THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO
DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY
COURSE OUTLINE
Philosophy 020E - Section 01
INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY
1999-2000
Instructor: Bruce Freed Lectures: TU TH 1:00-2:00 UC 224
Office Hours: TU TH 2:00-3:00 TC 415 bfreed@yahoo.com Fax: 519.475.6985
Tutorials: M 12:00-1:00 TC 341 & 4:00-5:00 TC 201
W 12:00-1:00 TC 341 & 4:00-5:00 TC 202
F 10:00-11:00 TC 201 & 12:00-1:00 TC 204
F 1:00-2:00 TC 202 & 2:00-3:00 TC 341
Philosophy deals with life’s most important issues. Is there a meaning to life? Can religious faith be reconciled with scientific knowledge? Can moral reward & punishment be reconciled with the apparent fact that everything we do is determined by genetic & environmental causes? Is morality culturally relative? Should we seek to promote the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people? Or should we obey our sense of duty, no matter what the consequences? Are women morally superior to men? What is the nature of truth? What is the nature of reality? Can the mind grasp the true nature of reality? Does anything make it right for one person to exercise power over another person? Should abortion be outlawed? Should pornography be outlawed? Is democracy superior to communism? Are esthetic judgments essentially subjective? Is any purpose served by our existence?
These are the questions we will be concerned with in Philosophy 20/1. They are questions we cannot avoid taking a stand on. In this course we will learn how to critically examine & defend the stands we take.
Some understanding of philosophy is essential in order to lead a civilized life. As the famous economist John Maynard Keynes said, people who proudly proclaim themselves innocent of any philosophy are usually the slaves of a discredited ideology. "Madmen in authority, who hear voices in the air, are distilling their frenzy from some academic scribbler of a few years back. I am sure that the power of vested interests is vastly exaggerated compared with the gradual encroachment of ideas."
This course is designed to provide you with a valuable introduction to university life. You will learn how to read a text carefully & critically & to write clear, cogent reports about what you have read. Philosophy puts a premium on skills that are of paramount importance no matter what career you choose for yourself.
Grades
Grades will be based on seven two-page (500-word) reports & a final exam. There will be no mid-year exam. The reports are each worth 10% of the final grade & the final exam is worth 30%. Due dates for the reports are given below. Please note that attendance at lectures & tutorials is mandatory. Missing lectures & tutorials will mean a lower grade.
Report Due Dates
Reports are to be turned in at lecture on the date listed. Reports must be turned in on time. A higher standard will be used in grading late reports.
September 23. 1st report due. "Do you like Plato better than Peirce?"
October 14. 2nd report due. "Whose position on God did you like best?"
November 11. 3d report due. "Do you like ethical absolutism better than relativism?"
December 02. 4th report due. "Did you like anybody’s ethics better than Kant’s?"
February 03. 5th report due. "Whose position on knowledge did you like best?"
March 02. 6th report due. "Whose position on abortion did you like best?"
March 30. 7th report due. "Whose position on democracy did you like best?"
April 08-29. Final exam period.
Course Text
James A. Gould.1998.Classic Philosophical Questions.Prenhall.Upper Saddle River NJ.
FALL SEMESTER CURRICULUM
WINTER SEMESTER CURRICULUM