PHIL 11: Introduction to Philosophy
CRN: 82843 – Section 01 / Course Credits: 4
Fall 2020 / MWF 9:30-10:45am
John Allen
Email: jallen@pacific.edu
Office Hours: T 3:00-5:00pm or by appointment
Course Description
Hello and welcome! This course is an introduction to philosophy and its methodology. We will ruminate on
and discuss the big questions of philosophy and the thought experiments that motivate ways of thinking about
these questions. Questions include:
▪ Is there a God?
▪ Is time travel paradoxical?
▪ Can we know we are not in the Matrix? Does it matter either way?
▪ Do we have free will, and hence moral responsibility for what we do?
▪ Are we merely selfish beings or can we do things for the sake of others?
▪ Are there moral rules that all cultures and people recognize, or should recognize?
▪ Can you survive bodily death by creating a copy of your neural patterns (and psychological states)?
Course Objectives
1. Understand what motivates philosophical thought
2. Evaluate the arguments and analyze the thought experiments constructed to address philosophical problems
3. Articulate and develop your own views on philosophical issues
4. Improve your ability to critically read a philosophical text
Required Text
Philosophy: Traditional and Experimental Readings, edited by Fritz Allhoff, Ron Mallon, and Shaun Nichols.
https://global.oup.com/ushe/product/philosophy-9780199775255?cc=us&lang=en&
Method of Evaluation
The final course grade will be based on a percentage of the total number of points possible:
94-100 A 74-76.9 C
90-93.9 A- 70-73.9 C-
87-89.9 B+ 67-69.9 D+
84-86.9 B 64-66.9 D
80-83.9 B- 60-63.9 D-
77-79.9 C+ 59.9 & below F
Nature of Assignments
Assignments
Weight
First Essay
15%
Final Essay
35%
Examination
10%
Reading Responses & Presentations
20%
Participation
20%
Readings: In order to do well in this course you must critically engage with the reading assignments. Many of
the readings are short (some are just one or two pages long), but it should not be assumed that they will
therefore require little time or effort. Philosophical texts are notoriously challenging and dense (due to, among
other things, the abstract nature of the questions they address). I recommend that you read each assignment
twice, making notes within the margins of questions that arise while reading. Doing so will improve the quality
of your reading responses and cut down on the time required to complete the assignment.
Reading Responses: Each reading response will address a set of study questions, some of which appear at the
end of the readings. Responses must double-spaced and should not exceed two pages in length. Writing
thorough and thoughtful responses will make your life easier when it comes time to write your essays.
Reading Presentations: At the beginning of one class meeting you will give a 5-10 minute presentation on one
of the readings assigned for that day. These presentations will serve to highlight the most salient points in the
reading and raise questions for discussion. Avoid summarizing the text and instead focus on the main
arguments and the support provided for these arguments. Your presentation will take the place of one reading
response.
Essays: Throughout the course of the semester you will submit two essays. In each essay you will provide an
exegesis of a philosophical argument and persuasively present and defend a thesis in response to this argument.
Essays must be double-spaced and approximately five pages in length. For a guide to writing a strong
