Unit 1
INTRODUCTION: What is Philosophy, and how do I do it?
(Before you begin the assinged readings and assignments you MUST take the Practice Exam and the Pre-Test. Click on the "Exam 1"
link below for full details.)
(Be sure to check the due dates for all Unit 1 assignments by following the links at the bottom of the page!)
The purpose of the first unit is to struggle with the question "What is
Philosophy?" In order to get at this question we will look at three
different philosophers (Socrates/Plato, John Locke, and Bertrand Russell) and ask
1) How do they DO Philosophy? and 2) How are their views about
Philosophy and how best to do Philosophy similar and/or distinct?
Assigned Readings and Lectures:
(Read ALL assigned pages, listen to ALL audio lectures)
- FIRST, read Pojman's note on how to read Philosophy: 623-636
- An overview of Philosophy: 1-10 (Audio Lecture)
- The Beginning of Philosophy in the West: Some Historical Background (Audio Lecture) - (get the notes)
- The First Philosophers (Audio Lecture)
- The Socio-political Background of Socrates' Trial (Audio Lecture)
- Socrates' Example of Doing Philosophy - From Plato's Apology : 11-20 (get the notes)
- Philosophy as the Love of Truth - From John Locke's Essay Concerning Human Understanding : 20-25 (get the notes)
- The Value of Philosophy - From Bertrand Russell's The Problems of Philosophy: 25-29
- Tying it all Together - (Audio Lecture)
Unit One Assignments: