This syllabus will be updated and revised as we progress through the course.  It is your responsibility to check the syllabus often to keep yourself up to speed.

 

 

Updated: 4/11/08

Philosophy 103, Introduction to Philosophy

Section 5, Spring Semester 2008. Chafee 271, MWF 2:00-2:50

Prof. Donald J. Zeyl: <djzeyl@uri.edu> (874-2207), Chafee 171

Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:30-4:00.

 

Your TAs:

 

Rebecca Long            rlong@mail.uri.edu (A - G)              Office hours: MWF 3:00-4:00

 

Shara Benedetti         sbenedetti@mail.uri.edu (H - O)     Office hours: MF 3:00-4:30

 

Megan Monaghan     dambedir@gmail.com (P - Z).         Office hours: MF 12:15-1:45

 

 

ALL TA OFFICE HOURS ARE IN THE LIBRARY, SECOND FLOOR

 

 

We welcome your questions about this course, and want to help you to succeed.  For questions about your attendance or your course performance to date, contact your TA first (they are the record keepers).  For questions about the course material, please contact either your TA or Prof. Zeyl.

 

Prof. Zeyl's Course Page

 

In order to view and download materials for this course, including study and writing aids, PowerPoint slides, short essay assignments and test answers (posted after test), you should do the following:

 

  1. Visit the Course Page linked to my Faculty page, at http://www.uri.edu/artsci/phl/zeyl/coursepg.htm.  You should add this page to your bookmarks/favorites for the course of the semester.

 

  1. Course materials will be uploaded regularly onto this site.  Download as required.

 

Course Objectives

 

The objective of this course is to introduce you to the practice of philosophy by surveying the progression of philosophical thought throughout the history of Western civilization, from the ancient Greeks to the present day.  We will pay close attention to the larger cultural ideas and values that form the background to the work of the philosophers we will study.  You will be expected to be familiar with the basic philosophical ideas held by the great philosophers of this period, and encouraged to enter into the practice of philosophy by responding to questions posed to you in and out of class.

 

Text

 

Jostein Gaarder, Sophie's World (Farrar Straus & Giroux, 2007)

 

This is "a novel on the history of philosophy," and an engaging way to introduce you to the history of philosophy.  This book is required.  You should get only this edition of this book!

 

In addition to this text, there are websites on individual philosophers, which are recommended and which will enhance your grasp of the material (see below, under "Reading Schedule").

 

Graded Assignments

 

Your final grade for the course will be computed on the basis of the four following assignments:

 

1.   In-Class Objective Tests.  There will be seven tests, each administered on a Friday afternoon, throughout the semester.  These will be scanned, so please carry a working # 2 pencil with you at all times.  Only your top 5 grades will count.  See "Policy on Make-Ups" below.

 

Grade percentage: 35%.

 

2.   In-Class Responses.  You are expected to attend class for each session.  No attendance will be taken, and no attendance records will be kept.  However, on numerous occasions you will be required to respond in writing on your own notepaper to a question asked in class relating to the subject being taught.

 

These in-class responses cannot be made up for any reason.

 

Grade percentage: 10%.

 

3.   Out-of-Class Short Essay Assignments. There will be six short essay assignments, each sent to you on a Friday afternoon (on non-test Fridays) by your TA and downloadable from my course page.  They are due to be handed in (no email submissions accepted) at the beginning of class the following Monday (no late submission accepted).  They will be graded for overall quality.  Watch for rules for writing and submitting these assignments, to be provided to you soon!  Only your top 5 grades will be counted.  These assignments cannot be made up for any reason.

 

Grade percentage: 20%.

 

4.   Final Exam.  A comprehensive objective exam is scheduled for Wednesday, May 7, at 11:30 am in Chafee 271.  The final exam cannot be rescheduled for any individual person.

 

Grade percentage: 35%.

 

Grading Summary:

 

In-class responses:               10%

Essay Assignments:             20%

Tests:                                    35%

Final Exam:                          35%

 

Study and Writing Aids

 

Rebecca, Shara and Megan have prepared written aids to help you to study and to write your assignments.  Watch for their posting on the course page.

 

 Classroom Management Issues

 

Because this is a large class, certain "house rules" are needed. And they will be strictly enforced.

 

  1. Each class will begin promptly at 2:00 p.m.  You are required to be in your seat by that time.  Please manage your commuting and parking time so that you will not be late.  Latecomers will not be seated.

 

  1. You will be assigned a TA, depending on your alphabet group.  See p. 1 of this syllabus.

 

  1. No electronics of any kind are permitted.  This means:

á      No laptops.  If you come into the auditorium with a laptop, keep it in its case.

á      No active cell phones.  Turn your cell phones off prior to coming to class.

á      No iPods or MP3 players.  Unplug your ears.  Students with "plugged ears" will be removed from class.

 

  1. If you must leave before the end of the class, you must notify your TA in advance.  If there is an in-class assignment that day, do not give your in-class assignment to another student to hand in, or accept an in-class assignment from another student for you to hand in.  There is a 20% penalty on the final grade for any student who does so.

