PHIL-1301 Introduction to Philosophy

Christopher Whalin

Credit Spring 2023

Section(s)

PHIL-1301-007 (57778)
LEC TuTh 1:30pm - 2:50pm DIL DLS DIL

PHIL-1301-011 (57780)
LEC TuTh 10:30am - 11:50am DIL DLS DIL

Course Requirements

The components of how a student will be graded in this course is provided immediately below with accompanying details of each component's requirements.

 

Assigned Weights to Assignments

Attendance & Participation: ….................................................................................................. [15%]

Assignment 1: Quiz over Course Syllabus.................................................................................. [10%]

Assignment 2: The Nature of Philosophy & Its Roots in Ancient Greece Exam................... [25%]

Assignment 3: Critical Thinking & Meta-Cognition Exam...................................................... [25%]

Assignment 4: Essay in Philosophy of Mind.............................................................................. [25%]

 

Note on Assignment Due Dates: Tentative dates for assignment submissions is given in Section IX below along with a tentative schedule for the course as a whole. I reserve the right to alter the schedule and due dates listed as the need arises. Students are required to keep up-to-date with schedule changes throughout the semester by either attending class or contacting me directly via email at cwhalin@austincc.edu. It may also be wise to communicate with colleagues to form a support group to help each other throughout the course. Such communication, however, should not result in acts of academic dishonesty such as plagiarising the graded work of colleagues.

 

Brief Description of Assignments

Attendance & Participation [15%]

Holding oneself accountable to regularly attending class has correlated with student success in my past experience, which is the main reason for this component of students' grades. Attendance at class meetings and participation in class activities are graded requirements of this course worth 15% of a student's overall grade. Students are given one unexcused absence without penalty. Upon each additional absence after the first one, three points will be deducted from the student's overall grade for the course unless the student has a reasonable, documented excuse for missing class and informs me of their absence in a timely manner (i.e., either before the day of absence or within 24 hours past the day of the absence). After five unexcused absences, a student will have forfeited all of their Attendance/Participation points, which amounts to a subtraction of 15 points of a student's overall grade in the course. *

 

Note: I reserve the right to determine whether an absence is excused or not, however, students are encouraged to reach out when they miss class, especially if there is something I can do to assist them in getting caught up.

 

What is an unexcused absence? A student's attendance record will be marked with an unexcused absence in the instance that the student does not respond when their name is called during roll-call. A ramification of this policy is that a student will not get credit for their attendance on a particular day if they do not actively reply to roll-call even if signed into the class session.

 

I reserve the right to count a student absent if they miss more than 25 minutes of a class session, even if they make it for roll-call. On the other hand, I will not penalize a student for showing up late within 25 minutes of the commencement of a class meeting unless they miss roll-call and do not bring that to my attention for correction. Students who leave class meetings early without a reasonable excuse will also not receive attendance credit for that day. If a student must leave early on a particular day, they are required to alert me beforehand about the reason why they must leave class early.

 

Assignment 1: Quiz Over Syllabus [10%]

Students are required to complete a quiz over the details of the syllabus posted in MODULE I: SYLLABUS. This quiz is intended to get students to peruse the syllabus, so that they are aware of its policies and course requirements.

 

Assignment 1 is not timed, however, it must be completed prior to its due date. Please refer to the tentative schedule provided in Section IX below for the due date of Assignment 1.

 

Assignment 2: The Nature of Philosophy & Its Roots in Ancient Greece Examination [25%]

Students are required to complete an exam over the different accounts philosophers have given of the nature of philosophy as well as the information provided on the beginnings of philosophy in Ancient Greece. More specifically, this examination covers the material assigned for MODULE II: THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY & ITS BEGINNINGS IN ANCIENT GREECE posted on our course Blackboard page. This exam will be timed.

 

Assignment 3: Critical Thinking & Meta-Cognition Examination [25%]

Students are required to complete an exam over the material provided in MODULE III: META-COGNITION & CRITICAL THINKING provided on our course Blackboard page. This exam will be timed.

 

Assignment 4: Essay in Philosophy of Mind [25%]

Students will be required to write a philosophical essay on a topic in the philosophy of mind in which they will develop and/or defend a philosophical thesis on the nature and relationship between body and mind. The full details of the essay requirements including the topic(s) for discussion will be provided in the “Essay” content folder on Blackboard.

