Faculty: Dr. Noelle Leslie dela Cruz Email address: avalon.rain@gmail.

com

Introduction to Philosophy (2nd AY 2012-13) Tel. no.: 524-4611 local 546 (Philosophy Dept. WH 505) Consultation hours: 9am- 12 noon, MWTH Course requirements: Class participation (activities and recitation) - 25% Reflection papers - 25% Midterm exam - 25% Final paper - 25%

Legend: 1. Lecture - The professor presents the material and context 2. Discussion - You are expected to have read the assigned text 3. Graded recitation - Students will be selected randomly 4. Activity - There will be a graded individual or group activity Date Sept. 13 (H)

Topic/activity Reading assignment (see links in our FB group) 1. What is philosophy? Lecture: Overview of the course and requirements. Philosophical traditions, areas/branches, issues/problems 2. What is it that philosophers do? Discussion: Socrates' story; belief, knowledge, wisdom Activity: Delving into the Socratic dialogue 3. What is the philosophical method? 3.1 Lecture: From mythology to science/philosophy; Thales as the first philosopher; Orpheus' journey into the underworld (Neil Gaiman's Sandman Special # 1) 3.2 Discussion: Philosophy, logic, and critical thinking Graded recitation no. 1 4. What is real? Film-viewing: The Matrix, part I Film-viewing: The Matrix, part II 4.1 Discussion: The Matrix and Plato's allegory of the cave Submission of paper no. 1 on Plato's cave 4.2 Lecture: Plato's theory of Forms; Sandman no. 50 5. Does God exist? 5.1 Discussion: Aquinas' five proofs for God's existence Graded recitation no. 2 Free day: Library work/reading day for Russell's essay "Bertrand Russell on Critical Thinking" by William Hare Chapter 4, "The Wise Man: Socrates" in Archetypes of Wisdom by Douglas Soccio

Sept. 18 (T)

Sept. 20 (H) Sept. 25 (T)

Sept. 27 (H) Oct. 2 (T) Oct. 4 (H) Oct. 9 (T) Oct. 11 (H) Oct. 16 (T)

The Republic , Book VII, 514a-520a

"The Five Ways" by Aquinas, pp. 50-53 of Philosophy: The Quest for Truth ed. by Louis Pojman

Oct. 18 (H)

Oct. 23 (T) Oct. 25 (H) Oct. 30 (T) Nov. 1 (H) Nov. 6 (T) Nov. 8 (H) Nov. 13 (T)

Lecture: The problem of evil Activity: Solutions to the problem of evil 5.2 Discussion: Russell's arguments against God's existence Submission of paper no. 2 on the issue of God's existence Midterm exam All Saints' Day - no class 6. What can we know for certain? Film-viewing: Memento , part I Film-viewing: Memento , part II 6.1 Discussion: Rationalism; Descartes' indubitable fact; submission of paper no. 3 on knowledge and doubting 6.2 Lecture: Empiricism, Hume's critique of causality and Kant's response Activity: The problem of induction 7. Is there be a universal moral principle? 7. 1 Lecture: Issues in ethics; the trolley problem Activity: Ethical dilemmas 7.2 Discussion: Kant's Categorical Imperative: How would a deontologist solve the trolley problem? Graded recitation no. 3 8. Can we define art? Activity: Class visit to the Yuchengco museum 8.1 Lecture: Issues in aesthetics Activity: Is it art? Free day: Library work/reading day for Danto's essay 8.2 Discussion: Arthur Danto on the Real Theory of art Submission of paper no. 4 on the ontology of art Consultation re: pre-final grades and status Finals week Online submmission of final grades Grades consultation day

"Why I Am Not a Christian" by Bertrand Russell

"Cartesian Doubt and the Search for Foundational Knowledge," pp. 165-171 of Philosophy: The Quest for Truth ed. by Louis Pojman

Nov 15 (H)

Nov. 20 (T)

Nov. 22 (H)

Chapter 11, "The Universalist: Immanuel Kant" in Archetypes of Wisdom by Douglas Soccio

Nov. 27 (T) Nov. 29 (H) Dec. 4 (T) Dec. 6 (H) Dec. 11 (T) Dec. 12-18 Dec. 20 Dec. 21

"The Artworld" by Arthur Danto