Introduction to PhilosophyPHI 2010-0001

Classroom Building 1, Room 121MWF 11:30 AM – 12:20 PM

SPRING 2014 3.0 Credits

INSTRUCTORDr. Travis Rodgers Office: PSY 234Email: travis.rodgers@ucf.edu Office Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 2:30-3:30 PMTwitter: @TrodgersUCF

I. OVERVIEWThis course is intended as a first class in philosophy. We employ an “issues” approach to philosophy, beginning by considering the standards of philosophy (Philosophy is the love of wisdom; how does one do that?). We next consider Reasonable Belief (Given that humans do not always know the right answer, what should we believe?). Then we move on to consider political legitimacy (Why can't private individuals force you to do things the state can force you to do? Is the state just the largest, most powerful criminal organization in human history?). We then deal with question of how knowledge and existence are related (What does it mean for something to exist? How do you know?). Finally, we discuss moral character and virtue (What could it mean for someone to be a good person?). We engage with these issues from both seminal works (those of Plato and Aristotle, for instance) and works that have often slipped through the cracks (those of Abigail Adams and Lysander Spooner, for instance).

II. COURSE GOALSMy goal is to help you develop your ability to read, think, and write. I present you with numerous opportunities to work on those skills with regular summaries and in-class tests. As a student you should be able to do four main things in this course:

Accurately summarize assigned readings.Reproduce core arguments from texts read.Critically evaluate philosophical works.Employ the principles of good argumentation.

III. COURSE POLICIESJust as this syllabus is a promise from me to you concerning how I will grade and what material we will cover, when you agree to take this course, you agree to conduct yourself in a certain way. Some course policies are administrative. They can be summarized neatly: follow university regulations. Some course policies deal with behavior. They can be summarized neatly: be respectful. But just as not everyone knows how to apply the university regulations to all specific cases, it is not always clear what it means to be respectful. Thus, the following exposition is fairly lengthy.

1. The Gordon RuleThis course partially satisfies UCF’s General Education requirement in accordance with State Rule 6A-10.30 (Gordon Rule). Students must earn at least a C- in this course in order for it to count toward their Gordon Rule requirement. Since it is a writing course, students must earn a C- average (cumulative) on all writing assignments for the course in order to satisfy the Gordon Rule requirement.

2. Classroom ComportmentAttend all classes. Arrive on time. If you arrive late, enter the classroom unobtrusively. Read all assignments before class lectures. Read them again after class lectures. Listen attentively. Take notes. Treat everyone in the classroom with respect. Feel free to ask questions and engage with other students in class. I want to hear what you have to say, so long as it reflects an effort to do so from an informed standpoint. Turn off your cell phone, pager, and other electronic devices before class begins. I permit computers in this classroom unless your use of that technology becomes disruptive to the class. I'll be the final judge of whether or not you're disruptive. I do not permit texting. If you cannot abide by this rule, do not take my class. Do not talk to others when someone else is speaking. Habitually disruptive students will be told to leave class. In this case, no missed work can be made up for credit.

3. Email Communication

I will communicate with the class through Webcourses. You therefore have a responsibility to check your Webcourses email account regularly. It will not count as an excuse for missing an announcement that you did not check your email.

4. Academic Honor CodeStudents are expected to abide by the relevant portions of the Student Rights and Responsibilities, as outlined on the UCF website and in the student handbook. Always expect the harshest penalties available, so you will never be disappointed. See the following: http://integrity.sdes.ucf.edu/students.php

5. Plagiarism PolicyIf I discover that you have plagiarized any work for this course, in whole or in part, I will fail you for that assignment. You should expect to fail the course as well. You will never be required to do outside research for this course. I recommend that you do not, as any outside material generates concerns about plagiarism. If you plagiarize, then even if the syllabus says that you may drop a grade, you cannot drop the plagiarized grade. It follows you, as it is indicative of the sort of work you think (or at least thought) was acceptable.

a. Don't pass off anyone else's material as your own. Do not “get ideas from” another source.b. Don't look for outside sources. This includes Wikipedia and Sparknotes.c. Don't work with other people on any writing assignment.

In order to familiarize yourself with these policies, visit the following site: http://library.ucf.edu/Rosen/plagiarism.php 6. Americans with Disabilities ActStudents requiring academic accommodations for disabilities should: (1) register with and provide documentation to Student Disability Services, (2) have the information sent to me via SDS. This should be done during the first week of class. I email you with my proposal to meet your accommodations.

For more information about services available to UCF students with disabilities, contact the UCF Student Disability Services, Ferrell Commons Building, 7F, Room 185 or see http://sds.sdes.ucf.edu/ (Class materials available in alternative format upon request.)

