INSTRUCTOR AND OFFICE INFORMATION:  Stefan Sencerz (Philosophy); FC 261; 825-2392; Hours: MW 2:15- 4 p.m; TR 1:45-2:45 and BA; E-mail: sencerz@falcon.tamucc.edu; web: http://falcon.tamucc.edu/~sencerz/stefan.htm.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: We will begin by studying methods of philosophical analysis that will be used frequently during the semester. During the rest of the semester we will analyze three major philosophical issues. First, what is the nature of God? What are reasons for thinking that God exists? Given that there are bad things in the world, does all good, all knowing, and all powerful being exist? Second, what is the nature of knowledge? Given that our senses are deceptive and our mental faculties are deficient, do we know anything? Third, it seems that everything in the Universe, including our actions, is caused (determined). Yet we also seem to control our own destiny; we seem to be free agents. Is the claim that our actions are free compatible with the view that everything is caused?

REQUIRED TEXTS

• Fred Feldman, Introduction to Philosophy (revised edition). Unless specified otherwise, all readings are from this book
• H -- additional handouts for Introduction to Philosophy (I will try to post them on my web site, if not, they will be distributed in class).
• O -- outlines of lectures posted on my web site: http://falcon.tamucc.edu/~sencerz/intro_to_philosophy.htm.
  If you miss a class, make sure that you have copies of all additional handouts distributed in the class. Notice that handouts are intended primarily as aids to the understanding of the lectures and readings. They do not cover all of the material on which you may be tested, and they do not contain complete accounts of the topics they do cover. Merely memorizing the handouts will not enable you to pass the course.

COURSE ORGANIZATION: Class meetings will consist of both lectures and discussions. Questions, discussions, disagreement and argument is expected and strongly encouraged at any time. The amount and quality of your participation will contribute to your grade. The emphasis will be put on rational procedures for evaluating controversies, both within philosophy and elsewhere. Your grade will not depend on any particular view you may adopt. But it will depend on your understanding of these views and arguments in their support.

OBJECTIVES: The course objectives fall into three main categories: content, skill and motivation.:

• Content: You should acquired some level of understanding of a variety of philosophical issues, and arguments in their support.
• Skill: The course should develop a degree of proficiency in recognizing, evaluating and constructing moral arguments on more than one side of a moral issue.
• Motivation: The instructor hopes that will acquire and take with you an interest in moral thought and problems, which will lead you to continue thinking about philosophical issues, and develop your own views on a variety of moral issues.

REQUIREMENTS: Complete the assigned readings before the class for which they are assigned.; complete all graded assignments.

GRADED WORK

• Three tests (20% + 20% +20% = 60%)
• A number of short assignments that may include take home and in-class quizzes, reading summaries, homework, etc. -- 40% (please check out my website for earlier versions of those assignments; I will drop the worst grade).
• Unless it's the case of demonstrable emergency, all assignments must be turn in on time; no late work will be accepted
• Grading will be on the standard 90-100% = A, 80-89% = B, etc.

ATTENDANCE POLICY: Unless it is a case of demonstrable emergency, attend every class, arrive to class on time and remain in class until it is over. You can miss 3 classes with no penalty. You do not have to excuse those classes. Missing each additional class without excuse will result in a deduction of 4 point from your final grade. Coming to class significantly late, or leaving early, counts as ½ of missed class.

PLAGIARISM: Representing someone else's work as your own is known as plagiarism. Whether it is done intentionally (e.g. cheating) or innocently (e.g. failing to place proper quotation marks) plagiarism is a serious offense. All such cases will be handled in according wit the University policies.

MAKE-UP TESTS AND INCOMPLETES: Students who miss a test for a good reason will have a chance to take a make-up during the week after the original test, at a time arranged with the instructor. An incomplete for the course is possible only in cases where course work is nearly complete, and the student has a good excuse for not completing the course work by the end of the semester.

January

• Week 1 (01/11-12)  Organization and general introduction.
• 01/17 - Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
• Week 2 (01/17-19) What is Philosophy?
  • The APA's statement on Philosophy: A Brief Guide for Undergraduates
  • Don's outline
  • Stef's outline
• The methods of Philosophical analysis
  • Statements: Justification and Truth
  • Arguments: Validity and Soundness 
  • Definitions
  • Suggested additional readings
• Week 3 (01/23-26)  The methods continue

February

• Week 4 (01/30-02/02) The Western concept of God (the attributes of God)
  Theodore M. Drange, Incompatible-Properties Arguments: A Survey (1998).
• Week 5 (02/6-9) Some popular arguments for and against God's existence; Argument from Design
  • God and evolution "The Vatican Position "
  • "Intelligent design" not science: Vatican paper , by Tom Heneghan, Religion Editor
  • Prudential reasons for believing in God. Pascal, "The Wager" [H]
  • William Paley, "The Watch and The Human Eye" in Feldman]
• Week 6 (02/13-16) Argument from Design. (continued), Causal (cosmological) arguments
  • St. Thomas Aquinas, "The Five Ways"
  • Leibniz, "On the Ultimate Origination of the Universe"
• Week 7 (02/21-24) The Causal Arguments continue, The Problem of Evil.
  • J.L. Mackie, "Evil and Omnipotence;"
  • Mark I. Vuletic , The Tale of the Five Officers (2000) (http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/mark_vuletic/five.html) Testimony, and Sterba, "Review of Thomas".
• Week 8 (02/28-03/03) The Problem of Evil continues, Review and Summary
• 03/03-04 THE FIRST TEST

March

• Week 9 (03/07-10) Knowledge and Skepticism
  • The Analysis of Knowledge
• 13-17 SPRING BREAK
• Week 10 (03/20-23) The Naive Theory of Perception and The Arguments From Illusion
  • Sextus Empiricus, "The Modes of Suspension of Judgment,
  • Rene Descartes, "Meditation One"
• Week 11 (03/27-30) Primary and secondary qualities; A Modified Causal-Representative Theory of Perception.
  • John Locke, "Essay Concerning Human Understanding"
  • George Berkeley, "Principles of Human Knowledge"
  • Rene Descartes, "Meditation One" (again)

April

• Week 12 (04/03-4 ) Fallibilism and Reid’s Theory of Perception. Reply to Skeptic
  • Thomas Reid, "Of the Existence of a Material World" [H]
  • Keith Lehrer, "Thomas Reid" [H]
• 04/5-6 THE SECOND TEST
• Week 13 (04/10-13) Free will problem , basic concepts [O]
  • Hard Determinism [Paul Ree, "Determinism and Illusion of Moral Responsibility"]
• Week 14 (17-20) Indeterminism and Soft Determinism
  • Incompatibilist (Nondeterministic) Theories of Free Will,
  • A.J. Ayer, "Freedom and Necessity"
• 04/21 - Last day to drop class
• Week 15 04/24-27 Objections to Soft Determinism; "Could Have Done Otherwise Principle" [ Chisholm, "Human Freedom and The Self" [selections]]
• 04/29 Libertarianism.
  • Roderick M. Chisholm, "Human Freedom and The Self"
  • Randolph Clarke, Incompatibilist (Nondeterministic) Theories of Free Will, in Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

May

• Week 16 05/01-04 Debate about Libertarianism
• THE FINAL TEST  [TBA]

  • Stef's home page

    Intro to Philosophy

    Eastern Philosophy