Coursework and Grading

The coursework shall consist of weekly quizzes, papers, and presentations. There will also be a participation grade. Instructions for assignments will be available in Blackboard. The general character of each, along with the Service Learning Objectives and General Education Competencies to which they are primarily intended to contribute.

There will be weekly quizzes covering the material for the week. [SLO 1, 3; GEC 2]

There will be two papers in the course. Guidelines will be provided for each, and grading will be strictly based on the guidelines. Acceptable formats for submission are: .doc, .docx, .odt, .pdf, .rtf . Other formats will not be accepted.

* The Gorgias Character Paper will involve students picking a character other than Socrates from the Gorgias, researching his historical background (if any), analyzing his role in the dialogue, and reflecting on the ethical issues raised by that characer’s participation in the dialogue. [SLO 1, 2, 3; GEC 1, 3, 4]

* In the Philosophical Analysis Paper students will summarize, analyze, and evaluate the arguments of two philosophical articles, and will propose and argue for their own position on the topic discussed in the articles. [SLO 1, 2, 3, 4; GEC 1, 2]

Students will do two presentations during the term, both of which will be recorded and uploaded to Blackboard.

* The first presentation will be a 5-6 minute presentation on a historical philosopher, whom they will choose from a randomized pool. Students will have to discuss the philosopher's biography and at least one philosophical position or argument for which they are known, giving their own rough estimate of the strengths and weaknesses of that position or argument. They will also turn in an outline of their presentation with a bibliography of works they used. [SLO 1, 2, 3; GEC 1]

* The final presentation will be a 9-10 minute presentation on one of the philosophical topics discussed in the schedule. Students will explain their general topic, formulate a specific question about it, consider arguments for and against the possible answers to that question, give their own views, and explain how to answer the arguments for and against. Either presentation may be pre-recorded as video in .mp4 format. Students will also turn in a paragraph summary of their final presentation, including a bibliography of works used. Further guidelines for the presentations will be available in Blackboard. [SLO 1, 2, 3; GEC 1, 2]

There will be an additional participation grade, which will include participation in the Discussion Board as well as additional assignments, for review or practice, that do not fall into other categories. [SLO 1, 3; GEC 1, 2]

Quizzes 20%

Gorgias Character Paper 20%

Philosophical Analysis 25%

Philosopher Presentation 5%

Final Presentation 10%

Participation 20%

Required Course Materials

Plato, Gorgias.

Rosen, et al. The Norton Introduction to Philosophy, 2nd edition, W. W. Norton (New York; 2018).

The Hackett edition of the Gorgias that is available through the ACC Bookstore is in many ways the best option, but students may use any translation they find most convenient. (I recommend a translation that has standard edition page numbers, which we will be using in the course; these are usually found in the margins of any decent translation.)

There will be additional readings on specific topics; these will either be available online or made available for download through Blackboard. This is a reading-intensive course; it is important for students to keep up with all readings.

Course Calendar

This schedule is tentative and liable to change; for changes, consult the schedule in Blackboard. N indicates a reading from the Norton anthology. This schedule only identifies major topics and assignments; additional assignments and readings relevant to the week will be found in the folder for that week in Blackboard.

WEEK I

A: Introduction to Course

B: PLATO I (Knowledge)
Meno (N 137-142)

C: PLATO II (Platonic Myths)

D: Logic Lesson: Terms

E: Introduction to Gorgias

Orientation Assignment due Friday by midnight.

WEEK II

A: ARISTOTLE I (Change)

B: ARISTOTLE II (Cause)

C: Logic Lesson: Propositions

D: Gorgias Reading Project I

WEEK III

A: ARISTOTLE III (Knowledge)

B: THOMAS AQUINAS I (God)
The Five Ways (N 13-18)

C: Logic Lesson: Syllogisms

D: Gorgias Reading Project II

WEEK IV

A: THOMAS AQUINAS II (Law)
Aquinas on Law (reading to be provided in Blackboard)
Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter from a Birmingham Jail (reading to be provided in Blackboard)

B: RENE DESCARTES I (Knowledge)
Meditation I (N 264-268)

C: Logic Lesson: More on Syllogisms

D: Gorgias Reading Project III

Philosopher Presentation due by the Friday at midnight.

WEEK V

A: RENE DESCARTES (Mind and Body)
Meditation II (N 312-319)
Elisabeth of Bohemia, Correspondence with Descartes (N 320-321)

B: RENE DESCARTES (God)
Anselm of Canterbury (N 8-12)

C: Logic Lesson: Even More on Syllogisms

D: Gorgias Reading Project IV
 

Gorgias Character Paper due by Friday at midnight

WEEK VI

A: DAVID HUME I (Cause)
Sceptical Doubts (N 166-177)

B: LADY MARY SHEPHERD I (Cause)
Shepherd on Cause (reading to be provided in Blackboard)

C: Logic Lesson: Basics of Propositional Logic

WEEK VII

A: DAVID HUME II (External World)
Of Scepticism with Regard to the Senses (N 269-284)

B: LADY MARY SHEPHERD II (External World)
Shepherd on the External World (reading to be provided in Blackboard)

C: Logic Review

Philosophical Analysis Paper due by Friday at midnight

WEEK VIII

A: Pascal's Wager
The Wager (N 68-71)

B: The Nyaya School on Pramanas

C: Aesthetic Paradoxes
Aaron Smuts, The Paradox of Painful Art (reading to be provided in Blackboard)

Final Presentations and ALL WORK due Friday by noon.

Course Description

• Credit hours: 3

• Classroom contact hours per week: 8

Students will be introduced to various significant philosophical issues and thinkers and to the practice of philosophical analysis. There are no course prerequisites for this class. A passing score or the equivalent on the reading and writing portions of the TSI is required.

Course Rationale: Philosophy is one of the principal forces that have shaped Western civilization and history, so a basic understanding of the methods and subject matter of philosophy affords a deeper understanding of ourselves and an informed grasp of the present. In addition, critical thinking skills are so central to the methods of philosophy that the study of philosophy provides an excellent opportunity to learn and practice those skills in a focused way.

Departmental Course Student Learning Outcomes

• Identify, demonstrate understanding of, and describe various major figures, divisions, theories, and concepts in philosophy [SLO 1]

• Analyze written texts from philosophy [SLO 2]

• Apply concepts from philosophy to issues of both individual and universal significance [SLO 3]

• Develop and defend a philosophical argument in a written essay [SLO 4]

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. [GEC 1]

• Critical Thinking Skills: Gather, analyze, synthesize, evaluate and apply information for the purposes of innovation, inquiry, and creative thinking. [GEC 2]

• Personal Responsibility: Identify and apply ethical principles and practices to decision-making by connecting choices, actions and consequences [GEC 3]

• 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. [GEC 4]