Philosophy 150
Course Outline
Spring 1997

Week 1 (ending 3/7).

Topics:

1. What is Philosophy?

2. The Pre-Socratics. (Read handout of Heraclitus and Parmenides)

Assign:

For week 2, read Plato, "Introduction" and the "Euthyphro" (ix-27).

Week 2 (ending 3/14).

Topics:

1. Socrates and his method.

PlatoP2. The Nature of "holiness."

Assign:

Expository paper, "Socrates' Method," due 3/21.

For week 3 read "The Apology" (31-67).

Week 3 (ending 3/21).

Topics:

1. Socrates' Defense

2. Socratic Ignorance

Assign:

Read the "Crito" and Martin Luther Kings, "Letter from a Birmingham Jail."

Week 4 (ending 3/28).

Topics:

1. Living Well

2. To Break the Law?

Assign:

Argumentative Paper 1 on the "Crito" & the "Letter"due 4/4.

For Week 5, Read the "Phaedo" (95-143).

Week 5 (ending 4/4).

Topics:

1. Epistemology or, "How and what can I know?"

2. Does the soul exist either before birth or after death?

Assign:

Draft of Bibliographies due on 4/7.

2nd Expository Paper from the select topics: (Due 4/11)

1. Life After Death?
2. The "Senses" and Philosophy.
3. What is Knowledge?

For week 6 read in Descartes the "Introduction" (vii-xvii),his "Letter to the Sorbonne" (3-6), the "Preface,""Synopsis," and first three "Meditations." (3-36).

Week 6 (ending 4/11).

Topics:

1. "What can I know?" reconsidered.

2. Proving God's existence.

Assign:

3rd Expository Paper due on select topics: (due 4/25)

1. Cartesian Doubt
2. "I think, I exist"
3. God's Existence

For week 7 read the handout of selections from John Locke.

Week 7 (ending 4/18).

Topic:

1. Realism and Idealism

Assign:

Analytic Paper on "Knowledge: Innate or Learned?" due 5/2.

For week 8 read the handout with selection of Nietzsche.

Week 8 (ending 4/25).

Topics:

1. Knowledge
2. Morality
3. The Death of God

Assign:

Read for week 9 Sartre's "Existentialism as a Humanism," from handout.

Week 9 (ending 5/2).

Topic:

"Existence Precedes Essence"

Assign:

Interpretative Paper on Nietzsche and Sartre due 5/12.

Read for week 10 the handout selections from Richard Rorty.

Week 10 (ending 5/9).

Topic:

What is Philosophy?

Assign:

Finish Bibliographies, due 5/9.

Week 11 and the last few hours of class are not factored into this schedule since it is inevitable that we will get behind. Since that is the case, I have left this time unscheduled with the firm conviction that these hours will be required for us to finish the course.