1
PROBLEMS OF PHILOSOPHY
PHIL 101 Fall 2020 TR 5:00 – 6:20
Professor: Jason Megill
Office Hours (on zoom): Thursdays 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. or by appointment
Phone: 781–779-9012 (this is my cell number, since I won’t be in the office much)
Email: jmegill@bentley.edu
We will meet on Zoom. Here is the link: https://bentley.zoom.us/j/93137077449
I will also record and post all lectures on Blackboard.
Learning Objectives:
1. An understanding and appreciation of the nature of philosophical problems and issues, how they
are different from other matters, and how they are implicitly a part of problems encountered in
everyday life.
2. A grasp of basic philosophical concepts and methods.
3. An understanding and appreciation of fundamental philosophical issues contained in such
questions as: Who (what) am I? What can I know? What should I do?
4. Knowledge of the major divisions of philosophy (logic, metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, etc.).
5. A familiarity with major philosophical movements and important figures.
6. Critical Thinking Skills.
Required Text: Introduction to Philosophy: Classical and Contemporary Readings, 6th Edition. Edited by
Perry, Bratman and Fischer.
Most of the required readings are from this text; this is the only textbook you need to buy. Some
readings will be posted online at the course homepage (on Blackboard). The readings for particular
class periods are typically short, though they will often be difficult and complex. Sometimes it helps
to read a piece of philosophy more than once.
Assignments:
EXAMS = 40% OF OVERALL GRADE
There are two in-class exams. One is the Midterm. It is on 10/20 and is 20% of your overall grade.
There is also a final exam on 12/17. It is also 20% of your overall grade; the final is not cumulative.
Before each exam, we’ll have a review. I’ll also distribute a study guide for each test to help you
prepare. The midterm and final will be a mixture of multiple-choice questions and essays.
Exams are expected to be taken synchronously unless other arrangements are made at least one
week in advance of the exam.
QUIZZES = 20% OF OVERALL GRADE
There will also be 4 quizzes throughout the semester; I put them on the class schedule below (they
are not pop quizzes). I’ll give you an essay question to answer, along with some multiple-choice
questions. These are each worth 5% of your grade, for a total of 20%.
PAPER = 30% OF OVERALL GRADE
There is also a paper. It is 7 pages (double spaced). It is due with the final and is 20% of your overall
grade. You can choose your own paper topic, but I will suggest some topics as well. I’ll be happy to
look at a rough draft of this paper before you turn it in, though this is not required.
PARTICIPATION = 10% OF OVERALL GRADE
The remaining 10% of your grade is based on class participation. We will have various in-class
assignments that will count toward this.
Zoom Protocol:
Students must join classes through their Bentley Zoom account. Go to Bentley.Zoom.Us and enter
the course meeting number to join the session.
Grading Scale:
I will follow Bentley’s official grading scale.
Classroom Method:
I will start each class by lecturing, by introducing the reading for that day. Please feel free to ask
questions during this part of class; I like questions. Don’t be shy; if something isn’t clear to you, it
probably isn’t clear to others either. After a while, class will transition more into a discussion, where
you will have the chance to ask further questions and to give your opinions on the readings. I like a
relaxed (though focused) classroom atmosphere with a lot of discussion.
Blackboard page:
I will use the class homepage quite a bit. As mentioned above, some of the required readings will be
