provided by the student. Students likewise must recognize that it is their responsibility to meet all their course obligations. Instructors are not obligated to provide materials to students unless these materials would have normally been distributed to the entire class.
Introduction to Philosophy
Fall 2009 Tentative Class Schedule
|
Tuesday |
Wed.—D.S. |
Thursday |
|
9/8 Introductory remarks; What is Philosophy? (Feinberg’s Intro. to Part 1, pp 2-5) |
9/9 NO DS |
9/10 Anselm, pp. 6-7; Gaunillo: “On Behalf of the Fool,” pp. 8-10 |
|
9/15 Aquinas:
“The |
9/16 Quiz 1 on ¬ |
9/17 William Paley: Argument from Design, pp. 32-37; Blaise Pascal: “The Wager,” pp. 119-122 |
|
9/22 B.C. Johnson: Problem of Evil, pp. 97-101; Richard Swinburne: God and Evil, pp. 89-97; Review for Test 1 |
9/23 |
9/24 Pollock: “A Brain in a Vat,” pp. 137-139; Descartes: Meditations-- Synopsis, pp. 164-166 |
|
9/29 Descartes: Meditations I and II, pp. 166-173 |
9/30 Quiz 2 on ¬ |
10/1 Finish Descartes; Locke, pp. 197--204: Causal Theory of Perception |
|
10/6 Locke, (Cont.) Notes on Primary and Secondary Qualities ; Locke Review |
10/7 Quiz 3 on ¬ |
10/8 Berkeley: pp. 205-212, Principles of Human Knowledge |
|
10/13 Berkeley, (Cont.); Review for Test 2 |
10/14 |
10/15 What is mind? (Feinberg’s Intro. To Part 3, pp. 280-285) |
|
10/20 Gertler: “In Defense of Mind-Body Dualism”, pp. 285-297 |
10/21 Quiz 4 on ¬ |
10/22 Frank Jackson: “The Qualia Problem,” pp. 29-3017 |
|
10/27Carruthers: "The Mind is the Brain," pp. 301-309 |
10/28 Quiz 5 on ¬ |
10/29 Alan Turing: “Computing Machinery and Intelligence,” pp. 321-330 |
|
11/3 Review for Test 3 |
11/4 |
11/5 Feinberg: Intro to
Chap. 4, pp. 408-413; Holbach, “Illusion …,”
pp. 458-464 |
|
11/10 A.J. Ayer: “Freedom and Necessity,” pp. 414-419, and Walter Stace, pp. 419-424 |
11/11 Quiz 6 on ¬ |
11/12 Chisholm: “Freedom and the Self,” pp. 438-445 |
|
11/17 Review for Test 4 |
11/18 Test 4 |
11/19 Feinberg: “Psych. Egoism,” pp. 520-532; Rachels:
“Ethical Egoism,” pp. 532-540 |
|
11/24 Rachels: “Ethical Egoism,” pp. 532-540 (Cont.) Immanuel Kant: “The Categorical Imperative,” pp. 625-640 |
11/25 No Quiz No sections |
11/25 Thanksgiving—No Classes! |
|
12/1 Immanuel Kant: “The
Categorical Imperative,” pp. 625-640 (Cont.) You OUGHT to Read
This |
12/2 Quiz 7 on ¬ |
12/3 John Stuart Mill:
“Utilitarianism,” pp. 640-653; |
|
12/8 Peter Singer: Famine, Affluence
and Morality, pp. 678-685; Singer: All Animals are Equal,
pp. 701-713 |
12/9 Quiz 8 on ¬ |
12/10 Review on Chapter 5 |
Final Exam: Monday, Dec 14,
10:15 - 12:15 pm