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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "PH 101-2"
COURSE NAME: "Introduction to Philosophical Thinking"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Fall 2025
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SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Steven Joseph Woodworth
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
TTH 3:00 PM 4:15 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS:
45
CREDITS:
3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS:
by appointment
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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.
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SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
The course provides an overview to the main topics of philosophy. A central aim is to provide you with a framework you can use to situate the philosophical questions you are most likely to encounter and reflect upon in the future. You will read two extremely influential historical works in their entirety -- Plato's dialogue the Meno and René Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy, along with a number of articles from the twentieth and twenty-first century analytic tradition. The topics, and the order in which we will treat them, are:
--- Part I [weeks 1-2]. Introduction to philosophy and philosophical argumentation.
--- Part II [weeks 3-4]. Epistemology: What is knowledge, and how might we obtain it?
--- Part III [week 5-7]. Metaphysics: What exists, really, fundamentally?
--- Part IV [weeks 8-11]. Ethics: What is ethical theory, and what good is it to me?
--- Part V [weeks 12-14]. Political philosophy: What principles govern a just society?
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LEARNING OUTCOMES:
In this course you will:
--- examine philosophical questions in epistemology, metaphysics, and ethical and political theory, and consider the value of attending to such questions;
--- gain competence in the basic techniques and methodologies of philosophical reasoning and critical thinking;
--- develop your skills as an attentive, charitable reader and interlocutor;
--- refine your ability to reconstruct, assess, and develop philosophical arguments;
--- cogently express your thoughts pertaining to the subject matter in conversation and in writing, in both individual and group contexts.
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TEXTBOOK:
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REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
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GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
| Assignment | Guidelines | Weight |
| Course participation | Classes will involve a mixture of lectures, seminar discussions, small group work, debates, and other activities. The emphasis will be on helping you to develop your own opinions and arguments and your ability to discuss them with others, as well as your understanding of the materials, issues, and relevant ethical concepts and arguments. Your active involvement in discussions and other class activities, based on adequate preparation outside class, is therefore essential. | 20 |
| Philosophical notebook | One of my primary aims as a teacher is to help you develop your own voice as a thinker. To that end I'll ask you to keep a "notebook" in which you reflect on the course material. I'll provide further guidance in a separate handout and throughout the semester. | 20 |
| Three written exams | There will be three written exams: the first two are in class, in weeks 5 and 10, while the third will take place during the designated exam week at the end of semester. Possible questions for the essay will be provided to you a week in advance; on the exam you will be presented a small selection of these, from which you will answer one. | 60 |
-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 the course.
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 are expected to come to class prepared for the day's material. It is highly recommended that Students attend all classes given that the material is comprehensive by nature. Attendance will be considered in your 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 period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed.
The University’s attendance policy is described in the catalogue. Persistent absence or tardiness usually precludes satisfactory performance in the course, and jeopardizes that part of the grade that is based on class presentation and participation. Students are expected to arrive to class on time; students are responsible for all material covered by the syllabus and/or discussed in class, whether or not they are actually present in class.
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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.
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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.
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SCHEDULE
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We'll try to follow the following schedule as much as possible this semester. Any changes will be communicated in class and as an announcement on Moodle.
Part I: Introduction
Week 1
Tuesday 09/02: Introduction to the Course
Thursday 09/04: Sophism, Philosophy, and Aporia
---Plato, Meno, until 80e
Week 2
Tuesday 09/09: Socratic Midwifery
---Plato, Meno, until end
Thursday 09/11: The Value of Philosophy
---Bertrand Russell, The Problems of Philosophy, chapter XV: "The Value of Philosophy"
Part II: Epistemology
Week 3
Tuesday 09/16: Descartes' project and the method of doubt
---René Descartes, Meditations of First Philosophy, Meditation I
Thursday 09/18: The certainties of experience
---René Descartes, Meditations of First Philosophy, Meditation II
Week 4
Tuesday 09/23: Arguments for God's existence
---René Descartes, Meditations of First Philosophy, Meditation III
Thursday 09/25: Profane responses to skepticism
---Jonathan Vogel, "Cartesian Skepticism and Inference to the Best Explanation"
Friday 09/26: (MAKE UP) REVIEW AND DISCUSSION
Week 5
Tuesday 09/30: EXAM 1
Part III: Metaphysics
Thursday 10/02: Virtual reality and physical reality
---David Chalmers, "Are We Living in a Virtual Reality?" (online talk)
Week 6
Tuesday 10/07: Cartesian Dualism
---René Descartes, Meditations of First Philosophy, Meditation V & VI
Thursday 10/09: Criticizing Descartes
---Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia, selection of her correspondence with Descartes
Week 7
Tuesday 10/14: Social reality
---Sally Haslanger, "'But Mom, Crop-Tops Are Cute!' Social Knowledge, Social Structure, and Ideology Critique"
Thursday 10/16: The metaphysics of race
---Charles W. Mills, "But What Are You Really?: The Metaphysics of Race"
Part IV: Ethics
Week 8
Tuesday 10/21: Utilitarianism
---Jeremy Bentham, An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation, chapters 1, 4, 5, and 14
Thursday 10/23: Effective altruism
---Peter Singer, "Famine, Affluence, and Morality"
---peruse https://www.effectivealtruism.org/
Week 9
Tuesday 10/28: Criticisms of Utilitarianism and Effective Altruism
---Amia Srinivasan, "Stop the Robot Apocalypse" and selections from Bernard Williams, "A Critique of "Utilitarianism"
Thursday 10/30: REVIEW AND DISCUSSION
Week 10
Tuesday 11/04: EXAM
Thursday 11/06: Kantian ethics
---David Velleman, "A Brief Introduction to Kantian Ethics"
Week 11
Tuesday 11/11: Feminist Ethics
---Hilde Lindemann, "What Is Feminist Ethics?"
Thursday 11/13: Applied ethics
---Judith Jarvis Thomson, "A Defense of Abortion"
Part V: Political Philosophy
Week 12
Tuesday 11/18: The questions of political philosophy and the veil of ignorance
---John Rawls, selections from A Theory of Justice
Thursday 11/20: Justice as fairness
---John Rawls, selections from A Theory of Justice
Week 13
Tuesday 11/25: Ideal and Non-Ideal Theory
---Charles W. Mills, "'Ideal Theory' as Ideology"
Thursday 11/27: Thanksgiving -- NO CLASS
Week 14
Tuesday 12/02: Philosophy and Social Progress
---W.E.B. Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk, chapter VI: "Of the Training of Black Men"
Thursday 12/04: COURSE WRAP-UP AND REVIEW
Week 15
Sometime between December 9th and December 12th: Final Exam
(the Registrar will specify the place and time later during the semester)
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