 

  1. The room will be "policed" by the TAs during times of graded assignments. There will be a "zero tolerance" policy in effect for any who are caught cheating.  University policies on plagiarism and cheating are found in the URI Student Handbook, copies of which can be downloaded from http://www.uri.edu/student_life/ .

 

  1. Policy on "make-ups."  If you miss an in-class response answer for any reason it cannot be made up.  Be sure to attend class consistently so as not to miss any of these.  If you miss a test for any reason it cannot be made up either.  The answer sheets are sent out to be scanned immediately after class.  But remember that only your best 5 out of 7 will count.  You may make arrangements with your TA to take a test early only if you know you are going to be absent either for a university-sponsored event, or religious holiday.  No test will be given after the test has been administered to the class as a whole.  (The answers to the test questions will generally be posted on my web-page within hours of the test itself.)

 

  1. Policy on students with disabilities.  Students with a learning disability are entitled to special consideration only if they present the appropriate documentation from the Office of Student Life.  Such consideration is not retroactive.  However, you may not need special arrangements since (1) the "notes" (PP slides) will be posted on my web page, and (2) the time allotted to test-taking is more than twice what is needed.  For questions, talk to your TA.

 

Useful Information

 

The Academic Enhancement Center

The work in this course is complex and intensive.  To do the best you can, it's a good idea to visit at the Academic Enhancement Center (AEC) in Roosevelt Hall.  The AEC offers a comfortable environment in which to study alone or together, with or without a tutor.  AEC tutors are your peers: they've taken your courses, and can answer questions, clarify concepts, check your understanding, and help you to study.  You can make an appointment or walk in anytime during office hours—Monday through Thursday from 9 am to 9 pm, Friday from 9 am to 1 pm, and Sunday from 4 pm. to 8 pm.  For a complete schedule, including when tutors are available specifically for this class, go to www.uri.edu/aec , call (401) 874-2367, or stop by the fourth floor in Roosevelt Hall.

 

 

 

Reading Schedule

 

W.    January 23:         Classes start.  Syllabus and Rules

 

F.      January 25:         What is Philosophy?  Areas and Methods

 

                                    Philosophy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy

 

M.    January 28:         Beginning with the Presocratics: The Milesians: Thales, Anaximander and Anaximenes

                                   

                                    Read SOPHIE'S WORLD: Garden of Eden (3-11), Top Hat (12-22), Myths (23-29), and Natural Philosophers (30-42).

                                   

Homer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homer

Hesiod: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hesiod

Presocratics: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/presocratics/

Thales http://www.iep.utm.edu/t/thales.htm

Anaximander: http://www.iep.utm.edu/a/anaximan.htm

Anaximenes: http://www.iep.utm.edu/a/anaximen.htm

 

W.    January 30:         Continuing with the Presocratics: Pythagoras, Xenophanes, Heraclitus and Parmenides and the Pluralists (Empedocles and Anaxagoras)

 

                                    Pythagoras: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pythagoras/

                                                http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pythagoreanism/

Xenophanes: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/xenophanes/

Heraclitus: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/heraclitus/

Parmenides: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parmenides http://www.iep.utm.edu/p/parmenid.htm

Empedocles: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/empedocles/

Anaxagoras: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/anaxagoras/

 

F.      February 1:         first test (no lecture)

 

M.    February 4:         Democritus; the Sophists    

                                   

Read SOPHIE'S WORLD: Democritus (43-48), Fate (49-57)

                                   

Democritus: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/democritus/

                                    Sophists: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophists

Protagoras: http://www.iep.utm.edu/p/protagor.htm

                        Antiphon (the Sophist): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiphon_%28person%29

 

W.    February 6:         Socrates                                 

 

                                    Read SOPHIE'S WORLD: Socrates (58-72), Athens (73-78)

 

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/socrates/

                                   

F.      February 8:         Plato, Early Dialogues          First assignment given (sent by your TA and downloadable from Course Page)

                                   

                                    Read SOPHIE'S WORLD: Plato (79-94)

 

                                    http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/plato/

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/plato-ethics/

                                    http://www.iep.utm.edu/p/plato.htm

 

M.    February 11:       Plato, Middle Dialogues        First assignment due 2:00 p.m.

Reading: same as above

 

                                    http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/plato-metaphysics/                                                                             http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/plato-ethics-politics/

                                   

W.    February 13:       Plato, Middle (continued) and Late Dialogues

                                    Reading: same as above

 

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/plato-parmenides/

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/plato-timaeus/

 

F.      February 15:       second test (no lecture)

 

M.    February 18:       Aristotle, Nature and Science

 

                                    Read SOPHIE'S WORLD: Aristotle (104-119)

 

                                    http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle-natphil/ http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle-biology/

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle-causality/

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle-psychology/

           

W.    February 20:       Aristotle, Logic and Metaphysics   

                                    Reading: same as above

 

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle-logic/

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle-metaphysics/

 

F.      February 22:       Aristotle, Ethics and Politics            Second assignment given

Reading: same as above

 