7. Syllabus Revision PolicyThis syllabus is a guide and is subject to change with advance notice.

IV. GRADINGWhile many people will earn satisfactory grades, earning an A is not simple. This is so because excellence is a habit and not a once-and-done achievement. Consistently excellent work is required for an A. It is, however, very easy to ensure that you receive a passing grade in this course. In fact, if you give your best effort, you will find it very difficult to fail. Giving one's best effort includes showing up to every class on time, paying attention during class, asking questions when you have one, volunteering to answer questions when you know the answer, taking notes, completing every portion of all assignments, and not violating the classroom and university policies. Last semester, I awarded the following grades in Inro to Philosophy: 19 As, 14 A-, 26 Bs, 7 Cs, and 4 people did not receive credit for the course (scored below C-).

Word Guidelines: Two worthwhile life skills are to be able to follow directions and to say what you mean clearly, in few words. Where word ranges are provided, you should meet the guidelines. Failure to do so will result in grade penalties. On your Reading Responses, your paper must be between 450 and 550 words. Papers falling outside that range will incur a penalty. Every fifty words (so, from 400-449 or from 551 to 600) will lower your score by five percentage points. Falsifying a word count will lower your grade by a full ten percentage points.

Late Work: If you do not give me a hard copy by the deadline, your work is late. I do not accept email submissions without advance notice. If you cannot make it to class on the day an assignment is due, let me know (via email) ASAP. Immediately do your best to gather any evidence that will corroborate your story (bring a receipt, get someone to sign a note, take a picture). Then see me in person ASAP in order to figure out whether your absence warrants any grade forgiveness. Any makeup work must be completed within 24 hours of class time, if at all possible, for each day you miss. If late work is not excused, it can still be submitted (except for quizzes), but the grade on it will decline at a rate of one step (letter grade or – on summaries, a point) grade per 24 hour period (or part thereof).

Family Trips: I love my family, but I do not plan to see them during times I am supposed to be teaching. If you buy a ticket to see your family at a time when you are supposed to be in class, on one hand I applaud you: you should love your

family, too. On the other hand, such an absence is not university approved.

1. Summaries (25%)Ten summaries, due in class at the specified times. Summaries receive one of the following grades: +, , -.

3 points +2 points 1 point -0 points if not submitted in time (grades decline at a rate of one degree per class day late).

• Format your paper appropriately. That means: 12-point legible font (Times New Roman and Arial are excellent), double-spaced (except for your heading, which is single-spaced and includes your name, the assignment title (e.g., Summary 1), the course number and title, and an accurate word count.• Do not plagiarize.• Do not use any outside sources to evaluate the work from the book.• Do your own work.• Observe the word count/length guidelines: 400-600 words. Not longer than two pages.• Submit your paper online (I'll tell you how to do that) and as a hard copy by the deadline.

2. Test 1 (25%)This is an in-class text consisting of 50 Multiple Choice or True/False questions.

3. Test 2 (25%)This is an in-class text consisting of 50 Multiple Choice or True/False questions.

4. Test 3 (Final Exam) (25%)This is a text administered on the date and at the time appointed for our final exam. It will be held in the classroom where we normally meet. The test is cumulative, consists of 50 Multiple Choice questions and a series of Short Response questions.

5. Your GradeI do not round up.

A >92.9 A- 90 – 92.9B+ 87-89.9 B 83-86.9 B- 80-82.9C+ 77-79.9 C 73-76.9 C- 70-72.9D+ 67-69.9 D 63-66.9 D- 60-62.9F <60

V. COURSE MATERIALSPlato. Five Dialogues.Aristotle. Introductory Readings.Some material is provided via Webcourse. This material is marked [WC] below.

VI: COURSE MATERIALS COVERED

Module One: Philosophical StandardsWhat is philosophy? What do philosophers do? How do they do it? Why do it?6 January Why Philosophers Argue

Readings: Files on Webcourseshttp://www.travisjrodgers.com/arguments1.dochttp://www.travisjrodgers.com/arguments2.doc

8 January Arguments and ExplanationsReadings: Files on Webcourses

http://www.travisjrodgers.com/arguments3.doc10 January Good Arguments

Readings: Files on Webcourseshttp://www.travisjrodgers.com/arguments.doc

13 January Anthropological Relativism vs. Cultural Moral RelativismVideo: Cultural Relativism

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUB0xqslEQ8Reading: James Rachels on Cultural Relativism

http://www3.nd.edu/~bgoehrin/literature/Rachels.html15 January Plato on Piety and Divine Diversity

