PHL 225W, Fall 2011



PHL 201W, Fall 2011 Professor Jane Doe

Tuesdays and Thursdays Office: 3205N

1:00-2:15 PM, Room 215W Office Hours: Tue. 12:00-1:00

e-mail: jdoe@jjay.cuny.edu

PHL 201W - Introduction to Philosophy (Writing Intensive)

In ancient times, the Greeks coined the word philosophy by combining their word for love (philos) with their word for wisdom (sophia). So, philosophy literally means a love of wisdom. When the Greeks discussed love, they pictured a lover who pursued and a beloved who was pursued, so we can also say philosophy is the pursuit of wisdom. Every culture has its own definition of wisdom and its own way of pursuing it, but this course concentrates on the way that pursuing wisdom evolved in Western culture from the foundations laid down by the ancient Greeks to the subject taught in school today. The course uses an historical approach in order to reveal philosophy as an ongoing conversation between philosophers: each comments/builds on the ideas of those who have come before.

Objectives:

Students who complete this course will be able to identify the major subject areas and positions taken by key philosophers within the western tradition, chart the relationships between them, and explain the strengths as weaknesses of the arguments offered by these philosophers.

Students will also be able to construct a philosophical argument of their own defending a chosen metaphysical, epistemological, or ethical position. The course is designated Writing Intensive because students will engage with, analyze, evaluate, interpret, and integrate the ideas of philosophers through writing. Writing assignments will include formal papers, informal written homework, peer review (workshopping), and self-reflective writing. The integration of these writing modes will ensure that students become fluent with the elements of academic writing, practice the processes and methods commonly used by effective writers, take ownership of the language and rhetorical strategies they employ, develop a working knowledge of the structures and mechanics of standard English, and experience a variety of writing tasks and scenarios. Engaging in these types of linguistic and rhetorical activities will broaden the scope of their reading and writing abilities as well as enhance their capacity for critical thinking.

Your ability to meet the above objectives will be evaluated in multiple ways. The Key Term Identifications in your homework assignments and examinations test your basic philosophical knowledge. The Study Question Responses are designed to see if you can connect those pieces of basic knowledge by comparing and contrasting them, showing how one developed from another, or by analyzing a philosopher’s position to find the strengths and weaknesses of his/her arguments. The Major Papers (attached to this syllabus and making up 50% of your final grade) go one step further and ask you to integrate the positions of multiple philosophers while creating and defending a position of your own. Writing, workshopping, and re-writing these papers will help you polish your writing skills while strengthening your arguments.

Grading:

25% Cumulative Final Exam

50% Major Papers (8-9 pages each)

10% Best In-Class Test

15% Homework

Attendance: Attendance is an important component of academic success. Class discussion, in-class tests, and peer review in particular require your presence in the classroom.

Required Texts: Soccio, Douglas J. Philosophy in Context: A Historical Approach.

Seech, Zachary. Writing Philosophy Papers.

Teacher handouts

For every unit listed on the syllabus you will find a reading assignment in the textbook (and/or instructor handout), a list of Key Terms, and one or more Study Questions. For each Key Term you will write a short paragraph in which you 1) define the Key Term in one or two sentences, 2) name one philosopher to whose work the Key Term applies, and 3) give one concrete example from the philosopher’s work proving that the Key Term applies: something that shows this philosopher really believed in this idea or was discussing this subject. You should be able to answer each Study Question in about one page unless otherwise noted, incorporating definitions and/or examples of the subject’s ideas. Homework Assignments: You are expected to come to class on the day we start each new topic with all the key terms and study question answers for that topic. Since test questions will be taken from homework assignments, doing homework is also the best way to study for exams.

The John Jay Writing Center is in Room 2450N. Writing Center tutors are trained to help you improve your writing on multiple levels, from grammar to argumentation, and they can apply these skills to both formal and informal writing. One-on-one tutoring and workshops meet different needs, but both must be reserved, so plan ahead. Though I only require attendance in certain cases, I strongly urge all of you to take advantage of this excellent resource. Call: 212.237.8569.