 

A Note on Plagiarism and the Use of “Outside” Sources: Any incidents of plagiarism will be addressed in accordance with the plagiarism policy for this course (see Section X below). Essays are assigned as an exercise to help students develop their ability to express their own philosophical thoughts and reflections on the assigned course content in writing and should not draw on websites, blogs, etc. which are outside the assigned content in the modules for this online course. Use of outside sources must get approval from the professor to avoid point-penalties.

 

Readings

REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS

There is no requied textbook for this course, however, students are required to complete all readings, videos, etc. listed in section IX below.

With the hope of potentially alleviating student financial hardship, the purchase of a textbook is not required for this course. All materials for completing the course will be made available online either through Blackboard or provided links in Section IX below and can be accessed by enrolled students for free. The materials for this course are comprised mostly of readings in the public domain as well as handouts and notes created by me along with links for selected interviews, panel discussions, lectures, and videos created by a variety of academics and organizations.

Why Did I Decide Not to Use a Textbook? In addition to trying to help students ease their financial burden, it is also my hope that through the exposure to free resources and materials available online to the public (such as philosophical works in the public domain made available through The Project Gutenberg, The Internet Classics Archive, YouTube, etc.), students will appreciate how easily accessible philosophical material is in the information age. And, with that knowledge, it is my wish that students in this course will be able to continue their philosophical journey beyond the context of the classroom if they so choose to do so.

Note: A full list of assigned readings and materials for review can be found in the "Course Subjects" section.

 

Course Subjects

Below is a list of important dates to put on your calendar for the fall semester as well as a tentative outline of a schedule for this course. I reserve the right to adjust the schedule as the need arises. Students are asked to stay up-to-date with readings, assignment deadlines, and the like by attending class regularly or reaching out to me or a colleague to get caught up in the case of being absent.

 

Expectations of Preparation for Class: Students are expected to come to class having already reviewed the assigned material listed for the class meeting on a particular day. Hence, all assigned videos and readings should be reviewed prior to attending class on that particular day. By reviewing homework and assigned content prior to class, students will be better positioned to fill in gaps of understanding and clarify confusions they may have during lectures.

 

MODULE I: SYLLABUS & COURSE REQUIREMENTS

WEEK 1

T, 1/17 Syllabus

  • Peruse the Course Syllabus (posted in MODULE I)

 

Complete ASSIGNMENT 1: SYLLABUS QUIZ (DUE DATE: See “Module I” for details about the quiz including its due date)

 

MODULE II: THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY & ITS BEGINNINGS

IN ANCIENT GREECE

Th, 1/19 What is Philosophy?

  • All assigned content below for 8/25 is posted in MODULE II.

  • Read Christopher Whalin, “Chapter 1: What is Philosophy?” (pdf)

  • Watch the following interview with Bertrand Russell <https://youtu.be/ihaB8AFOhZo> [1min 59sec]

  • Watch Scott Samuelson, “How Philosophy Can Save Your Life”, TedxBismarck <https://youtu.be/H5P4BG77mSc> [15min 31sec]

 

WEEK 2

T, 1/24 The Beginnings of Philosophy in Ancient Greece: The Pre-Socratic Philosophers

  • All assigned content below for 8/30 is posted in MODULE II.

  • Read Parmenides' poem On Nature (pdf)

  • Read Philosophical Fragments of the Pre-Socratics (pdf)

  • Watch Jules Evans, “How philosophy can save your life”, TEDxBreda <https://youtu.be/XuwYvFlNGns> [15min 30sec] (posted in MODULE II)

 

Th, 1/26 The Sophists

  • All assigned content below for 9/1 is posted in MODULE II.

  • Watch “Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle,” Eugene Weber <https://youtu.be/nke9geV7g98> [24min 13min]

  • Read Fragments from the Sophists (pdf)

 

WEEK 3

T, 1/31 Socrates' Life, Trial, & Execution

 

Th, 2/2 Socratic Wisdom, Truth, & Bullshit

  • All assigned content below for 9/8 is found in MODULE II.