Reading: Plato's Euthyphrohttp://classics.mit.edu/Plato/euthyfro.htmlAssignment: Summary #1 Due

17 January Relativism and Ethical StandardsNo New Reading

20 January No Class – MLK JR. DAY

Module Two: Reasonable Belief22 January The Ontological Argument

Reading: Anselm's Ontological Argumenthttp://www.anselm.edu/homepage/dbanach/anselm.htm

24 January Divine without DiversityReading: Augustine's On Freedom of the Will, Book One

http://www.scribd.com/doc/34896526/Aurelie-Augustine-On-Free-Choice-of-the-Will 26 January Faith and Reason(ableness)

No New Reading29 January Rationality as the Standard

Reading: Kant's Categorical Imperativehttp://www.earlymoderntexts.com/kgw.html Assignment: Summary #2 Due

31 January External ReasonsReading: Pascal's Wager

http://www.stat.ucla.edu/history/pascal_wager.pdf 3 February Internal Reasons

Reading: Clifford's Ethics of Beliefhttp://myweb.lmu.edu/tshanahan/Clifford-Ethics_of_Belief.html Assignment: Summary #3 Due

5 February Test #1

Module Three: Political Legitimacy7 February Morality and Advantage

Reading: Plato's Ring of Gygeshttp://classics.mit.edu/Plato/republic.3.ii.html

10 February Plato's Political TheoryReading: Plato's Crito

http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/crito.html 12 February Plato's Politics in Action

Reading: Plato's Apologyhttp://classics.mit.edu/Plato/apology.html Assignment: Summary #4 Due

14 February The Social ContractReading: The Requirement

http://users.dickinson.edu/~borges/Resources-Requerimiento.htm 17 February Radical Reformers

Reading: MLK's Letter from a Birmingham Jailhttp://www.stanford.edu/group/King/frequentdocs/birmingham.pdf

Reading: Malcolm X on the Social Contracthttp://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/message-to-grassroots/

Reading: Abigail Adamshttp://www.thelizlibrary.org/suffrage/abigail.htm

19 February Consent and Reasonable PluralismReading: Rawls's Original Position

http://economia.uniandes.edu.co/content/download/41151/360980/file/Rawls99.pdfAssignment: Summary #5 Due

21 February Against Tacit ConsentReading: Spooner's No Treason

http://lysanderspooner.org/node/44 24 February Nussbaum on Distribution

Reading: Nussbaum's Capabilities and Global Justicehttp://cfs.unipv.it/sen/papers/Nussbaum.pdf

26 February Render unto the StiltReading: Nozick's Entitlement Theory

http://seattlecentral.edu/faculty/jhubert/wiltchamberlainargument.html 28 February Utilitarian Distribution (of Punishment)

Reading: Utilitarian Punishmenthttp://ethics.sandiego.edu/Books/Mill/Punishment/

3 March Spring Break5 March Spring Break7 March Spring Break10 March Proportionality (of Punishment)

Reading: Proportionalityhttp://mises.org/rothbard/ethics/thirteen.asp Assignment: Summary #6 Due

12 March Test #2

Module Four: Knowing and Being14 March Platonic Dualism

Reading: Plato's MenoAssignment: Summary #7 Due

17 March Where is the World of Forms?No New Reading

19 March Why Can't the Slave be Recollecting?Moliere's Virtus DormitivaDoes Smoking Cause Cancer?Cadaveric Materials

21 March Supplementary ArgumentsReading: Plato's Phaedo

Assignment: Summary #8 Due24 March Aristotle on Meno’s Paradox

Reading Aristotle's Physics26 March Aristotle on Change

Reading: Aristotle's Physics28 March Aristotle's “Dualism”

Reading: Aristotle's MetaphysicsAssignment: Summary #9 Due

31 March Contemporary Dualism

Reading: Brie Gertler's “In Defense of Mind-Body Dualism”2 April Could I Have Done Otherwise?

Reading: Frankfurt

Module Five: Accounting for Character4 April What is Virtue?

Reading: Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics7 April What is a Virtue?

Reading: Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics9 April Virtue is Relative to Us

Reading: Nussbaum, Non-RelativityAssignment: Summary #10 Due

11 April Threats to VirtueReading: Situationism

14 April Threats to CharacterReading: Situationism

16 April Moral EducationReading: TBA

18 April Becoming GoodReading: TBA

218 April Virtue EpistemologyReading: TBA

FINAL EXAM: Wednesday, April 23rd, 10:00 AM – 12:50 PM