Schedule of
Updated
04/26/2006 7:56 AM
This
schedule is subject to adjustment throughout the semester.
The reading assigned for each class period is to be read by that date. It is best to look at the reading assigned for an entire week, as sometimes there is more reading on one day than another and thus waiting until the day before class may not leave a comfortable amount of time to complete the readings for that day. You will be tested over the reading, probably in the form of short answers and open book.
After each class, updated lecture notes will be posted. Earlier versions are available prior to each lecture. You may access these notes by clicking on the appropriate lecture title (on the on-line version of this document). Lecture notes are updated within a week after each class.
Précis assignments are listed for each section. There is one précis opportunity for each section and you must write your précis on the assigned article. There are five opportunities. You must do two.
Reserve Readings:
Some
items are marked "reserve" which means they are not in your textbooks
and you need to access the articles on-line. You may print them off or read them on a
computer, though printed copies will come in handy for open book exams over the
reading. You may use your own personal
computer or a computer in one of the many computer labs on campus. If you need help locating a computer, please
contact the instructor. If you're using
your own computer, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access the reserve
readings. This may be downloaded for
free at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html. You will need your identikey and password to
access the reserve readings. If you are
accessing the readings from off campus, you may also use a VPN connection.
1/17 (Tuesday) Course Overview (Click on link for lecture notes)
1/19 (Thursday)
Logic,
Arguments and Fallacies
Reading
(to be read by the beginning of class): Course
Syllabus and Does the Center Hold?: 1-38.
1/24
(Tuesday) The Meaning of
Life Reserve:
498, 514-523, 531-533; “Life is Absurd,” (Albert Camus), “Religion Gives
Meaning to Life” (Lois Hope Walker), “Reflections on Suffering” (Bertrand
Russell) in The Quest for Truth,
edited by Louis Pojman.
Section 1: Philosophy of Religion
1/26 (Thursday)
Introduction
to the Philosophy of Religion and the Cosmological Argument
Reading: Does the
Center Hold?:
157-160, 168-171, 176-179; Reason and
Responsibility: 23-32.
Optional: Transcript of a
recent interview of famous atheist philosopher Antony Flew. Flew tells of his recent conversion to theism
after being one of the most prominent spokespeople for atheism in the past
several decades.
1/31 (Tuesday)
The
Teleological Argument
Reading: Does
the Center Hold?: 171-176; Reason and
Responsibility: 32-37; Reserve: “The Teleological Argument” 482-490 in Philosophical Foundations for a Christian
Worldview by J.P. Moreland and William Lane Craig
2/2 (Thursday)
The
Ontological Argument
Reading: Does
the Center Hold?: 160-167; Reason and
Responsibility: 11-21.
Précis
Opportunity #1: Due Thursday 2/2 at the
beginning of class: William Rowe’s “The Ontological Argument” in
Reason and Responsibility: 11-21.
2/7 (Tuesday)
Pascal's
Wager
Reading: Reason and
Responsibility:
110-117. Reserve
“Religious Belief Without Warrant” 158-160 in Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview by J.P.
Moreland and William Lane Craig.
2/9
(Thursday) The
Problem of Evil and Theodicies
Reading: Reason
and Responsibility: 85-96.
2/14
(Tuesday) Does God Exist: Douglas Geivett vs. Michael Shermer
Reading: None.
2/16 (Thursday)
Exam #1
Section 2: Epistemology
2/21 (Tuesday) Introduction to
Epistemology and Rationalism
Reading: Does
the Center Hold?: 40-51 Reserve:
"Epistemology: A First
Look" 1-22.
2/23 (Thursday)
Rene
Descartes' Meditations
Reading: Does the
Center Hold?: 51-73; Reason and Responsibility: 145-153.
2/28
(Tuesday) Empiricism
Reading: Does the
Center Hold?:
76-110
3/2 (Thursday)
The
Problem of the Criterion
Reading: Reason and Responsibility: 139-145.
Précis Opportunity #2: Due
Thursday 3/2 at the beginning of class:
“The Problem of the
Criterion” in Reason and
Responsibility: 139-145.
3/7
(Tuesday) Skepticism and
the Problem of Induction
Reading: Reason and
Responsibility: 133-134, 193-199.
Section 3: Metaphysics
3/9 (Thursday) Determinism, Fatalism and Compatibilism
Reading: Does the
Center Hold?: 213-227;
Reason and Responsibility: 413-418.
3/14 (Tuesday)
Indeterminism
and Libertarianism
Reading: Does the
Center Hold?:
227-231; Reason and Responsibility: 418-425.
3/16 (Thursday)
Dualism
Reading: Does the
Center Hold?:
113-118; Reason and Responsibility: 263-270.
Précis Opportunity #3: Due Thursday 3/16 at the beginning of class: Richard Swineburne's "A Defense of
Dualism” Reason and Responsibility:
263-267.
3/21 (Tuesday)
Materialism
Reading: Does
the Center Hold?: 119-146; 150-154; Reason
and Responsibility: 271-276;
305-317.
3/23 (Tuesday) Personal
Identity
Reading: Reason and
Responsibility:
365-383.
Spring
Break 3/28, 3/30
4/4 (Tuesday)
Exam #2
Section 4: Political Philosophy
4/6 (Thursday)
Introduction to Political Philosophy: Thomas Hobbes
and John Locke
Reading: Does the
Center Hold?:
327-355; Reason and Responsibility: 541-548.
4/11
(Tuesday) John Stuart
Mill, Karl Marx and Communism
Reading: Does
the Center Hold?: 355-368; Reserve “The Communist Answer: The Justification of the State is its
Promotion of Radical Equality” in Louis Pojman, The
Quest of Truth 473-482.
4/13
(Thursday) Social
Philosophy and John Rawls
Reading: Does the
Center Hold?:
368-380. Reason and Responsibility:
631-639.
Précis Opportunity #4: Due Thursday 4/13 at the beginning of class: Peter Singers’ "Famine, Affluence, and
Morality” in Reason and Responsibility:
631-639.
Section 5: Ethics
4/18
(Tuesday) Moral Realism
vs. Moral Relativism
Reading: Does the
Center Hold?:
252-260, 296-305; Reserve: James Rachels’ “Morality in Not Relative”
369-378 in Louis Pojman, The Quest for
Truth.
Précis Opportunity #5: Due Tuesday 4/18 at the beginning of class: Reserve: James Rachels’ “Morality in Not Relative”
369-378 in Louis Pojman, The Quest for
Truth.
4/20
(Thursday) Utilitarianism
Reading: Does the
Center Hold?:
269-279; Reason and Responsibility: 594-599 (end of page).
4/25
(Tuesday) Deontology
(Kant)
Reading: Does the
Center Hold?:
279-290; Reason and Responsibility: 579-589 (stop at “We shall now enumerate a few
duties…”)
4/27
(Thursday) Virtue Ethics
Reading: Reason and
Responsibility: 525-541.
5/2
(Tuesday) Capital
Punishment
5/4
(Thursday) Abortion Guest Speakers: Lisa Radelet, Boulder Valley Women’s Health Center,
arguing for the pro-choice position and Diane Hochevar, president of the
Colorado Right to Life Committee and the Colorado Director for the National
Right to Life Committee, arguing for the pro-life position.
Reading: Reason and
Responsibility: 667-687.
Final Exam
PHIL
1000-130 (Meets Tues.-Thurs. 2-3:15) Saturday, May 6,
PHIL
1000-140 (Meets Tues.-Thurs. 3:30-4:45) Tuesday, May 9,