Hartwick college

Course Texts:
Plato, Republic, Hackett

Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy, Hackett

Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Hackett.

Schopenhauer, The World as Will and Representation, Dover.

Please Note: Always bring the book we are reading to class. ALWAYS.

Course Aim:
My aim in this course is to introduce students to a wide range of traditional philosophical issues through a critical analysis of some of the seminal texts in the discipline. We will explore questions concerning skepticism and the possibility of knowledge, the nature of reality, the meaning of life, and the existence of God.

Please Note: Philosophy is a vast discipline. Our tour of these topics will of necessity be selective. My primary aim is to expose you to the types of questions asked in philosophy, the types of answers they receive, and the argumentative tools employed to get from the former to the latter.

Course Requirements:
Your course grade will consist of two in-class exams (30% each), and a cumulative final examination (40%).

• The Exams: The exams are composed of terminology questions, short answer questions, and essay questions. I will hold a review session before each exam.
• The Final Exam: The final exam is cumulative. It will cover absolutely everything we have done in the course. It will consist of primarily essay questions.

Please Note: The material is difficult. You will sometimes feel immense pain from reading. Have no fear--an aspirin and some philosophical exploration will soothe your mental cramps. Bring your mental pain to class with you, along with your questions about the material, and we will work through the disquietudes.

Policies:

Academic dishonesty of any sort will result in failure for the course.

I will occasionally give pop quizzes for extra credit. These cannot be made up.