  • Watch “The Uncertainty of Knowledge,” Richard Feynman <https://youtu.be/QkhBcLk_8f0> [2min 50sec]

  • Read “Socratic Wisdom: A Selection from Plato's Apology” (this task is mostly redundant if you have already read Plato's Apology in full)

  • Read Harry Frankfurt's, “On Bullshit,” in The Importance of What We Care About, Cambridge University Press, 1988

 

MODULE III: METACOGNITION, CRITICAL THINKING, & LOGIC

WEEK 4

T, 2/7 The Confidence-Trap: Overconfidence, Ignorance, & Ignorance of One's Own Ignorance

 

Th, 2/9 Behaviorism vs. Cognitive Dissonance Theory

  • All assignments for 9/15 are posted in MODULE III.

  • Read Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson, (2000) “Chapter 1: The Engines of Self-Justification” in Mistakes Were Made (but Not By Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts, Harcourt, Inc.

  • Watch “A History of Behaviorism” <https://youtu.be/rmhHwgTBLR0> [19min 58sec]

  • Watch “Cognitive Dissonance Theory: A Crash Course” <https://youtu.be/9Y17YaZRRvY?list=RDLV3IjIVD-KYF4> [6min 56sec]

  • Watch “Festinger and Carlsmith's 1954 Study: A Lesson in Cognitive Dissonance” <https://youtu.be/korGK0yGIDo> [4min 54sec]

  • Watch “Leon Festinger & End of Day Cults” <https://youtu.be/5yVuauQjkDc> [3min 30sec]

 

WEEK 5

T, 2/14 Heuristics, Cognitive Biases, Irrationality, & Mental Harmony

 

Th, 2/16 Argumentation, Logical Inference, & Rational Belief Formation

  • Read “Notes on the Laws of Classical Logic & Norms of Rational Belief Formation” (pdf posted in MODULE III)

  • Watch “How to Argue-Philosophical Reasoning”, PBS Crash Course Philosophy #2 <https://youtu.be/NKEhdsnKKHs> [9min 42sec]

  • Read “Three Types of Arguments: Deduction, Abduction, & Induction” (pdf)

 

WEEK 6

T, 2/21 Practice in the Evaluation of Arguments

  • Do exercises on “Logic Worksheet” in groups with colleagues

 

Th, 2/23 Mistakes in Reasoning: Formal & Informal Fallacies

 

WEEK 7

T, 2/28 The Principle of Sufficient Reason, Causation, Free Will, & Hume's Riddle of Induction

  • All assigned content below for 10/4 is posted in MODULE III.

  • Watch “How to Argue: Induction & Abduction,” PBS Crash Course Philosophy #3 <https://youtu.be/-wrCpLJ1XAw> [10min 17sec]

  • Watch “Correlation and Causation,” Wireless Philosophy <https://youtu.be/U-_f8RQIIiw> [7min 8sec]

  • Read “Selected Readings on Hume's Riddle of Induction” (pdf)

  • Review “Handout: Hume on Causation & Induction” (pdf)

  • Watch “The Scientific Method,” Richard Feynman <https://youtu.be/EYPapE-3FRw> [9min 58sec]

 

Th, 3/2 Reductios ad Absurdum, Proofs by Contradiction, & Paradoxes

  • All assigned content below for 10/6 is posted in MODULE III.

  • Read “Standardizing St. Anselm's Ontological Argument for the Existence of God” (pdf)

  • Read “Cantor's Diagnolization Proof for Transfinite Sets” (pdf)

  • Watch “Paradoxes of Zeno,” Solomon's Cave <https://youtu.be/K7hzNHGpv5Q> [14min 43sec]

  • Watch “The Liar Paradox,” by Stephen Read on Serious Science [14min 10sec]

  • Watch “Graham Priest: The Liar Paradox & The Law of Non-Contradiction,” by Graham Priest on Aeon Video <https://youtu.be/tq2AsOjSD-E> [5min 47sec]

 

MODULE IV: KNOWLEDGE, TRUTH, & REALITY

WEEK 8

T, 3/7 What is Knowledge? An Overview of Plato's Theaetetus

  • All assigned content below for 10/13 is posted in MODULE IV.

 

Th, 3/9 Protagoras' Dictum “Man is the measure of all things...” & Knowledge as Perception

  • All assigned content for 10/18 listed below is in MODULE IV.