Assignments by Syllabus Units:

I. The Beginning of Philosophy in Ancient Greece

A. Beginnings: The Pre-Socratic Sophos (Due ____________________)

Complete the Workbook “Beginnings of Greek Philosophy” and read textbook pages 1-26

Key Terms: Metaphysics, Epistemology, Empiricism, Principle of Non-Contradiction,

Monism, Pluralism, Logos, Principle of Sufficient Reason, Cosmology, Ontology,

Apeiron, Logic, Nous, Pneuma

Study Questions:

1. Compare and contrast the views of Parmenides and Heraclitus with respect to the relationship between reality and change in both a metaphysical and epistemological sense.

2. Examining the ideas of Anaxagoras, Empedocles, and Democritus, which of the two would conclude have the most similar ideas and which is most different from the other two. Why/Why not? In answering this question you will need to determine whether differences/similarities concerning the material cause of the universe outweigh differences/similarities concerning the efficient cause of the universe.

B. Schools for Success: The Sophists (Due __________________)

Complete the Workbook “The Sophists” and read textbook pages 27-36

Key Terms: Relativism, Pragmatism, Ethics, Sophist, Rhetoric

Study Question: Do you think ethical pragmatism is a logical consequence of epistemological relativism? Why/Why not? Use specific evidence from the works of at least one Sophist to prove your case.

II. Classical Philosophy

A. Philosophy as a way of life: Socrates (Due________________)

Textbook pages: 37-59

Key Terms: Psyche (use the definition on page 49, not the one on page 38)

Arete (use the definition on page 13)

Study Question: Why does Socrates think an unexamined life is not worth living? Make sure to include his concept of the psyche in your answer and link it to an examined/unexamined life. Do you agree with Socrates? Why or why not?

B. The Philosopher King: Plato (Due ________________)

Textbook pages: 60-83 and handout on The Republic

Key Terms: Dualism (use definition on page 352 of Metaphysical Dualism), Instrumental Theory of Morality, Functional Theory of Morality

Study Question: Does Plato believe that being (as understood by Parmenides) or change is more real? Answering this question requires you to define both those terms (being and change) as Parmenides understood them as well as explaining how Plato dealt with them (forms and examples) in order to make the comparison.

C. The Naturalist: Aristotle (Due ________________)

Textbook pages: 84-105 and the handout on Aristotle

Key Terms: Eudaimonia, Teleological Thinking, Material Cause, Efficient Cause, Final Cause

Study Questions:

1. Compare and contrast the metaphysical and epistemological views of Aristotle and Plato on matter and form. This question will probably take two pages to answer.

2. Use Aristotle’s idea of the three types of souls to explain why Aristotle thought philosophers were the happiest people in the world. The textbook’s discussion of final cause and eudaimonia will help here.

III. The Development of God-Centered Philosophy

A. Post-Classical Alternatives and the Development of Stoicism (Due ________________)

Textbook pages: 106-127 and the handout on (Post-Classical Philosophy

Key Terms: Stoicism, Cynicism, Hedonism

Study Question: Why did Stoics value self-control over all other human virtues? Don’t forget to include their idea of the Logos in your answer. Don’t forget to explain how the Stoics changed the idea of the Logos that they took from Heraclitus.

B. The Development of Scholasticism (Due _________________)

Textbook pages: 128-148 and review 92-94 (Aristotle(s (Four Causes)

Key Terms: Scholasticism, Cosmological Argument

Study Questions:

1. How does Aquinas use Aristotle’s idea of efficient cause to prove the existence of God? Why is this called the cosmological argument? In order to answer this question you will need to define the terms I put in italics. You will also need to give both Aristotle’s version and Aquinas’s version of the argument so the reader can see the similarities and/or differences.

2. How does the problem of evil challenge the argument from design and how does Aquinas attempt to answer that challenge? Do not forget to summarize the argument from design and the problem of evil before explaining the challenge evil poses to design and the way Aquinas seeks to resolve that challenge.

IV. Early Modern Philosophy: Systems v. Science

A. Rationalism (Due ________________)

Textbook pages: 149-172

Key Terms: Rationalism, Ontological Argument, a priori ideas/knowledge

Study Questions (about two pages each):

1. Compare and contrast the dualism of Descartes with that of Plato (review pages 64-68). You will need to explain both in order to compare them. Do you think they are basically more similar or more different? Why?

