PHI 1103

Fall 2003

Mr. Silver

 

CRITICAL THINKING (LECTURE, UMT 14): CORRECTIONS AND ADDITIONS

 

Required Texts:

 

1.      Plato, Five Dialogues, tr. G.M.A. Grube & J.M. Cooper (Indianapolis, 2002).

2.      Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy (1641), tr. D.A. Cress (Indianapolis, 1993).

3.      David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding (1748), ed. E. Steinberg (Indianapolis, 1993).

4.      Immanuel Kant, Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals (1785), tr. J.E. Ellington (Indianapolis, 1993).

5.      Mill, Utilitarianism, ed. G. Sher (Indianapolis, 2001).

6.      John Chaffee, Thinking Critically, 7th edition (New York, 2003), (The text for discussion sections).

 

Tuesday Lectures: Readings, Examinations, and Critical Paper.

 

8/26/2003:                   Introductory Session: Nature and Requirements of PHI 1103.

9/2/2003:                     Plato, Five Dialogues: Euthyphro and Apology.

9/9/2003:                     Plato, Five Dialogues: Crito and Phaedo.

9/16/2003:                   Descartes Meditations on First Philosophy, I-III.

9/23/2003:                   Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy, IV-VI.

9/30/2003:                   Hume, Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, I-IV.

10/7/2003:                   Hume, Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, V-VIII.

10/14/2003:                 Hume, Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, IX-X, XII.

10/21/2003:                 MIDTERM EXAMINATION.

10/28/2003:                 Kant, Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals, Preface & Section One.

11/4/2003:                   11/11/2003: Kant, Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals, Section Two.

11/11/2003:                 Veteran’s Day (No Class Meeting)

11/18/2003:                 Mill, Utilitarianism, Chapters 1-2.

11/25/2003:                 Mill, Utilitarianism, Chapters 3-5.

12/9/2003:                   FINAL EXAMINATION, 1:00-3:00.

 

Critical Paper:

 

To pass this course, every student must submit an 8-10 page (2,000-2,500 word) critical

paper on some aspect of the assigned reading above. The paper must conform to

the stylistic requirements in either the latest edition of the Chicago Manual of Style or the

Modern Language Association Handbook for Writers. We will talk about the details of

this assignment in the first meeting of the course. But know this as you decide whether to

take this course: late papers or papers that fall short of the minimum length are

unacceptable. This paper is due at the beginning of class on November 18, 2003.

 

Discussion Sections: Requirements and Written Work.

 

Every student must meet once a week in an assigned discussion section. All

students will be responsible for the material in John Chaffee's Thinking Critically, chapters 1-5 and 9-11. Section instructors, i.e., teaching assistants enrolled for advanced degrees in the Department of Philosophy, will prepare a syllabus for their sections. A student's grade in a discussion section counts for almost one third of the entire course and is based upon the average of quizzes or other exercises to be determined, prepared and graded by the instructor for each section.  Attendance in these sections is mandatory. Travels plans, personal problems, employment conflicts, defective automobiles and broken computers are not acceptable excuses for missing class or an assignment. The only exceptions for missing a class meeting without a penalty are (1) illness (documented by a note from a physician) and (2) judicial obligations, e.g., jury duty or responding to a subpoena (documented by an official, properly dated summons).

 

In addition to their duties in discussion sections, teaching assistants will evaluate

and grade all other written assignments, i.e., the midterm examination, critical paper and final examination. And when the need arises, they will assist students with questions or problems that concern the course. Teaching assistants will maintain posted office hours and will, with enough advance notice, meet at a mutually convenient time for students who are not able to meet during regular office hours. 

 

Computation for a Final Grade in PHI 1103.

 

1.      Midterm Examination = 20%.

2.      Critical Paper = 25%.

3.      Final Examination = 25%.

4.      Discussion Section = 30%.

 

Office Hours.

 

My guaranteed office hours follow.

 

FAO 223, Tuesday, 10:00-12:00.

Phone (813) 974-5405, Email, bsilver@chuma1.cas.usf.edu.

 

Course Objective.

 

The principal aim of this course is to acquaint undergraduate students with the nature, techniques and applications of critical thinking. Realizing this aim is important insofar as the capacity to think critically is valuable both for its own sake and for solving a variety of practical problems.