Phil 1402 Introduction To Philosophy

PHIL 1402 INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY

Course Description:

This Course traces the origins of philosophical thinking from Socrates and Plato in Ancient Greece to great thinkers of modern times. The profound questions they posed about reality, ethics, and knowledge still challenge us today. The idea that philosophy is a manner of thinking about the most basic problems faced by ordinary people is stressed and students are encouraged to examine the ideas and answer the questions of the philosophers as they impact their own lives.

Required Textbook and Materials:

The main required textbooks for this course are listed below and can be readily accessed using the provided links. There may be additional required/recommended readings, supplemental materials, or other resources and websites necessary for lessons; these will be provided for you in the course’s General Information and Forums area, and throughout the term via the weekly course Unit areas and the Learning Guides.

There is no main textbook for this course. All readings are contained in the Unit Learning Guides.

Software Requirements/Installation

No special requirements.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes:

By the end of this course students will be able to:

• Compare and contrast key questions, concerns, and methods of three main areas of Western philosophy: Ethics, Metaphysics, and Epistemology.
• Explain various theoretical and historical perspectives central to philosophical issues including Empiricism, Rationalism, Existentialism, Materialism, Idealism, Relativism, Utilitarianism, and Virtue Ethics.
• Analyze their own self-understanding, meaning, and orientation in life.

Course Schedule and Topics

This course will cover the following topics in eight learning sessions, with one Unit per week. The Final Exam will take place during Week/Unit 9.

Unit 1 Week 1– Welcome to Philosophy!
Unit 2 Week 2– Metaphysics
Unit 3 Week 3– Philosophy of Religion
Unit 4 Week 4– Social and Political Philosophy
Unit 5 Week 5– Ethics and Morality
Unit 6 Week 6– Epistemology
Unit 7 Week 7– Philosophers of the World, Part 1
Unit 8 Week 8– Philosophers of the World, Part 2
Unit 9 Week 9– Review and Final Exam