HUP 101: Introduction to Philosophy
| John Chaffee, Ph.D., Director |
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Vera Albrecht, Ph.D. |
| Minerva Ahumada, Ph.D. |
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Richard Brown, Ph.D. |
| Emmanuel
Nartey, Ph.D. |
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Aaron
Rizzieri, Ph.D. |
| Payal
Doctor, Ph.D. |
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meetings |
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Instructor: |
| La Guardia CC, Fall
2011 |
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Course Description
This course introduces
students to the process of philosophical reflection. Utilizing the concept of
freedom extensively, it seeks to develop the student’s ability to analyze
concepts and to explore life experience in a structured and coherent fashion.
Students are encouraged to develop their perceptions by critically examining
their own beliefs, attitudes, and assumptions in light of the philosophical
analyses they encounter. Prerequisite:
CSE099, ENA/ENG/ESA099/ENC101.
Course objectives
- Sudents will learn to identify and analyze arguments.
- Students will develop the ability to analyze and evaluate key passages
from the primary texts of the major philosophers from Plato to Kant.
- Students will learn to compare various philosophical theories
regarding the soul, freedom, epistemology, and metaphysics.
- Students will develop the ability to think about and discuss
philosophical issues as they pertain to their lives.
Course Requirements
Text
- THE
PHILOSOPHER’S WAY 3/E John Chaffee Prentice
Hall 2011
~ The
textbook includes a website (MyPhilosophyLab) with 500 primary source readings
that are in addition to those in the text.
These readings are a potentially valuable resource for faculty and
students.
Grading
Student
performance and progress will be evaluated on the basis of attendance,
homework, class participation, quizzes and tests, short and long papers, and a
final examination.
[include
breakdown of % for each grade—exams, papers, homework, quizzes, attendance, and
participation]
Attendance
- Attendance recorded in each class will be final
unless you have dated proof of your attendance or provide legitimate proof for
an excused absence. Anyone not present when attendance is taken will be marked absent. It
is your responsibility to talk to the instructor after class (or during office
hours) about the reasons for your lateness.
- Anyone who misses more than 5 hours of class time for any reason cannot
receive a passing grade in the class.
Please note that an absence from a class that meets once a week for
3 hours counts as 3 hours of absence;
absence from a two hour class counts as two hours of absence etc.
Class
Participation
The aim of this course is to develop your ability
to think. The best way for you to develop and sharpen your capacity to think is
for you to be actively involved in the classes. This means not only being
attentive in class but also participating in the class discussions.
Lectures
You should learn to take notes during class. Material discussed in class is fair game for
tests and quizzes. Get a peer’s phone
number and email address so you have someone to contact about notes if you have
an excused absence.
Writing
Assignments
In all of the written work that you do for
this course, you should make certain that (1) your work is typed; (2) spelling
and punctuation are accurate; and (3) grammar and syntax are correct. Please use the Writing Center for help with
(2) and (3). Before you hand in any written
assignment, be sure to proofread your
work, paying particular attention to the errors you know frequently occur in
your own writing. Your language should
reflect that of a college student.
Writing
Center
This is a reading and writing intensive
course. It is expected that you will
utilize the Writing Center for help with content, grammar, and sentence
structure in each of your papers BEFORE you turn it in. I strongly suggest that each of you make use
of this resource; this resource has helped students improve their writing and,
as a result, improve their grade in this class.
- Contact: Room E-111, Monday
–Friday (9:15am – 9:30pm)
- Website: http://www.lagcc.cuny.edu/english/writingcenter/schedule.htm
Academic Integrity
This
class will be conducted in compliance with LaGuardia Community College’s
academic integrity policy. If you are
caught plagiarizing, an Academic Integrity Complaint will be filed.
- Plagiarism is the act of using someone else’s
work as your own without giving proper credit to that person. If it is found that you have used online
sources inappropriately by copy and pasting or ‘borrowing’ in part or in whole
from previously written essays, texts, or webpages, you will be reported in
accordance with LaGCC’s Academic Integrity Policies.
- It is better to err on the side of caution than
to get a zero on the assignment. Simply forgetting
to cite a source still counts as plagiarism.
Special Circumstances
If
you have any special circumstance such as a learning disability, religious, or
military obligation that could affect your participation in this course at any
time throughout this semester, it is your responsibility to bring it to your
instructor’s attention and review the appropriate documentation and procedures
for each circumstance.
Weeks 1
& 2 What is Philosophy and
Why is it Valuable?
Key Questions:
What are various
approaches to defining Philosophy?
What is the process of
“thinking philosophically?”
What is the purpose of
Philosophy? Why is it valuable?
How can learning to think
philosophically enrich my life?
What are the branches of
Philosophy and what questions do they explore?
Reading: The
Philosopher’s Way Chapter 1 What is Philosophy?
Recommended Writing
Assignments
| Thinking Philosophically |
pg. 11 |
My Philosophy of Life |
| Thinking Philosophically |
pg. 16 |
Analyze an Issue |
| Writing about Philosophy |
pg. 37 |
Analyze
your Beliefs |
NOTE: The Philosopher’s Way comes with “The
Philosopher’s Notebook,” a journal which includes a number of Think
Philosophically and Think Critically Activities. You can integrate this journal into the
course as you see fit.
Weeks 2
& 3 Socrates and the Examined
Life
Key Questions
Why is Socrates described
as the “father” of Western Philosophy?
What is Dialectics or the
Socratic Method?
Why did Socrates believe
that “The unexamined life is not worth living?
Why was Socrates brought
to trial and how did he defend himself?
What was the lasting
significance of Socrates’ trial and death?
Reading: The
Philosopher’s Way Chapter 2 What is the Philosopher’s Way?
Recommended Writing
Assignments
| Reading Critically |
pgs. 48, 54, 59,
70 |
Answer assigned questions |
| Writing about Philosophy |
pg. 80 |
Compose
a Socratic Dialogue |
Weeks 4
& 5 Who Am I? Consciousness, Identity, and the Soul
Key Questions:
What are different
philosophical perspectives on the “self” and how do they relate to one another?
How do we discover and
understand the self?
What is the relationship
of the self to consciousness? To the
soul?
In what ways does the self
both change and remain the same over time?
What is the relationship
of states of conscious to the physical structure of the brain?
Reading: The
Philosopher’s Way Chapter 3 Who Am I?
Recommended Writing
Assignments
Reading Critically
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pgs. 92, 95, 97,
105, 110, 113, 128, 130 |
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| Thinking Philosophically |
pg. 89 |
Do You Know Yourself? |
| Thinking Philosophically |
pg. 101 |
Are you a Seeker After Truth? |
| Thinking Philosophically |
pg. 116 |
Sense, Perception, and Your Self |
| Thinking Philosophically |
pg. 131 |
What is Your Concept of the Self? |
| Writing about Philosophy |
pg. 132 |
Defining
the Self |
Weeks 6
& 7 Am I Free? Freedom and Determinism
Reading: The
Philosopher’s Way Chapter 4 Are you Free?
Key Questions
Why do some philosophers
believe that all actions are determined and that freedom is an illusion?
Why do some philosophers
believe that at least some human actions are not determined and that freedom is possible?
What is the relationship
between freedom and responsibility?
What factors constrain
freedom? Is it possible to increase
freedom by diminishing or eliminating constraints?
Recommended Writing
Assignments
| Reading Critically |
pgs.153, 161, 171,
182, 186 |
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| Thinking Philosophically |
pg. 143
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What are your Assumptions about Freedom? |
| Thinking Philosophically |
pg. 152 |
Do You Choose Freely? |
| Thinking Philosophically |
pg. 191
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What Are the Limitations to your Freedom? |
| Writing about Philosophy |
pg. 191
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Increasing
Personal Freedom |
Weeks 8
& 9 Discovering Reality and Constructing
Knowledge (Part 1)
Key Questions
What questions do
Metaphysics and Epistemology explore?
What is the nature of
reality?
What is the relation of
reality to the realm of reason? To the
natural world?
What are the philosophical
foundations of knowledge?
How do we develop informed
beliefs in everyday life?
Reading: The
Philosopher’s Way Chapter 5 Can we know the Nature of Reality?
Recommended Writing
Assignments
| Reading Critically |
pgs. 205, 209,
214-215, 227 |
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| Thinking Philosophically |
pg. 198 |
What is your Concept of Reality? |
| Thinking Philosophically |
pg. 230 |
Evaluating the Accuracy of Your Beliefs |
| Writing about Philosophy |
pg. 231 |
Analyzing
Philosophical Themes in a Fictional Work |
Weeks 10
& 11 Discovering Reality and Constructing
Knowledge (Part 2)
Key Questions
How do we construct
knowledge and achieve truth?
What are the respective
roles of reason and experience in constructing knowledge?
What is the relationship
between truth, knowledge, and reality?
Reading: The
Philosopher’s Way Chapter 6 What is Real? What is True?
Recommended Writing
Assignments
| Reading Critically |
pgs. 245, 257,
263, 273, 291, 294, 302 |
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| Thinking Philosophically |
pg. 305 |
What are the Limits of your Knowledge? |
| Writing about Philosophy |
pg. 302 |
Constructing
Knowledge |
Week 12 Philosophy as a Way of Life
Review and Synthesis: How
do I construct an enlightened philosophy of life?