Course Overview
- Unit I: Introduction: Fundamentals of Philosophy
- Unit II: Overview: Assignments, Marking, and Grading
- Unit III: Metaphysics: Do I exist?
- Unit IV: Cosmology: Does anything exist?
- Unit V: Ontology: Does knowledge exist?
- Midterm Week – Metaphysics Mid-Term Exam
- Unit VI: Epistemology: What is the nature of knowledge?
- Unit VII: Polity and Ethics: Do I have rights? What is justice?
- Unit VIII: Axiology: What is a “good life”?
- Final Week – Epistemology Final Exam
Course Outline
Download the course outline here.
Course Calendar
Course Readings
Review – How to Learn How to Think (read in advance… will be covered in-class, notes will be done in-class)
- Introduction to Systems and Systems Thinking (Betley et al.)
- The Importance of the Act of Reading (Freire)
- Philosophy: The Basics (Warburton) (on theory)
- What Is Theory? (Joas Knöbl)
- Respectful Dialogue and Debate: Principles and Practices (University of British Columbia)
- Daily Dozen: Fake It Until You Make It (course handout)
- Reading Strategies Self-Assessment (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
- Models and Frameworks (review – if you had Mr. Kertes already)
Sept 8-13:
- Reading 1A:
- What Is Philosophy? An Omnibus of Definitions from Prominent Philosophers (Popova) (notes due Sept. 14th)
- What Philosophy Is (Payne) (notes due Sept. 14th)
- The Value of Philosophy (Russell) (notes due Sept. 14th)
- Reading 1B:
- How to Do Philosophy (Payne) (notes due Sept. 14th)
- In addition to questions about the above readings, the quiz on Sept. 14th will include questions about:
- LOAs, Systems Thinking, Seven Cs, and Bloom’s Taxonomy (see review above)
- Zone of Proximal Development (see review above)
- Theory (see review above)
Sept 14-20:
- Reading 2A (to be posted)
- Reading 2B (to be posted)
Sept 21-Oct 4:
- Reading 3A (to be posted)
- Reading 3B (to be posted)
Oct 5-Oct 18:
- Reading 4A (to be posted)
- Reading 4B (to be posted)
Oct 19-Nov 22:
- Reading 5A (to be posted)
- Reading 5B (to be posted)
Nov 23-Dec 6:
- Reading 6A (to be posted)
- Reading 6B (to be posted)
Dec 7-Dec 13:
- Reading 7A (to be posted)
- Reading 7B (to be posted)
Dec 14-Jan 11:
- Reading 8A (to be posted)
- Reading 8B (to be posted)
Course Glossary – Key Terms
Definitions will be added as we work through the course.
- TBD
