Introduction to PhilosophyPHI 111-01/07 (face-to-face) and PHI 111-02/03 (online)

Fall 2015

Instructor: Dr. Richard (Rick) GallimoreWhere & When: MWF 1-1:50 & 2-2:50 Petty 213 & 219Office: Philosophy Dept. Curry 235Office Hours: TBAEmail: RLGallimore@gmail.com Department Secretary (Maggie Dargatz): (336) 334-5059

Course Description: This course introduces students to some of the central topics, figures, and problems in western philosophy through a careful consideration of historical and contemporary readings. Topics to be discussed include: the existence of God, knowledge and skepticism, the mind-body problem, consciousness and personal identity. The format for the course is a mix of lecture and discussion. The primary learning goal is to enable you to think more critically about philosophical issues and everyday life. Students are encouraged to disagree with me and develop their own views supported by good reasons.

Required Text: Introduction to Philosophy by Perry, Bratman, & Fischer (5th or 6th edition)Recommended Texts: Does the Center Hold by Donald Palmer; Think by Simon Blackburn; and Riddles of Existence by Earl Conee & Theodore Sider

Canvas: Some of my lecture notes are available on the Canvas site for our course. Go to uncg.instructure.com to see the course. Be sure to check your UNCG email account and Canvas site regularly for any group emails or announcements I might make.

Participation, Attendance, and Classroom Etiquette: Regular attendance and class participation are a vital part of getting the most out of this course and constitute a percentage of your final grade. I monitor attendance using a sign-in sheet. It is not possible to do well in this course without attending since the exams emphasize comprehension rather than memorization. Students may use their electronic devices to take notes, but non-academic pursuits are distracting to everyone and will not be tolerated, e.g., playing video games, surfing the web, text/video chat, etc. This also applies to smart phones, tablets, music players, and similar digital devices. Texting, listening to music, watching a movie, talking with the person beside you during lectures, passing notes, etc., is disruptive and rude, and it will be penalized. I take note of this behavior, whether you realize it or not, and your final grade will suffer.

Exams: There will be four online true/false, multiple-choice exams. Additional details will be provided online or in class, as applicable. The exams are not cumulative and will focus on the views, principles, and arguments presented in class and covered in the assigned readings for each section. Make-ups will be given at the instructor’s discretion and only for legitimate and verifiable reasons, e.g., being in a coma is a legitimate reason, wanting to stay in Cancun for an extra day over a break is not.

Grading: Each exam will count for 25% of your grade, with class participation and attendance being factored in as appropriate. There is no cumulative final exam. There is no extra-credit.

Tentative Schedule (Subject to change)

Test Dates (in bold below; holidays are indicated with a strikethrough):

Each of the exams will become available in Canvas beginning on the following Fridays at 8 pm and will expire on Sunday night at 11:55 p.m. There are no make-ups so do not wait until the last minute.

Test 1 Sep. 4 Test 2 Oct. 2Test 3 Nov. 6Test 4 Nov. 30

Readings from the Required Text:

Week 1 Aug. 17, 19, 21 Philosophical Preliminaries: Canvas: “Basic Terms & Concepts”Week 2 Aug. 24, 26, 28 Bb: “Basic Terms & Concepts”Week 3 31, Sep. 2, 4 Bb: “Basic Terms & Concepts” (TEST 1)

Week 4 Sep 7, 9, 11 The Existence of GodWeek 5 Sep. 14, 16, 18 The Existence of GodWeek 6 Sep. 21, 23, 25 The Existence of GodWeek 7 Sep. 28, 30, 2 The Problem of Evil & Pascal’s Wager (TEST 2)

Week 8 Oct. 5, 7, 9 Knowledge & RealityWeek 9 Oct. 12, 14, 16 Knowledge & RealityWeek 10 Oct. 19, 21, 23 The Mind-Body Problem Week 11 Oct. 26, 28, 30 The Mind-Body Problem Week 12 Nov. 2, 4, 6 The Mind-Body Problem (TEST 3)

Week 13 Nov. 9, 11, 13 Consciousness Week 14 Nov. 16, 18, 20 Personal Identity & ImmortalityWeek 15 Nov. 23, 25, 27 Personal IdentityWeek 16 Nov. 30 Last day of class (TEST 4)