2. Look Descartes’s argument for the existence of God on pages 163-165 and compare it to those used by Aquinas (review pages 139-143). Which of the five arguments used by Aquinas does Descartes develop here? Summarize both the argument used by Descartes and the one you chose from Aquinas to show their similarity.

B. Empiricism (Due ________________)

Textbook pages: 173-198 and handout on Locke

Key Terms: Skepticism, Empiricism, a posteriori ideas/knowledge (use definition from page 159)

Study Question: Compare and Contrast the Coherence Theory of Truth and the Correspondence Theory of Truth. In doing this you will need names of two philosophers (one for each theory) as well as definitions of the criteria each theory uses to establish (truth. Reviewing page 156 will help here.

C. Attempting a Synthesis (Due ______________)

Textbook pages: 199-220

Key Term: Categorical Imperative

Study Question: What are transcendental ideas according to Kant and how does he use them to bridge the gap between what he calls noumenal reality and phenomenal reality? Remember, all three terms must be defined here.

V. Modern Monisms and Pluralisms

A. Utilitarianism (Due ______________)

Textbook pages: 221-238

Key Term: Utilitarianism

Study Question: Relate Utilitarianism to previously discussed ethical positions and use specific examples to demonstrate whether it is or is not a hedonist position and whether it is or is not an instrumental theory of morality.

B. Materialism (Due ________________)

Textbook pages: 239-256

Key Term: Materialism

Study Question (two pages): Why do we call what Marx created from the Hegelian Dialectic Materialism and how is it different from what Hegel thought? Do not forget to explain who plays the rolls of thesis and antithesis in industrial (Capitalist) society according to Marx and what synthesis he thinks will result from the struggle between them.

C. Nietzsche and the Will to Power (Due ______________)

Textbook pages: 300-319

Key Term: Will to Power

Study question: According to Nietzsche, what is the difference between master morality and slave morality? Which does he prefer, and why?

D. Existentialism (Due _______________)

Textbook pages: 278-299

Key Terms: Existentialism

Study Questions:

1. Sartre says that (existence precedes essence. Would he be more in agreement with Plato or Aristotle? Why? Remember essence is another word for form or final cause.

2. Sartre says we are condemned to be free. How is this similar to or different from the position of the Stoics?

Major Essays:

Topic 1: Change and Reality

Phase 1 (Due ____/____/____):

Write a standard thesis essay (4 typed pages, double-spaced) giving your answer to the question “Is change real?” If you think it is real, then explain what kind of knowledge we can have about things that change and how we acquire that knowledge. If you think change is not real, then explain what kind of knowledge we can have about things that do not change and how we acquire that knowledge. Be sure to give specific examples of changing things and unchanging things as needed. The bulk of this essay should be your own opinion and whatever arguments you can create to back it up. But you must also explain the ideas of Parmenides and Heraclitus, and explain whether you agree or disagree with them.

Phase 2 (Due ____/_____/____):

Working with your assigned partner, trade papers and address the strengths and weaknesses as defined in the Peer Review Handout. In addition to assisting your partner, write a single paragraph discussing what the process of examining her/his work has taught you about your own paper.

Phase 3 (Due ____/_____/____):

Expand your essay (to about 8-9 typed pages) by adding the views of Plato and Aristotle on matter and form as they relate to change and reality. Remember to adjust your opening paragraph. Again, you will have to say to what extent you agree or disagree with their views. Because you are no dealing with four philosophers, you will find that you now have a new choice: both change and the unchanging might be real but in different ways. Remember, even though you are required to explain the views of the four philosophers, the most important part of this essay will still be the argument you make for your own position.

Phase 4 (Due ____/_____/____):

When you hand in your paper, please append a single page addressing the following: the purpose of the assignment as you understand it, your process in writing the paper, the components of the process that were challenging, and the strengths of the final version.

