Faculty Contact Information:
Dr. Sergia Hay
shay@faculty.ed.umuc.edu
Office Hours: immediately after class or by appointment
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Course Materials:
A Rulebook for Arguments, by Anthony Weston
Douglas J. Soccio, Archetypes of Wisdom: Introduction to
Philosophy, 5th ed. (Wadsworth, 2001) ISBN 0534566553 |
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Course Description:
| (Formerly HUMN 125.) An introduction to the literature,
problems, and methods of philosophy. The subject is approached
either by studying some of the main figures in philosophic thought
or by considering some central, recurring problems of philosophy.
Students may receive credit for only one of the following courses:
HUMN 125 or PHIL 100. |
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Course Goals/Objectives:
Rather than merely learning by rote, students are encouraged
to philosophize for themselves, to think creatively and freely,
and to subject their own and others' views to critical examination.
The intent of the course is to get participants thinking and
questioning hard, both rationally and passionately, about the
underlying assumptions of ideas and beliefs, about the way societies
are formed and run, and about the kinds of values we should
adopt and foster.
Emphasis on Writing
This course emphasizes spoken and especially written articulation
of one's own and others' philosophical positions, in theory
and in application to the issues of the day and everyday life.
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Course Introduction:
This course concerns primarily western philosophic thought
spanning several centuries. Through a selection of the most
important expressions of philosophy, from early Greek pre-Socratics
to contemporary philosophers, students encounter and work through
selected, thought-provoking questions and answers to fundamental
questions of existence.
A mixture of the history of ideas and active philosophizing,
our course provides a conceptual and historical basis for discussions
of
* truth (What is truth? How do I know what I believe is true?)
* justice (What would a truly just society look like? Should
it be a democracy?)
* goodness (What is a good character? What is goodness? Is there
just one right and wrong?)
* logic (What is a good argument? What is a fallacy)
* God (Does God exist? What is the nature of God? What evil
in a divinely created world?
* mind (What is consciousness? Is the mind separate from the
body?)
* freedom (Are humans capable of free action? Are some or all
human actions subject to cause and effect relationships?)
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Grading Information and Criteria:
Thesis Defense essay outline 10%
Thesis Defense essay final draft 20%
Journal 30%
Quizes (2) 10%
Final Exam 30%
Grading Scale
A=90-100
B=80-89
C=70-79
D=60-69
F=0-69
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Other Information:
| Since the course material is best approached through
discussion and dialogue, class participation and preparation are
expected. Students should plan to spend 1- 1.5 hours on class
preparation for each hour of class time. |
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Project Descriptions:
Thesis Defense Essay
The Thesis Defense Essay will be composed according to the current
standards of effective academic writing at the college level.
Topics, subject to instructor approval, will vary from purely
philosophical themes to controversial issues where a philosophical
approach would arguably yield new understanding and transparency.
Specific paper guidelines and helpful hints will be distributed
in class.
Journals
Each week students will be assigned to make an entry into a
journal. These entries will be short essays (200-350 words) about a
passage in the reading or a class concept that particularly
interested the student. Journals will be submitted at the end of
the 2nd, 4th, and 6th weeks of class and will be returned to
students along with comments from the instructor. Specific instructions
for this project will also be distributed in class.
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Academic Policies:
Cases of plagiarism are handled consistent with current
UMUC guidelines.
See the UMUC policies at the following URL:
http://www.umuc.edu/policy/
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Course Schedule:
Week 1
Introduction, Pre-Socratics
Readings: Soccio, Chapters 1, 3
Weston: Chapters 1-6
Week 2
Socrates and Plato
Readings: Soccio, Chapters 5, 6
Weston: Chapers 7-10
Week 3
Aristotle and the Stoics
Readings: Soccio, Chapters 7, 8
Week 4
Aquinas and Overview of Modern Themes
Readings: Soccio, Chapter 9
Week 5
Descartes and Hume
Readings: Soccio, Chapters 10, 11
Week 6
Kant
Readings: Soccio, Chapter 12
Week 7
Utilitarianism and Marxian Materialism
Readings: Soccio, Chapters 13, 15
Week 8
Existentialism, Conclusion
Readings: Soccio, Chapters 16,18
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Faculty Bio:
Sergia Hay received her Ph.D. in philosophy in 2003 from
Columbia University. Her main philosophical interests include
existentialism and ethics.
Faculty homepage: http://faculty.ed.umuc.edu/~shay/
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