  • Read Selection from Plato's Theaetetus: Protagoras' Man is the Measure Dictum

  • Watch “Do We See Objects Themselves,” Richard Feynman <https://youtu.be/X8aWBcPVPMo> [54sec]

  • Watch “Sensation and Perception,” PBS Crash Course in Psychology #5 <https://youtu.be/unWnZvXJH2o> [10min 45sec]

  • Watch “Perceiving is Believing,” PBS Crash Course in Psychology #7 <https://youtu.be/n46umYA_4dM> [9min 59sec]

  • Watch “Is Your Red the Same as My Red,” Vsauce <https://youtu.be/evQsOFQju08> [9min 34sec]

 

WEEK 9 (Spring Break)

Spring Break, No Class from 03/13-03/17

College Closed, 03/18 & 03/19

 

WEEK 10

T, 3/21 The Nature of Truth

 

Th, 3/23 Cognitive Illusions, Optical Illusions, Collective Illusions, & the Appearance-Reality Distinction

 

MODULE IV: MIND, MATTER, & WELL-BEING

WEEK 12

T, 3/28 Student Journal Requirements & Peer Group Brainstorming

 

Th, 3/30 René Descartes, Hyperbolic Skepticism, The Matrix, & Cartesian Dualism

  • All assigned content below for 11/8 is posted in MODULE IV.

  • Read René Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy (1641), pages 1-12 only, i.e., read from the beginning of the work all the way through the second meditation.

  • An audiobook reading of Descartes' Meditations can be found here <https://youtu.be/3lfcOb35Ors>

  • Watch “Clip from the movie The Matrix: All I am offering is the Truth” <https://youtu.be/6rrPP-QOF3k> [4min 8sec]

  • Watch “Clip from the movie The Matrix: What is the Matrix?,” <https://youtu.be/O5b0ZxUWNf0> [4min 57sec]

  • Watch “Are We Living in a Simulation?,” David Chalmers, Closer to Truth [9min 14sec]

 

WEEK 13

T, 4/4 The Mind-Body Problem, Substance Dualisms, & Substance Monisms

  • All assigned content below for 11/10 is posted in MODULE IV.

  • Read “Selection: Letters of Correspondence Between Descartes & Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia on the Mind-Body Problem” (pdf)

  • Watch “Can Dualism Explain Consciousness?” Closer to Truth, Episode 1512, <https://youtu.be/aUfOCY6cg4E> [26min 47sec]

  • Watch “What is the Mind-Body Problem?”, Episode 205, Closer to Truth , Episode 205 <https://youtu.be/3TnBjLmQawQ> [26min 46sec]

  • Watch “Solutions to the Mind-Body Problem?”, Closer to Truth, Episode 505 <https://youtu.be/yp193r6i7qk> [26min 46sec]

 

Th, 4/6 Puzzles of Persistence & Theories of Self-Identity

 

WEEK 14

T, 4/11 Types of Materialisms: Mind-Brain Identity Theory, Multiple Realizability, &

Functionalism

 

Th, 4/13 The Systems View of Life & Cognition

  • Read Fritjof Capra. (2015) “The Systems View of Life: A Unifying Conception of Mind, Matter, and Life,” Cosmos and History: The Journal of Natural and Social Philosophy, vol. 11, no. 2

    • Suggested: Watch “Mind, Matter, and Life,” Fritjof Capra, Ph.D., Physicist and Systems Theorist; Founding Director, The Center for Ecoliteracy, Berkeley, California <https://youtu.be/TFERd65UCh8> [17min 19sec]

  • Watch “The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness,” Dr. Peter Godfrey-Smith, Professor of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Syndey, Talks at Google <https://youtu.be/iENXfnOobzw> [46min 11sec]

    • Suggested: Watch “Intelligence Without Brains,” World Science Festival Panel Discussion <https://youtu.be/RpwW9Lw2Ku4> [1hr 29min 11sec]

 

 

WEEK 15

T, 4/18 Challenges to Materialism: Qualia & The Hard-Problem of Consciousness

  • All assigned content below for 11/17 is posted in MODULE IV.

  • Watch “Can Machines Think,” Richard Feynman <https://youtu.be/ipRvjS7q1DI> [11min 40sec]

  • Watch “What is the Turing Test?,” CNET <https://youtu.be/sXx-PpEBR7k> [1min 54sec]

  • Watch “John Searle's Chinese Room Argument,” Philosophy Vibe <https://youtu.be/htrsnpwzhmI> [2min 58sec]

  • Read Frank Jackson, “What Mary Didn't Know,” The Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 83, No. 5. (May, 1986), pp. 291-295.

