SYLLABUS:

• PHI 101 INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY -- Fall 2025 -- Available in the Fall.

PRESENTATION SCHEDULES:

• PHI 101, SPRING 2025 - TTh 9:00 - 10:15 a.m. (Sect. XXXXX) -- Available in the Fall.

COURSE MATERIALS:

• Lecture 1: Introduction to Philosophy and Arguments

• Lecture 1 Skill Sheet 1: Validity and Soundness (Print and take to class - to be completed in class)

• Lecture 1 Skill Sheet 2: Necessary and Sufficient Conditions (Print and take to class - to be completed in class)

• Lecture 2: Fallacious Reasoning

• Dr. Y's "The Importance of Philosophy: Why does philosophy matter? Why bother with it?"

ARTICLE SUMMARY GUIDELINES AND GRADING SCALES:

• PHI 101 Article Summary Guidelines

• This is a template of how to write the first Article Summary for St. Anselm

PRESENTATION GUIDELINES, ASSISTANCE, AND EXAMPLES:

• General Guidelines on the Elements of a Presentation for PHI 101

• PHI 101, 1st Example of Presentation: Anselm's Argument for the Existence of God 

• PHI 101, 2nd Example of Presentation: Aquinas' Five Arguments for the Existence of God

PAPER ASSIGNMENTS (and Abbreviation Guide for Grading):

• First Paper Assignment - Available when Dr. Y announces in class.

• Second Paper Assignment - Available when Dr. Y announces in class.

• Grading Legend -- Explanations for the abbreviations on your graded papers

ADVICE ON WRITING PAPERS:

• Writing Philosophy 101 Papers

• Dr. Y's Good Paper Sample

• Dr. Y's Bad Paper Sample

• Dr. Y's Grammar Corner

• Dr. Y's Example of a Poor Introduction to your Paper (and why it is poor)

OPTIONAL COURSE MATERIAL (i.e., only look at and/or print this stuff if you're interested in it):

• Why Philosophy is Valuable, Getting a Career in Philosophy, Philosophy Major Salaries, and otherwise Intelligent People Who Bash (or Have Bashed) Philosophy and/or Philosophers

• Why are There so Few Female Philosophers in my PHI 101 Textbook?

• Dr. Y's List of Fallacies -- A whole bunch of fallacies: Don't commit these and point them out when others do!

• Some YouTube videos that might help you understand some course material better [Warning: Do not use these videos to answer any questions in the paper topics!]

• Some of my Recommendations for Philosophy DVDs/Videos at the MCC Library (The DVDs/videos are free to view at the MCC Library, if you're interested!)

• God Diagram of Possibilities of God's Existence

• Some Disproofs of God that have been made for your consideration 

• Pascal's Wager (Chart)

• Pascal's Wager, extended to many other religions (Chart)

• Faith v. Rational Belief v. Irrational Belief v. Knowledge (Chart)

• Plato: "Knowledge Versus Opinion" Chart

• Aristotle: "Demonstrative Knowledge" Chart

• Plato: "The Allegory of the Cave" (Sun Simile and Divided Line) Chart

• A Detailed Chart of Plato's Cave Allegory

• Aristotle: "Individual Substance" (Primary and Secondary Substances) Chart

• Empiricism versus Rationalism -- Considerations for and against each view

• Locke's Primary and Secondary Qualities Chart

• Aristotle: "Soul and Body, Mind and Matter" (his view of the soul) Chart

• Optional Plato Material

• Optional Aristotle Material

• Metaethics/Normative Ethics Diagram (Thumbnail sketch of different major ways of approaching ethics)

• Ethical Relativism: Objections to Individual and Cultural Relativism

• Some Objections against Nihilism 

• Immanuel Kant: On a Supposed Right to Lie from Altruistic Motives wherein Kant says do not lie to a murderer at the door

• Act Utilitarianism versus Rule Utilitarianism -- Definitions and some examples of each ethical theory

• The Pros and Cons of Kant's and Mill's Ethical Theories

• Optional Extra Credit Assignments -- Available when Dr. Y announces in class.