Professor: James Woodbridge
email address:
Course Webpage: http://faculty.unlv.edu/jwood/unlv/Phil101.htm
Office Hours:  T 11am-12:30pm, W 4pm-5pm, and by appointment
Office: CDC 426
Office Phone: 895-4051
Dept. Phone: 895-3433

I. COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course introduces the general nature of philosophical thought, and its basic methods and goals. The material covered includes selections by both historically important and current philosophers (e.g., Plato, Descartes, Hume, Russell, Frankfurt, Williams) on such classic philosophical topics as the existence of God, the nature of right and wrong, and the possibility of knowledge. Through our readings and discussions we will also attempt to reach a clearer understanding of our relationship to other people (moral responsibility), and our relationship to the world around us (freedom of the will). Some of the general skills students will develop include the formulating, defending, and critiquing of arguments and theoretical positions, and the ability to think critically about difficult and abstract issues.


II. REQUIRED CLASS MATERIALS

Books:

Nagel, Thomas. What Does It All Mean? New York: Oxford University Press, 1987.

Perry, John, Michael Bratman, and J. M. Fischer. Introduction to Philosophy: Classical and
     Contemporary Readings (Fourth Edition). New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.

Weston, Anthony. A Rulebook for Arguments (Third Edition). Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing, 2000.

The books for the course are available at The UNLV Bookstore.

(They are also on reserve at Lied Library.)


III. CLASS REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING SCHEME

Requirements.............................................Percent of Final Grade

Class Participation......................................................15%
First Test.....................................................................25%
Second Test.................................................................25%
Final Exam..................................................................35%

About the Requirements:

Class Participation--This requirement covers a couple of things. First, there is your contribution during class. Class attendance is thus necessary. However, to do well you must do more than just attend. You are expected to show up having read the assignment for the day and ready to talk about it. Second, everyone must make at least six contributions to the Electronic Discussion Board (accessible through WebCampus) during the term: three before Oct. 18 and three after.

The First Test--There will be a timed, in-class test at the end of September. The test will consist of four short and one long essay questions.

The Second Test--There will be a second in-class test in early November, covering the material introduced since the First Test. The format will be the same as that of the First Test.

The Final Exam--There will be a timed (2 hour), in-class final exam given on Monday, Dec. 8, 2008 at 1pm in our regular classroom. The final will consist of short and long essay questions covering the whole course, but emphasizing the material covered since the Second Test.

The Optional Paper--There will be an optional 4-6 page paper due in late November. Topics will be distributed 12 days before the paper is due. If your write the optional paper, then your paper grade will replace the lower of your two test grades, if that helps your overall average.

The class will be a mixture of lecture and discussion, and I want to encourage discussion. I hope that you will all have views about the topics we will address, and I want you to express and explore those views. It is the nature of the issues we will be considering that people's views will differ. You are encouraged to question your classmates (and me) when anyone says something you disagree with, but everyone should always keep in mind that disagreement is not a personal attack. Philosophical discussion thrives under this kind of interaction and often stems from disagreement. At the same time, philosophical discussion aims at reaching some sort of agreement. We probably won't reach agreement every time, but we should aspire toward it.

V. TOPICS AND READINGS

Most of the readings will be from the Perry, Bratman, and Fischer book. These will be listed by their page numbers in parentheses. Readings from the Nagel and Weston books are listed by author and chapter number. There are also some additional readings labeled either "photocopy" or "online".

A note about the readings: Philosophical writing is often subtle and difficult. Do not be fooled by the shortness of an assignment into thinking that it will take little time. Most of these readings should be read at least twice. I recommend a first time straight through and then a second pass taking notes.

The course will be divided into 5 units. Those units and the readings for them are as follows.

Nagel, Chapter 1
Perry and Bratman, "On the Study of Philosophy" (1-6)
Russell, "The Value of Philosophy" (9-12)
Plato, Apology: Defense of Socrates (28-42)
Weston, A Rulebook for Arguments, Chapters I-III, V, VI, X

Anselm, "The Ontological Argument" (78-79)
Gaunilo, "In Behalf of the Fool" (online reading)
Descartes, "Meditation V" from Meditations on First Philosophy (186-188)
Aquinas, "The Existence of God" (80-82)
Hume, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion (92-105)
Mackie, "Evil and Omnipotence" (online reading)

Nagel, Chapters 2 and 4
Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy (171-194)
Locke, "Some Further Considerations Concerning Our Simple Ideas of Sensation"
     from An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (online reading)
Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding: Sections II-VII (225-251)

Nagel, Chapter 6
Campbell, "Has the Self 'Free Will'?" (online)
Taylor, "Freedom and Determinism" (451-463)
Frankfurt, "Freedom of the Will and the Concept of a Person" (470-480)

Nagel, Chapter 7
Plato, Republic, Book II, Chapter V (689-694)
Hobbes, Leviathan, Chapters 13 and 14 (online reading)
Rachels, "The Challenge of Cultural Relativism" (online reading)
Mill, Utilitarianism, Chapters 1 and 2 (492-501)
Carritt, "Criticisms of Utilitarianism" (509-511)
Williams, "Utilitarianism and Integrity" (519-527)