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle-ethics/

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle-politics/

 

M.    February 25:       É catching up É                    Second assignment due 2:00 p.m.

 

W.    February 27:       Hellenistic Philosophy          

        

                                    Read SOPHIE'S WORLD: Hellenism (120-137)

 

                                    The Cynics: http://www.iep.utm.edu/c/cynics.htm

                                    Stoicism: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/stoicism/

Epicureanism: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/epicurus/ http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/lucretius/

                                    Ancient Skepticism: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/skepticism-ancient/

                                    Neo-Platonism: http://www.iep.utm.edu/n/neoplato.htm

                                    Plotinus: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/plotinus/

 

F.      February 29:       third test (no lecture)

 

M.    March 3:             The Rise of Christianity      

 

                                    Read SOPHIE'S WORLD: Two Cultures (147-161)

 

                                    Indo-European Culture: http://community.middlebury.edu/~harris/LatinBackground/IndoEuroBackground.html

                                    Semitic Culture: http://mindphiles.com/floor/philes/Semites/semitic.htm

                                    Judaism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judaism

                                    Christianity: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity

 

W.    March 5:             Augustine                                         

 

                                    Read SOPHIE'S WORLD: The Middle Ages (first part, 162-176)

 

                                    http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/augustine/

                                    http://www.iep.utm.edu/a/augustin.htm

 

F.      March 7:             Anselm and Aquinas                                    Third assignment given

 

                                    Read SOPHIE'S WORLD: The Middle Ages (second part, 176-184)

 

                                    Anselm: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/anselm/

Aquinas: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aquinas/

 

M.    March 10:           The Renaissance                               Third assignment due 2:00 p.m.                   

                                    Read SOPHIE'S WORLD: The Renaissance (185-212)

 

                                    Renaissance: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance

                                    Copernicus: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copernicus

                                    Kepler: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Kepler

                                    Galileo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo

                                    Luther: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther

                                    Calvin: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Calvin

 

W.    March 12:           Conclusion of The Renaissance

 

F.      March 14:           fourth test (no lecture)

 

March 17-23:              Spring Break.  No classes

 

M.    March 24:           Early Empiricists                             

 

                                    Read SOPHIE'S WORLD: The Baroque (213-229)

 

                                    Francis Bacon: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/francis-bacon/

                                    Hobbes: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hobbes-moral/

 

W.    March 26:           Rationalism: Descartes

 

                                    Read SOPHIE'S WORLD: Descartes (230-243)

 

                                    http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/descartes-epistemology/

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/descartes-ontological/

 

F.      March 28:           Empiricism: Locke and Berkeley                Fourth assignment given

                                   

                                    Read SOPHIE'S WORLD: Locke (253-262), Berkeley (278-282), Bjerkely (283-298)

 

                                    Locke: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/locke/

Berkeley: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/berkeley/

 

M.    March 31:           Empiricism: Hume, Metaphysics and Epistemology

Fourth assignment due 2:00 p.m.

 

                                    Read SOPHIE'S WORLD: Hume (263-277)

 

                                    http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hume/

 

W.    April 2:               Empiricism: Hume, Morality and Religion

 

                                    http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hume-moral/

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hume-religion/

 

F.      April 4:               fifth test (no lecture)

 

M.    April 7:               The Enlightenment                                      

                                   

                                    Read SOPHIE'S WORLD: The Enlightenment (299-317)

 

                                    Enlightenment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Enlightenment

                                    Deism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deism

                                    Voltaire: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltaire

                                    Rousseau: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rousseau

 

W.    April 9:               Kant, Metaphysics and Epistemology

 

                                    Read SOPHIE'S WORLD: Kant (318-337)

 

                                    http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kant-metaphysics/

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kant-religion/

 

F.      April 11:             Kant, Metaphysics and Epistemology (continued)        Fifth assignment given

 

 

 

M.    April 14:             Kant, Ethics and Politics                                  Fifth assignment due 2:00 p.m.

 

                                   

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kant-moral/

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kant-social-political/

        

 

W.    April 16:            Hegel and Kierkegaard                                 Fifth assignment due 2:00 p.m.

 

                                    Read SOPHIE'S WORLD: Romanticism (338-355), Hegel (356-367), Kierkegaard (368-380)

 

Romanticism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanticism

Hegel: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hegel/

Kierkegaard: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kierkegaard/

        

 

F.      April 18:             sixth test (no lecture)                                                Sixth Assignment given

 

M.    April 21:            Marx                                      

 

                                    Read SOPHIE'S WORLD: Marx (381-398)

 

 

W.    April 23:             Darwin                                                           Sixth Assignment due 2:00 p.m.

 

                                    Read SOPHIE'S WORLD: Darwin (399-422)

 

                                    http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/darwinism/

 

F.      April 25:             Freud

 

                                    Read SOPHIE'S WORLD: Freud (423-440)

 

                                    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmund_Freud

 

M.    April 28:             seventh test (no lecture)

 

W.    May 7:               Final Comprehensive Exam              Chafee 271, 11:30 a.m.