Phil 1000: Introduction to Philosophy

T, Aug. 23

Lecture Topic: About this course—An Intro to Intro to Philosophy
Reading assignment: None

R, Aug. 25

A Brief Intro to Philosophy and its Methods
Reread course syllabus
Read:This is Philosophy “Preface”
Required Video (1.5 hrs)- “History of the World”

T, Aug 30

Critical Thinking
Reading: Haskins “Critical Thinking”
Suggested film: Idiocracy

R, Sep. 1

Logic (soundness and validity)
Reading: Layman, “Logic Ch.1” 
Suggested  humorous reading: Dave Barry “How to Win an Argument”
Suggested TV show: “Sherlock” or “Elementary”

T, Sep. 6

Logic- Continued
Re-read: Layman, “Logic Ch.1” 

R, Sep. 8

Informal Fallacies
Reading: Informal Fallacies
Short Video: http://deadgentlemen.com/2004/10/31/campaign-ad/

T, Sep. 13

Finish Informal Fallacies **Homework Assignment Given Out**

R, Sep. 15

Epistemology- Truth, Evidence and Knowledge
Reading:This Is Philosophy Chapter 7, part I (p. 223-246)    
Suggested film: “Inception”

Knowledge, Skepticism, and the Method of Doubt
Reading: This Is Philosophy Chapter 7,  part II (p. 246-262)
Required film: “The Matrix" (available on D2L)
Suggested Reading: Descartes, “Meditations on First Philosophy” meditations 1-2
Suggested reading: Gettier, “Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?”
Suggested film: “The 13th Floor”

Finish Epistemology and Skepticism

T, Sep. 27

UNIT TWO: METAPHYSICS
Arguments for God’s existence
Reading: This Is Philosophy Ch. 3 (p. 63-95)
Video: (Preview- 10min) The God Delusion Debate—Lennox vs Dawkins
Suggested videos: Lennox vs. Dawkins Debate- Has Science Buried God?
Lennox- God Does Exist
Suggested TV Show: Family Guy S8 Ep.1 "Road to the Multiverse"

R, Sep. 29

Arguments against God’s existence- The Problem of Evil
Reading: This Is Philosophy Ch. 3 (p. 95-108)
Suggested Video (50 min): Dawkins- The Root of All Evil

T, Oct. 4

Finish Problem of Evil- objections and responses
Suggested film: “Star Trek T.N.G.: Q Who” (or any episode with Q)

R, Oct. 6

Study Guide for Midterm Exam
(Rescheduled)Free will- Do we have it, or are our actions determined?
Reading:  This Is Philosophy Ch. 4
rewatch Video: Sam Harris- Free Will (1hr- not required to watch Q&A) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FanhvXO9Pk

T, Oct. 11

**MID-TERM EXAM** (35% of grade)

R, Oct. 13

UNIT THREE: VALUES/ETHICS, MORALITY, AND THE MEANING OF LIFE
Divine Command Theory- Is God the source of morality?
Reading: Shafer-Landau, “Does Ethical Objectivism Require God?”

T, Oct. 18   

Finish DCT, Relativism
Reading: This Is Philosophy Chapter 1

R, Oct. 20

Cultural Relativism (continued)
Reading: Rachels, “The Challenge of Cultural Relativism”
Suggested film: “Apocalypto”

T, Oct. 25

Mid-term exams returned and reviewed.
Reading: This Is Philosophy Ch. 2 (p. 27-42)
Video: “The Trolley Problem” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs0E69krO_Q
Suggested film: “Sophie’s Choice” or “Ender’s Game”

R, Oct. 27

Utilitarianism
Reading: Reflective Equilibrium: http://home.sandiego.edu/~baber/logic/ethics.html
Strongly Suggested Reading: Mill- Utilitarianism (excerpt)

T, Nov.1

Objections to Utilitarianism
Reading: Rachels “The Debate over Utilitarianism”
Suggested TV show: “Dexter”

R, Nov. 3

Responses to Objections to Utilitarianism
Reading: re-read Rachels “The Debate over Utilitarianism”
Ursula K. Le Guin, “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”
Optional Video: Sam Harris - What can science tell us about morality?
http://www.ted.com/talks/sam_harris_science_can_show_what_s_right.html

T, Nov. 8

Finish Utilitarianism and Objections

R, Nov.10

Election discussion
Reading: United Nations- “Universal Declaration of Human Rights”

T, Nov 15

Deontology
Reading: This Is Philosophy Ch. 2 (p. 42-52)
Suggested film: “Watchmen”

R, Nov. 17

Virtue Ethics
Reading: This Is Philosophy  Ch. 2 (p. 52-61)on Virtue Ethics
Short excerpt from Ben Franklin's Autobiography
Suggested films: Gandalf in “Lord of the Rings” or Dumbledore in “Harry Potter”
**Homework assignment given**

T, Nov.22

Fall Break- no class

R, Nov.24

Fall Break- no class

T, Nov 29

**Homework assignment due**
Applied ethics- Poverty and World Hunger
Reading: Peter Singer, excerpt from "Life You Can Save"
Poverty Facts and Stats
Foreign Aid Infographic
Suggested Video: Sobering Stats on Poverty

R, Dec. 1

Applied ethics- Poverty and World Hunger (continued)
Reading: Singer, “Famine, Affluence, and Morality”
Video (short): Key and Peele “Save a Child"

T, Dec. 6

The Meaning of Life- The Absurdity of Life
Reading:  Nagel, “The Absurd”
Stronlgy suggested film: “Meet Joe Black”

R, Dec 8

The Meaning of Life (continued)
Final Exam Study Guide
Reading: Taylor, “The Meaning of Life”
Suggested Video: Randy Pausch- “Last Lecture”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Arnrxle4Gw
Suggested film: “Monty Python and the Meaning of Life”

FINAL EXAM

December 15th, 4:30pm-7:00pm in our regular classroom (posted in your mycuinfo)