Location: 105
Time: 12 hour (MWF
Professors:
Julia Driver Rex Gilliland
208A Thornton Hall 208B Thornton Hall
Office Hours: MW 10-11 am Office
hours: MW
and by appointment and by appointment
x62386 x62386
Discussion Sections:
02
03 10-11:05 Gilliland 104 Reed Hall
04
05
Description: This course provides the student with a basic understanding of fundamental philosophical issues in metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics. Questions we will consider include: Can we know anything, and, if we can, how? Is there such a thing as free will? Does God exist? What is the nature of morality, and what makes an action morally right or wrong? We will pay careful attention to the critical analysis and discussion of arguments, and look at a variety of classic and contemporary texts in philosophy.
Required Text: Reason and Responsibility, ed. by Joel Feinberg and Russ Shafer-Landau, 11th ed.
(Available at Dartmouth Bookstore) and a few handouts
Requirements: Two papers and two exams. The exams are essay format. The midterm exam is worth 20% of the final grade. The final exam is worth 30% of the final grade. The papers will each be 5-6 pages double-spaced and typed, each worth 25% of the final grade.. Students should attend class, and are also expected to attend discussion sections and participate in discussion. During the course of the term we will be screening movies with themes that are relevant to the topics covered in the course. Movie attendance is entirely optional.
Students with disabilities of any kind are encouraged to contact their discussion leader.
In this class, as in every class at
Tentative Syllabus: (all page references are to Reason and Responsibility)
Date Subject Reading
1. 9/25 W Introduction/Skepticism 154-8, 175-8
Thurs., 9/26
screening of The Matrix in Rockefeller 3 at
2. 9/27 F Discussion sections meet
3. 9/30 M Descartes 178-93
4. 10/2 W “ 193-204 and handout (Princess Elizabeth’s criticism)
5. 10/4 F Discussion sections meet (paper topics
handed out) Paper 1 Topics
6. 10/7 M Existence
of God: Ontological Argument 6-21
7. 10/9 W The Argument from Design 40-5
8. 10/11 F The Problem of Evil (Paper #1 due) 89-95, 100-7
9. 10/14 M The Will to Believe 125-33
10. 10/16 W Freedom and Determinism 462-7, 481-6
Thurs., 10/17 screening of The Manchurian Candidate in Rockefeller 3, 7:00 p.m.
11. 10/18 F Discussion sections meet (study questions handed out)
12. 10/21 M Freedom and Determinism 492-99
13. 10/23 W “ 523-9
14. 10/25 F Midterm Study Questions
15. 10/28 M Mind/Body 342-59
16. 10/29 T (x-hour, 1-1:50) AI 368-83
Tues., 10/29 screening of Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control
in Rockefeller 3 at 7:00 p.m.
17. 10/30 W AI 384-96
No class 11/1 (rescheduled to Tuesday 10/29 x-hour)
18. 11/4 M Moral Theory: Relativism 616-23
19. 11/6 W Egoism 559-66
Thurs., 11/7 screening of Breaker Morant in Rockefeller 3 at 7:00 p.m.
20. 11/8 F Discussion sections meet
21. 11/11 M Utilitarianism 694-707 and handout
(Jeremy Bentham)
22. 11/13 W “ handout (Susan Wolf)
23. 11/15 F Discussion sections meet
24. 11/18 M Kantian Ethics 679-85
25. 11/20 W “ 685-94 Paper 2 Topics
26. 11/22 F Discussion sections meet (discussion of term papers)
27. 11/25 M Abortion 739-61
No class 11/27
28. 12/2 M Euthanasia 722-31
29. 12/4 W “
(Last day of class – term papers are due today in class and study questions for final exam are handed out)
Final exam: Dec.
5,
Dec. 10,