Course Syllabus

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "PH 101-3"
COURSE NAME: "Introduction to Philosophical Thinking"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2025

SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Brunella Antomarini
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: TTH 1:30 PM 2:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS:

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
We all have opinions about what is true and false, right and wrong, what is just, divine, and beautiful, what the self, mind, and soul are, or what makes us free. But can we justify our opinions about such things? Have we given rational and open-minded consideration to criticisms and alternatives, or are our opinions perhaps based only on prejudices and assumptions? In this course you will learn to use philosophical thinking to test and improve your opinions and your ability to evaluate the claims of important philosophers. Through the study and discussion of philosophical texts, classic or contemporary, you will grapple with issues of fundamental human importance and develop your capacities for careful reading, clear writing and speaking, and logical argumentation.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

PHILOSOPHY AFTER SCIENCE:

EXPLORATION VS CERTAINTY

Part of the course will regard a general historical reconstruction of western philosophical movements and theories, with a special focus on some of the most influential currents (such as “idealism”, “materialism”, “rationalism”, “nihilism", "cybernetics"). Each session will be supported by the reading of some of the most representative thinkers in each historical frame. The course will focus on practical applications of philosophical thinking, in the main fields of ethics, metaphysics, politics and science. A film screening may be planned, depending on time schedule.

The purpose of this course is to give students an opportunity to understand and use the basic philosophical instruments of argumentation. In fact having and settling arguments is a basic function in any kind of intellectual or scientific discipline and research. The choice of concepts leading the discussions allows students not only to understand where the history of philosophy finds its origins, but also enables them to open their conceptual analysis from classical to modern thinking.

STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO FOCUS ON:

1. how philosophers use their arguments to support theories or hypotheses;

2. what is a philosophical solution of a (scientific, moral or political) problem.

3. How we intertwine our philosophies with the AI

The studied areas will be exemplified by the following links and readings:

Truth:

Plato, Sophist, pp. 972-973. Phaedo, p.44 (b-e); pp.47-49.

https://jculibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/11270391

F. Nietzsche, Gay Science (§ 108-112; § 370)

https://philoslugs.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/the-gay-science-friedrich-nietzsche.pdf

Teleology in science:

1. Aristotle, Physics, Book II.

https://www-jstor-org.jcu.idm.oclc.org/stable/j.ctt5vjv4w.12

2. H. Bergson, Creative Evolution, Ch.1 pp.1-22 (library)

https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.jcu.idm.oclc.org/lib/johncabot/detail.action?docID=3008553

3. Planetary intelligence

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-journal-of-astrobiology/article/intelligence-as-a-planetary-scale-process/5077C784D7FAC55F96072F7A7772C5E5#

4. Xenobots

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBYtBXaxsOw

Objectivity in science:

1. Galileo, Letter to Christina of Tuscany

https://web.stanford.edu/~jsabol/certainty/readings/Galileo-LetterDuchessChristina.pdf

2. Réné Descartes, Meditation II

https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.jcu.idm.oclc.org/lib/johncabot/detail.action?docID=3314469

3. Thomas Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, pp.1-9

https://www.lri.fr/~mbl/Stanford/CS477/papers/Kuhn-SSR-2ndEd.pdf

Indeterminacy principle in modern physics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ms-CVF540fo

4. A Boy and His Atom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSCX78-8-q0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foqzblD6pvo

5. Gravitational waves

https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/page/what-are-gw

Freedom, justice and progress:

1. N. Machiavelli, The Prince (Chs. XV and XVIII)

https://ia600302.us.archive.org/10/items/theprince01232gut/1232-h/1232-h.htm

The Circle of Governments (Ch.11,1)

http://press- pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/v1ch11s1.html

2. Adam Smith, The wealth of Nations (Book I, Ch. 1, pp. 17-28) (library)

https://jculibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/70749190

3. Kant, Toward Perpetual Peace and Other Political Writings, Yale 2006, pp. 67-85:

https://jculibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/123023627

4. Kant on progress: pp. 150-157:

https://jculibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/123023627

5. K. Marx, Manifesto of the Communist Party (p. 14-20).

https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/download/pdf/Manifesto.pdfFragment on Machines

https://thenewobjectivity.com/pdf/marx.pdf

Space cannot be private property

https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/spacelaw/treaties/introouterspacetreaty.html

6. Robeyns, Why Limitarianism?

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jopp.12275#:~:text=Limitarianism%20tries%2C%20on%20the%20one,how%20much%20they%20should%20contribute.

