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Introduction to Philosophy develops problem-solving and critical-thinking skills by examining discussions about reality, knowledge, truth, God, self-identity, freedom, and the nature of ethical and political beliefs.
Text: Philosophical Traditions by Louis Pojman
(1998). Pages listed below should be read prior to each class.
| Class date | Topic | Reading assignment (from Pojman text) |
| Jan. 19 | Introduction | ch. 1 |
| Jan. 21 | Socrates | ch. 5 |
| Jan. 26 | Plato | ch. 6 |
| Jan. 28 | Cosmological & Teleological Arguments | ch. 7 & 8 |
| Feb. 2 | Ontological Argument | ch. 9 |
| Feb. 4 | Religious Experience | ch. 10 |
| Feb. 9 | Evil and Faith | ch. 11 & 12 |
| Feb. 11 | Theory of Knowledge | ch. 13 |
| Feb. 16 | Skepticism | ch. 14 |
| Feb. 18 | External World | ch. 15 |
| Feb. 23 | Truth | ch. 16 |
| Feb. 25 | Mind and Body | ch. 17 & 18 |
| Mar. 2 | Functionalism & Identity | ch. 19 & 20 |
| Mar. 4 | Mid-semester exam | |
| Mar. 9 | Determinism & Libertarianism | ch. 22 & 23 — skip ch. 21 |
| Mar.11 | Compatibilism | ch. 24 |
| Mar. 23 | Ethics | ch. 25 |
| Mar. 25 | Ethical relativism | ch. 26 |
| Mar. 30 | Egoism | ch. 27 |
| Apr. 1 | Utilitarianism | ch. 28 |
| Apr. 6 | Kantian Deontology | ch. 29 |
| Apr. 8 | Religion and Ethics | ch. 30 |
| Apr. 13 | Anarchism & Absolutism | ch. 31 & 32 |
| Apr. 15 | Political Libertarianism | ch. 33 |
| Apr. 20 | Marxism & Liberalism | ch. 34 & 35 |
| (Apr. 22) | No class: prof out of town. | |
| Apr. 27 | Existentialism | ch. 36 |
| Apr. 29 | Freedom | ch. 37 |
| (May 4) | (No class: follow Friday schedule) | |
| May 12 (Wednesday) | Final exam 8-10 a.m. |
Office (Bolton 302 B) hours: Tuesday and Thursday 11-12:30, 2:15-3:30
Phone: 845-5619 (office), 846-4649 (home)
Email: sdaniel@unix.tamu.edu
Web site: people.tamu.edu/~sdaniel/251sy99.html
Grades/Tests: Grades are based equally on the mid-semester exam, final exam, and cumulative score of daily quizzes. The true-false, multiple-choice exams are worth 100 points each; the cumulative score for quizzes is worth 125 points (25 of which are extra points). Quizzes occur in the first five minutes of class, during which students in small groups discuss two multiple-choice questions before individually selecting answers. If you miss the mid-semester exam, contact me before the next class meeting to take a make-up exam. There are no make-up daily quizzes except for university-excused absences. Class attendance significantly affects your performance on exams and quizzes, but there is no specific grade for attendance as such.
Past test questions on Philosophy in General, Socrates, and Plato. Past test questions on Philosophy of Religion. Past test questions on Epistemology (Theory of Knowledge). Past test questions on Metaphysics. Past test questions on Freedom, Determinism, and Existentialism. Past test questions on Ethics. Past test questions on Social-Political Philosophy and Aesthetics.
Go to Dr. Daniel's Home Page
Send Dr. Daniel a message: sdaniel@unix.tamu.edu