This course is both an introduction to some major themes in western philosophy and an introduction to philosophical thought on human nature. Our goal is to understand and critically reflect upon the course readings and to assess the relevance and relative insights of great philosophers for our self-understanding.
This semester we will combine a "systematic" study of some major areas in philosophy, with a historical overview of philosophy through a philosophical novel, Sophie's World. The Unit descriptions below cover the systematic units: epistemology, ontology, personal identity, and free will. If you consult the course calendar, you will see dates and reading assignments for our novel.
The introductory chapter from Palmer will help you think about what philosohpy is and what you might expect from the course. For many reasons, Plato is still one of the best places to begin a philosophy course. Palmer gives a general introduction to Socratic and Platonic philosophy; we'll add details and discussion in class. (Unit begins approximately 8/30)
Donald Palmer, "Chapter 1: What Are We Doing in This Class? Is Philosophy Possible?," Does The Center Hold? An Introduction To Western Philosophy (Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company, 1991) 6-43.
Jostein Gaarder, trans. Paulette Moller, Sophie's World (New York, New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1994) 1-82.
Epistemology is the study of the grounds, extent, and certainty of our knowledge of ourselves and the world. One way that epistemologies vary is by the weight they give to the knower as a source or condition of knowledge. Philosophers who emphasize the way in which knowledge is structured by the mind are generally considered "rationalists," whereas philosophers who emphasize the way in which knowledge derives from our experience of the world get labelled, "empiricists". As a general stereotype, the distinction is good as far as it goes, but it's mostly a "heruistic" device (an intellectual move that helps us explore a problem, rather than a hard and fast committment). (Unit begins approximately 9/12)
Donald Palmer, "Chapter 2: Truth Is Beauty, Beauty Is Truth: Rationalist Epistemology," Does The Center Hold? An Introduction To Western Philosophy (Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company, 1991) 44-89.
Donald Palmer, "Chapter 3: What You See Is What You Get: Empiricist Epistemology," Does The Center Hold? An Introduction To Western Philosophy (Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company, 1991) 90-128.
Jostein Gaarder, trans. Paulette Moller, Sophie's World (New York, New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1994) 82-167.
Jostein Gaarder, trans. Paulette Moller, Sophie's World (New York, New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1994) 168-217.
Jostein Gaarder, trans. Paulette Moller, Sophie's World (New York, New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1994) 217-277.
Ontology is the study of what is real, how many different kinds of real things there are, and what their general status is. We'll look at a variety of philosophical, ontological positions as they are explicated in Palmer. (Unit begins October 19th.)
Donald Palmer, "Chapter 4: Who's On First, What's On Second? Ontology," Does The Center Hold? An Introduction To Western Philosophy (Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company, 1991) 130-74.
Jostein Gaarder, trans. Paulette Moller, Sophie's World (New York, New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1994) 277-329.
What makes us who are? Which parts of our self-description are most central to our identity? If this topic seems like a new high in idle philosophical speculation, think for a moment about how our understanding of our identity forms the basis of so many of our values and perferences. A sense of personal identity helps us decide what is important about us and what makes others deserving of respect. (Unit begins approximately November 2)
Lowell Kleiman, Literary Introduction: Is this the same Individual?, Philosophy: An Introduction Through Literature, ed. Lowell Kleiman, and Stephen Lewis (New York, New York: Paragon House, 1992) 143-47.
Franz Kafka, The Metamorphosis, Philosophy: An Introduction Through Literature, ed. Lowell Kleiman, and Stephen Lewis (New York, New York: Paragon House, 1992) 147-75.
Lowell Kleiman, Philosophical Disscussion: What is a Person?, Philosophy: An Introduction Through Literature, ed. Lowell Kleiman, and Stephen Lewis (New York, New York: Paragon House, 1992) 175-81.
Plato, Phaedo, Philosophy: An Introduction Through Literature, ed. Lowell Kleiman, and Stephen Lewis (New York, New York: Paragon House, 1992) 181-85.
Gilbert Ryle, Descartes' Myth, Philosophy: An Introduction Through Literature, ed. Lowell Kleiman, and Stephen Lewis (New York, New York: Paragon House, 1992) 185-93.
John Locke, The Prince And The Cobbler, Philosophy: An Introduction Through Literature, ed. Lowell Kleiman, and Stephen Lewis (New York, New York: Paragon House, 1992) 193-96.
David Hume, Of Personal Identity, Philosophy: An Introduction Through Literature, ed. Lowell Kleiman, and Stephen Lewis (New York, New York: Paragon House, 1992) 196-202.
Anthony Quinton, The Soul, Philosophy: An Introduction Through Literature, ed. Lowell Kleiman, and Stephen Lewis (New York, New York: Paragon House, 1992) 202-13.
Eddy Zemach, Looking Out For Number One, Philosophy: An Introduction Through Literature, ed. Lowell Kleiman, and Stephen Lewis (New York, New York: Paragon House, 1992) 224-41.
Jostein Gaarder, trans. Paulette Moller, Sophie's World (New York, New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1994) 329-361.
The more we learn about our physical nature and the natural world, the more anxious we become about whether our own lives have any more independence from causal laws than anything else in nature. This unit addresses some of the major issues and philosophical positions on the subject of free will and determinism. (Unit begins approximately November 28th.)
Donald Palmer, "Chapter 6: The Largest Airline in the Free World: Philosophy of Freedom," Does The Center Hold? An Introduction To Western Philosophy (Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company, 1991).
Jostein Gaarder, trans. Paulette Moller, Sophie's World (New York, New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1994) 361-397.