Spring 2000 Introduction to Philosophy 113
Instructor: Hood
Office: Gardner 335
The work:
1. Class time.1. Regular attendance. 2. Thoughtful listening,
thinking and speaking. Ask questions. Speak out--let your thoughts
be known.
2. Readings: as assigned from Great Dialogues of Plato (paperback to
be purchased), A Philosophy Reader (from the textbook center) and Web sources. See bibliography below.
3 . Discussions: a total of five during the term. See outline below.
4. Exams: a total of three. Exam # 1 Fri. Feb 25; Exam # 2,Fri. Mar. 31 and a final exam on Wed. May 10, 5:00 pm.
Wow--seems like a lot of work. Cheer up--you have the whole term in
which to do it.
OUTLINE/BIBLIOGRAPHY
I. Some introductory ideas, issues, terms, questions....
Lecture/discussions
II. The Idealist Tradition
-
A. Lectures on Plato, Descartes, Kant, Hegel.
-
B. Readings for discussions: Plato:( Plato readings to be found in Great Dialogues of Plato )
Apology
Meno
Symposium (p. 97 to end of dialogue)
Republic (pp.271-280;301 to end of BK VII)
-
C. Discussions: Week of Feb 14.
-
D. Descartes Readings:
E. Kant Readings:
F. Hegel Readings:
III. The Classical Realist Tradition -
A. Lectures on Aristotle, St.Thomas of Aquinas, John Locke
-
B. Readings for discussions : selections from Aristotle as found in A Philosophy Reader
-
C. Discussions: week of March 6.
Locke Readings:
IV,The Materialist Tradition -
A. Lectures on ancient materialism, Hobbes,Marx and Engels
-
B. Readings for discussions: selections from Hobbes, Marx,Engels as found in A Philosophy Reader
-
C. Discussions: week of April 3.
V. The Empiricist Tradition -
A. Lectures on ancient empiricism, Berkeley, Hume, James, Ayer and
Wittgenstein.
-
B. Readings for discussions: selections from Hume, James, Ayer, Ryle and Wittgenstein,as found in A Philosophy Reader
-
C. Discussions: week of April 17
VI. The Phenomenological Tradition
VII. The Existentialist Tradition -
A. Lectures on St. Augustine, Pascal, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Sartre,
Dostoyevsky
-
B. Readings for discussion: selections from Dostoyevsky, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche and Sartre as found in A Philosophy Reader
-
C. Discussions: week of May 1
CONCERNING GRADES:
Your grade will be computed as follows: -
Exam # 1, 20%
-
Exam # 2, 20%
-
Final , 30%
-
Discussions, 30%
The final exam is integral to the course; graduating seniors may
adjust the time of the final to suit their schedules.
Concerning cuts: Experience has shown that those who choose to
cut classes tend to do poor to failing work in this course. Be
advised accordingly.
Some helpful secondary sources.
These are to be found in the library.
-
Stumpf,E. Socrates to Sartre : A good, readable summary
of the philosophers we
will be covering during
the term. (reserve desk)
-
Jones, W.T. A History ofWestern Philosophy : reasonably good coverage of many of the philosophers
we will be covering ;some good excerpts
from their writings.
-
Copleston,F. A History of
Western Philosophy : a multi-volume work which
goes into considerable
detail; clearly written.
Philosophy is an adventure of the mind. Let't turn it into a good adventure from start to finish! Starting today...
mothballed courses