  • Read Thomas Nagel, “What Is It Like to Be a Bat?,” The Philosophical Review, Vol. 83, No. 4 (Oct., 1974), pp. 435-450

  • Watch “The Hard Problem of Consciousness,” David Chalmers, Serious Science <https://youtu.be/C5DfnIjZPGw> [9min 18sec]

 

Th, 4/20 George Berkeley's Idealism & Skepticism About the Material/External World

 

WEEK 14

*LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW FROM THE COURSE: MONDAY, APRIL 24, 2023*

 

T, 4/25 David Hume & Nāgārjuna: Nihlistic Views of a Unified Self

  • Readings to be announced

 

Th, 4/27 Kant's Transcendental Idealism & Daniel Hoffman's Interface Theory

  • All assigned content below for 11/29 is posted in MODULE IV.

  • Watch “Do We See Reality as It Is?” Daniel Hoffman, Ted Talk <https://youtu.be/oYp5XuGYqqY> [21min 50sec]

  • Read “Transcendental Idealism,” Britannica <transcendental idealism | Definition & Facts | Britannica>

  • Read Nicholas F. Stang, "Kant’s Transcendental Idealism", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2022 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL =

    • Suggested: Watch “Daniel Hoffman: Reality is an Illusion – How Evolution Hid the Truth,” interview with Daniel Hoffman on the Lex Fridman Podcast <https://youtu.be/reYdQYZ9Rj4> [3hrs 16mins 15sec]

    • Suggested: Watch “Your Brain Hallucinates Your Reality,” Anil Seth, Ted <https://youtu.be/lyu7v7nWzfo> [17min 1sec]

 

WEEK 16

T, 5/2 Theories of Well-Being, Part I

  • Readings to be announced

 

Th, 5/4 Theories of Well-Being, Part II

  • Readings to be announced

 

WEEK 17

T, 5/9 Taking Stock

Th, 5/11 No class meeting—Students are encouraged to use this day to complete final

assignment(s)

 

 

Student Learning Outcomes/Learning Objectives

Departmental Course Student Learning Outcomes

  • Identify, demonstrate understanding of, and describe various major figures, divisions, theories, and concepts in philosophy

  • Analyze written texts from philosophy

  • Apply concepts from philosophy to issues of both individual and universal significance

  • Develop and/or defend a philosophical thesis in a written essay

 

Professor Objectives/Outcomes

The content of this online course is designed to get students to start doing philosophy. Students will be given tasks which will afford them experiences of:

  • carefully thinking about human cognition, which in turn can lead to greater self-awareness of one's own cognition;

  • exposure to information which can be utilized toward the aim of avoiding errors in cognition and avoiding the formation of false beliefs;

  • interpreting and critiquing works in the history of philosophy;

  • analyzing concepts as well as evaluating various arguments, ideas, and theories found in the history of philosophy;

  • learning how to evaluate the plausibility of arguments and their rebuttals;

  • exercising one's own rational autonomy through attempting to make discerning judgements concerning the truth and plausibility of alternative views for oneself.

 

General Education Competencies

  • Communication Skills: Develop, interpret, and express ideas and information through written, oral and visual communication that is adapted to purpose, structure, audience, and medium.

  • Critical Thinking Skills: Gather, analyze, synthesize, evaluate and apply information for the purposes of innovation, inquiry, and creative thinking.

  • Personal Responsibility: Identify and apply ethical principles and practices to decision-making by connecting choices, actions and consequences

  • Social Responsibility (Civic and Cultural Awareness): Analyze differences and commonalities among peoples, ideas, aesthetic traditions, and cultural practices to include intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities.

Office Hours

M W 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM https://austincc.webex.com/meet/cwhalin

NOTE Or by appointment. Please contact me via email (cwhalin@austincc.edu) to set up an appointment.

Office Hours

M W 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM https://austincc.webex.com/meet/cwhalin

NOTE Or by appointment. Please contact me via email (cwhalin@austincc.edu) to set up an appointment.

Published: 01/29/2023 18:45:42