7. Hannah Arendt, Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism:

https://cheirif.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/hannah-arendt-the-origins-of-totalitarianism-meridian-1962.pdf (Ch. XIII and p. 502-503 on: The Satellite System)

The Human Condition (Ch.4)

https://monoskop.org/images/e/e2/Arendt_Hannah_The_Human_Condition_2nd_1998.pdf

On Civil Disobiedience, pp. 76-77 and 95-96. Thoughts on Revolution pp. 201-204.

both essays here:

https://monoskop.org/images/7/70/Arendt_Hannah_Crises_of_the_Republic.pdf

Reference texts:

Thomas Nagel, What does it all mean? A very short introduction to philosophy, 1987

G. Skirrbekk, History of Western Thought, Routledge 2001.

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

https://plato.stanford.edu/contents.html

Videos (excerpts from) and film:

Wachovski, The Matrix

Chaplin, Modern Times

Kubrick, Doctor Strangelove

WEEK 1	Introduction: what is philosophy?
	Read Plato
WEEK 2	Socrates, Plato and ancient idealism (Matrix)
	Nietzsche against Plato
MAKE-UP	Plato politics
WEEK 3	Aristotle and living nature
	Aristotle on politics
WEEK 4	Plato and Aristotle
	Xenobots
WEEK 5	Bergson and creativity in nature
	Bergson
WEEK 6	Review
	review
WEEK 7	MID-TERM EXAM. PRESENTATIONS
WEEK 8	Galileo: the birth of modern science
	more on science
WEEK 9	Descartes and the method of science
	More on Descartes
WEEK 10	Kuhn: end of objectivity
	Machiavelli: the intelligence of action
WEEK 11	Adam Smith: the intelligence of political economy
	Kant on progress
WEEK 12	Kant on peace
	Arendt
WEEK 13	Aendt
	Robeyns
WEEK 14	review
	Review
EXAM WEEK	final presentations

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of the semester, through constant argumentative practice, students will be capable to argue about the major fields of philosophical analysis, and of critically constructing their own perspective on the related issues. They will be able to distinguish the necessary and right questions from the outdated or irrelevant questions, through conceptual clarification and examination of real life and real world problems.

The argumentative character of philosophy entails strong motivation, constant attention, active participation in class and interaction with the professor.

The papers are two-page essays which use the assigned texts in connection with in-class discussions and recent news. The second and the third are respectively the bases on which students will prepare the mid-term and final exams, which consist on elaborations from their written work (presentation + Q&A)

TEXTBOOK:

NONE

REQUIRED RESERVED READING:

NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:

NONE

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

Assignment	Guidelines	Weight
- Mid-term EXAM	Oral presentation	30%
final exam	Oral presentation	30%
2 papers at home		10%
Attendance participation		30%


	This course is based on in-class discussions and the student’s presence is essential to the final grade. You are not allowed to use your electronic devices, to eat in class and to go out of the classroom in the middle of a discussion. Any of these actions will cause a decrease of the participation grade. You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. Each absence, excused or unexcused, will negatively affect your participation grade. Regardless of whether absences are excused, missing class discussions will hinder your understanding of the material and your ability to meet course objectives.

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for t
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Students should plan to regularly attend the class, since we will often broaden the topics contained in the texts to contemporary issues, and since this class is mainly intended to the rousing of students’ personal thoughts and ideas.

Please refer to the university catalog for the attendance and absence policy.

Academic honesty

As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course.

The use of the computer is not allowed in class.

ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.

STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

WEEK 1	Introduction: what is philosophy?
	Read Plato
WEEK 2	Socrates, Plato and ancient idealism (Matrix)
	Nietzsche against Plato
MAKE-UP	Plato politics
WEEK 3	Aristotle and living nature
	Aristotle on politics
WEEK 4	Plato and Aristotle
	Xenobots
WEEK 5	Bergson and creativity in nature
	Bergson
WEEK 6	Review
	review
WEEK 7	MID-TERM EXAM. PRESENTATIONS
WEEK 8	Galileo: the birth of modern science
	more on science
WEEK 9	Descartes and the method of science
	More on Descartes
WEEK 10	Kuhn: end of objectivity
	Machiavelli: the intelligence of action
WEEK 11	Adam Smith: the intelligence of political economy
	Kant on progress
WEEK 12	Kant on peace
	Arendt
WEEK 13	Aendt
	Robeyns
WEEK 14	review
	Review
EXAM WEEK	final presentations