PHIL 110.001 – Philosophical Texts that Changed the World: An Introduction to Philosophy through Great Works

Instructor: Cal Fawell. This course meets TR 9:30 – 10:45 a.m. in DE 307.

What is courage? How do you know you’re not dreaming? Is it okay to do the right thing for selfish reasons? This is an introductory level course meant to examine some of the most influential works in the Western philosophical canon. We will look at selections from (among others) Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Hume, and Kant, and try to understand their positions, the reasons they hold them, and whether we should (or should not!) agree with them. Along the way, we will practice evaluating a text’s argument and developing arguments of our own. No prior background or experience in philosophy is required.