Instructor: Brian W. Carver
E-mail: bwcarver at earthlink dot net
Course Web Site: http://home.earthlink.net/~bwcarver/

REQUIRED TEXTS: Louis Pojman, Philosophy: The Quest for Truth4th Edition (1999) Wadsworth Publishing ISBN: 0534551874.
This text is available new for $66.95 from bn.com.(A 5th Edition is available, and will work fine, but the 4th Edition is preferable.)
Three articles are on reserve at the library. Students must go to the library and read/copy these articles.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS
(1) Participation (25%): Attendance will be taken each class meeting.
(2) Exam #1 on Philosophy of Religion (25%): Wednesday, October 9.
(3) Exam #2 on Metaphysics (25%): Wednesday, November 13.
(4) Exam #3 on Political Philosophy (25%): Wednesday, December 18.

Exams will be based on the readings and lectures and will typically consist of 50 multiple-choice questions. True/False, Short Answer, Fill-in-the-blank, Matching, and Essay questions may also appear. My multiple-choice tests are challenging. Hence, if the class average on an exam is under 75%, I will curve the grades up to make the class average 75%. I do not curve downwards.

Make-up Exams: Make-up exams generally will not be given. If you know you must be absent on one of the scheduled exam dates you should make arrangements with me well in advance.

Attendance: Attendance is expected. Quality class participation and an excellent attendance record may be used to resolve borderline cases.

Drop Policy: The college has determined that the last day to drop without a "W" is August 31, 2002 and the last day to drop is November 22, 2002. If space permits, I will add students during the first two weeks.

Academic Honesty: I assume you are familiar with the College's policies on Academic Honesty. I consider it my responsibility in cases of academic dishonesty to respond with the most severe penalty.

Students with disabilities: Students with disabilities who may need accommodations for any sort of disability are invited to make an appointment to see me.

Changes to this Syllabus: It is my intention to follow this syllabus as closely as possible. If a change is necessary, this will be discussed in class. For this reason, if you are absent, it is your responsibility to contact me or a fellow student to stay abreast of the class/exam schedule.

Transfer Status: Transferable to UC/CSU, see counselor for limitations.

Course Description (from the College Catalog): PHIL 6 This broad intro to philosophy surveys knowledge, science, religion, logic, value, history and metaphysics.

Course Goals: We will survey Philosophy of Religion, Metaphysics, and Political Philosophy. Students will, for the most part, be introduced to these ideas through reading of primary texts, in-class lectures, and discussions. Students will illustrate their understanding of the material through discussions & exams.

Introduction to Philosophy
08/21 W: Introduction, Reading Philosophy
08/28 W: No Class
09/04 W: 12:00 – 1:15 Plato - The Apology (in Pojman 6-18)
                   1:30 – 2:45 W.K. Clifford - The Ethics of Belief (91-96)

Philosophy of Religion
    The Cosmological Argument
09/11 W: 12:00 – 1:15 Thomas Aquinas - The Five Ways (42-45)
                   1:30 – 2:45 William Rowe - Examination of Cosmological Arg (On Reserve)

    The Teleological Argument
09/18 W: 12:00 – 1:15 William Paley - The Watch and the Watchmaker (57-59)
                   1:30 – 2:45 David Hume - A Critique of the Teleological Argument (60-66)

    The Ontological Argument & Faith and Reason
09/25 W: 12:00 – 1:15 Saint Anselm - The Ontological Argument (68-71)
                   1:30 – 2:45 Blaise Pascal - Yes, Faith is a Logical Bet (88-91)

    The Problem of Evil
10/02 W: 12:00 – 1:15 J.L. Mackie - Evil and Omnipotence (On Reserve)
                   1:30 – 2:45 John Hick - There is a Reason Why God Allows Evil(82-87)
10/09 W: EXAM #1

Free Will, Determinism, Personal Identity, and Immortality
    Free Will and Determinism
10/16 W: 12:00 – 1:15 Baron d'Holbach - We Are Completely Determined (319-331)
                   1:30 – 2:45 W. T. Stace - Compatibilism (341-347)
10/23 W: 12:00 – 1:15 Richard Taylor - Contemporary Defense of Free Will (356-364)

    The Problem of Personal Identity
                   1:30 – 2:45 John Locke - Our Psych. Properties Define the Self(281-285)
10/30 W: 12:00 – 1:15 David Hume - We Have No Substantial Self… (285-288)
                   1:30 – 2:45 Parfit & Vesey - Brain Transplants & Personal Identity (288-294)

    Immortality
11/06 W: 12:00 – 1:15 Paul Edwards - An Argument Against Survival… (300-309)
                   1:30 – 2:45 John Hick - In Defense of Immortality (309-316)
11/13 W: EXAM #2

Political Philosophy
    The Justification of Political Authority
11/20 W: 12:00 - 1:15 Thomas Hobbes - The Absolutist Answer (463-476)
                  1:30 - 2:45 John Locke - The Democratic Answer (476-482)
11/27 W: 12:00 - 1:15  John Stuart Mill - A Classical Liberal Answer (482-487)
                  1:30 - 2:45 John Hospers - The Libertarian Answer (487-493)
12/04 W: 12:00 - 1:15 Marx & Engels - The Communist Answer (493-503)
                  1:30 - 2:45 John Rawls - The Contemporary Liberal Answer (503-513) &
                                       Bertrand Russell - The Value of Philosophy (18-22)
12/11 W: 12:00 - 1:15 EXAM #3