Welcome to PHIL 251, Introduction to Philosophy

Spring 2010 — TR 9:35-10:50 a.m. Peterson Hall room 113

Gary Varner Associate Professor of Philosophy 309D Bolton Hall Office hours: 12:00-2:00 TH & by appointment (979) 845-8499 g-varner@philosophy.tamu.edu	Tim Aylsworth Graduate Teaching Assistant 310 Bolton Hall Office hours: 11:00-12:00 TU/TH & by appointment (979) 845-6222 t-aylsworth@philosophy.tamu.edu
Note: You will need an ID and a password to retrieve most of the materials linked below. That's because some of these are copyrighted materials. As a registered student in the class, the fair use doctrine entitles you to download a copy for your own use in the course, but it may be illegal for you to distribute the files or in any other way reproduce them. If you're a student in the class, we will give you an ID and a password to use.
[The nature of philosophy] - [The nature and existence of God] - [Philosophy of mind] - [Ethical theory] - [Other resources]

Readings, handouts, and web pages used

Note: With the exception of the finalized syllabus, the materials linked below may be altered in the course of the semester, and others may be added.

Syllabus.

I - The nature of philosophy as an academic discipline

1. HTML: The nature of philosophy as an academic discipline.
2. HTML: The main areas of academic philosophy.

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II - Arguments for (and against) the existence of God

1. Some background information
   1. HTML: The definition of "God" and four arguments regarding the existence of God.

2. The ontological argument for God's existence
   1. HTML: Anselm's version of the ontological argument.
   2. HTML: Questions to answer while reading this essay.
   3. HTML: Example of a reductio ad absurdum argument

   4. PDF: William Rowe, "The Ontological Argument."
   5. HTML: Questions to answer while reading this essay.
   6. HTML: Handout on Rowe on the ontological argument.

   7. HTML: The "validity" v. "soundness" distinction.
   8. HTML: Some valid argument forms.
   9. HTML: Another example from class.

   10. HTML: The "Gaunilo's Island" objection to Anselm's ontological argument.
   11. HTML: Rowe's original objection (in §IV of his essay).

3. The cosmological argument for God's existence
   1. HTML: Aquinas' "The Five Ways" (highlighted).
   2. HTML: Questions to answer while reading Aquinas.
   3. PDF: William Rowe, "The Cosmological Argument."
   4. HTML: Questions to answer while reading Rowe on the cosmological argument.
   5. HTML: Handout on Rowe on the cosmological argument.

4. The teleological argument for God's existence
   1. HTML: Excerpts from William Paley's Natural Theology (highlighted).
   2. HTML: Questions to answer while reading Paley.
   3. HTML: Inductive v. deductive arguments.
   4. HTML: Handout on Paley's teleological argument.

5. The problem of evil
   1. PDF: J.L. Mackie, "Evil and Omnipotence."
   2. HTML: Questions to answer while doing this reading.
   3. HTML: Mackie's statement of the problem of evil.
   4. HTML: Illustrating Mackie's point about free choice when God is "not a continuing being."
   5. HTML: Mackie's dilemma for the theist.

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Results of first midterm exam.

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III - Philosophy of mind

1. PDF: Daniel Dennett, "Where Am I?" from his 1978 book Brainstorms.
   1. An on-line, searchable version is here, but you should use the above version for the fixed pagination.
   2. Images used to illustrate Dennett's story.

2. PDF: John Searle, "Minds, Brains, and Programs," Behavioral and Brain Sciences 3 (1980), pp. 417ff.
   1. HTML: The Turing test.
   2. HTML: Searle's "Chinese room" thought experiment.

3. PDF: William Lycan, "Appendix: Machine Consciousness," from his 1987 book Consciousness.
   1. A BBC video on a prosthetic hand.
   2. A New York Times video about "an artificial retina."
   3. Another video on emotion recognition in robots.

4. PDF: Paul Churchland, Collier's Encyclopedia (1996) entry on "Mind."

— — —

IV - Ethical theory

1. Some background information
   1. PDF: Handout on ethical theory — [HTML version].
   2. HTML: Handout on the Euthyphro question (a dilemma for the theological ethicist).

2. Ethical relativism
   1. PDF: James Rachels, "The Challenge of Cultural Relativism."
   2. PDF: Questions to answer while doing this reading.

3. Mill's Utilitarianism
   1. PDF: John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism, chapter two.
   2. PDF: Questions to answer while reading chapter two.
   3. HTML: Hedonistic v. preference utilitarianism.
   4. HTML: Handout on Mill's "competent judge test."
   5. HTML: Eight objections in the second half of chapter two.
   6. HTML: Act v. rule utilitarianism.
   7. HTML: Greatest total vs. greatest average utilitarianism.
   8. HTML: The classical utilitarians on moral thinking.
   9. HTML: Mill on extreme circumstances.
   10. HTML: Highlighted versions of chapter two: first half, second half.

4. Rights views
   1. PDF: Handout on "the Bloggs cases" — (HTML version).
   2. HTML: Method of reflective equilibrium.
   3. HTML: Handout on rights views.

   — — —

   Second midterm exam.

   — — —

5. Kantian ethics
   1. Excerpts from Immanuel Kant's Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals (1785):
      1. Excerpts from chapters one and two.
      2. More excerpts from chapter two.
      3. Excerpts from chapter three.
   2. Questions to answer while reading these excerpts.

6. R.M. Hare's two-level (or "Kantian") utilitarianism
   1. PDF: Gary Varner, "Utilitarianism and the Evolution of Ecological Ethics."
   2. PDF: Questions to answer while reading pp. 551-64 of this essay.
   3. PDF: Questions to answer while reading pp. 565-72 of this essay.
   4. HTML: The Golden Rule in major world religions.
   5. PDF: Handout summarizing Hare's theory.