Philosophy 100: Introduction to Philosophy
Fall 2011
Prof. Jill Dieterle
Office: 702B Pray Harrold Office Hours:
Phone: 487-3393 (please do not leave voice mail) T, Th 9 – 9:30 and 11 – 12:30
e-mail: jdieterle@emich.edu other hours by appointment
Welcome to Philosophy 100!
Texts: Classic Philosophical Questions, 13th Edition. Ed. Robert Mulvaney. Pearson, 2009.
In this course we will discuss classic philosophical issues. For example: How do I decide what to believe? How do I determine the right thing to do? Does God exist? Do we have free will? What is the justification of government? What powers ought the government to have?
Rationale for inclusion in General Education, Knowledge of the Disciplines, Humanities Category Philosophy 100 is a General Education course in the Humanities category of Knowledge of the Disciplines. For at least the preceding 2500 years, philosophical reflection has extended to all aspects of life, from politics, art, and morality, to the very nature of knowledge and of existence itself. This course introduces students to the methods and strains of philosophical thinking that underlie the full range of human experience. Through the analysis of original philosophical texts, as well as the rich tradition of commentary on those texts, students in this course explore such fundamental questions as, "What is the nature of truth?", "What is the ultimate nature of existence, e.g., is everything physical?", "How may a society best achieve justice?", and, "What should be the role of art in our lives?". Introduction to Philosophy is also a skills course in that the serious investigation of issues such as those just listed enhances the analytic and critical skills required to address the intellectual and other challenges that inevitably complicate, and enrich, the lives of thoughtful human beings.
Upon completion of this course, you should have a basic understanding of:
how to read philosophical...