Topic 2: Standards of Morality

Phase 1 (Due ____/____/____):

Write a standard thesis essay (4 typed pages, double-spaced) giving your verdict on who has the most effective standard or morality: Protagoras or Plato. You must judge effectiveness on these criteria: how comprehensive a guide is it to all our possible actions (those immediately affecting ourselves alone and those immediately affecting others) and how well a society would run if everyone followed that standard. You must apply these three tests to both standards. In doing this you will be explaining the standard presented by these three philosophers as well as explaining to what extent you agree with them. You will not yet be presenting your own standard.

Phase 2 (Due ____/_____/____):

Working with your assigned partner, trade papers and address the strengths and weaknesses as defined in the Peer Review Handout. In addition to assisting your partner, write a single paragraph discussing what the process of examining her/his work has taught you about your own paper.

Phase 3 (Due ____/____/____):

Expand your essay (to about 8-9 typed pages, double-spaced) by adding Aristotle’s standard and Kant(s (Categorical Imperative. Use the same criteria (applying the same three tests) as before to judge effectiveness. Remember to adjust your opening paragraph. Now, answer the question: do you think it is possible to come up with a single standard (moral rule) that works for all the different types of situations covered in the criteria you have been using. If so, what would that standard be? If not, why not?

Phase 4 (Due ____/_____/____):

When you hand in your paper, please append a single page addressing the following: the purpose of the assignment as you understand it, your writing process, the parts of the process that were challenging, and the strengths of the final version.

How I Will Evaluate Your Essays:

This is the rubric I will use to evaluate and grade the final version of your essays, although I will give you comments on your first draft based on this rubric as well.

| |Approaches (1) |Achieves (2) |Excels (3) |

|Structure |Uses some components of thesis essay |Uses most components of thesis essay |Uses all components of thesis essay |

| |structure as designed but some are |structure as designed but a few are |structure as designed: thesis, topic |

| |incorrectly used or omitted. |incorrectly used or omitted. |sentences, topic conclusions, essay |

| | | |conclusion |

|Style |Essay is correctly formatted but with |Essay is correctly formatted but with a |Essay is correctly formatted and free |

| |some grammatical, typographical, and |few grammatical, typographical, and |from grammatical, typographical, and |

| |stylistic errors. Quoted and paraphrased|stylistic errors. Quoted and paraphrased|stylistic errors. Quoted and paraphrased|

| |material is not always cited correctly. |material is cited correctly. |material is cited correctly. |

|Argument |Argument is relatively complete if not |Argument is clearly presented, |Argument is clearly presented, easy to |

| |always easy to follow. Evidence is |relatively complete, and backed by |follow, complete, and backed by |

| |incomplete and relies overwhelmingly on |appropriate evidence, but uses some |appropriate evidence relying primarily |

| |secondary sources. |secondary sources where primary sources |on primary sources where available. |

| | |are available. | |

|Content |Includes too much irrelevant material |Most relevant material from each |Mastery of content is demonstrated by |

| |from each philosopher and omits |philosopher is included and most |including all relevant material from |

| |considerable relevant material |irrelevant material is excluded. |each philosopher, excluding all |

| |demonstrating insufficient mastery of |Attempts but does not succeed in |irrelevant material from each |

| |content. Does not attempt to explain the|explaining the relationship between the |philosopher, and explaining the |

| |relationship between the metaphysical, |metaphysical, epistemological, or |relationship between the metaphysical, |

| |epistemological, or ethical views |ethical views involved. |epistemological, or ethical views |

| |involved though these may be described. | |involved. |

|Your Viewpoint |Original viewpoint is incompletely or |Original viewpoint is clearly presented |Original viewpoint is clearly presented |

| |confusedly presented but correctly |and correctly related to the four views |and correctly related to the four views |

| |related to some of the four views under |under consideration. Does not attempt to|under consideration. A possible rebuttal|

| |consideration. Does not attempt to |recognize and demolish any possible |is recognized, presented and demolished |

| |recognize and demolish any possible |rebuttal. |in advance. |

| |rebuttal. | | |

This syllabus is adapted from examples by Andrea Finkelstein, David Clowney, Robin Smith, Ted Graczyk, Howard Summer, and Erin Lee Mock.

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