Introduction to Philosophy

obowiązkowe

from 2023/2024

The first aim of this course is to provide students with basic conceptual frameworks used in main sub-disciplines of philosophy and with basic knowledge about key philosophical questions. The second aim is to give them the opportunity to discuss on a basic level fundamental philosophical problems, and to train them in formulating sound arguments and finding weaknesses in argumentation.

to 2022/2023

The course is based on John Hospers' Introduction to Philosophical Analysis. The book offers a comprehensive view of philosophy in the 20th century.

from 2023/2024

The first part of this course will be aimed to draw a big picture of philosophy and to make students familiar with concepts and questions. The second part will focus on selected big topics of philosophy and it will be preceded by a training in using tools which enable students to assess reasoning and formulate a correct argumentation. The third part will cover selected trends in 20th-century philosophy. The last part will refer to philosophical questions concerning our today and our tomorrow.

Students will be expected to read short texts which will prepare them for discussions.

Topics:

1. Main concepts and questions of ontology

2. Main concepts and questions of epistemology

3. Main concepts and questions of metaethics

4. Mapping sub-disciplines of philosophy

5. Key tools to assess reasoning

6. Free will and its enemies

7. States, Societies and Individuals

8. Universals and the Platonic tradition

9. Mind and Body Problems

10. Can we say anything about God?

11. Phenomenology, Hermeneutics, Structuralism, Poststructuralism

12. Linguistic Turn and Analytic Philosophy

13. Hypermodenism

14. Artificial Intelligence: Challenges and Opportunities

15. Future of Critical Thinking and Creative Thinking

to 2022/2023

Each chapter will be discussed over two consecutive meetings.

Week 1: When is it appropriate to ask the question ‘why?’, and when is the question inapplicable?

Week 2: How to make a definition? The difference between descriptive and projective definitions.

Week 3: Paradoxes of truth.

Week 4: How does evidence differs from observation, proof, argument and assumption?

Week 5: Illusions and hallucinations.

Week 6: Phenomenalism, reliability of senses, solipsism.

Week 7: The myth of the given.

Week 8: Hypotheses and theories.

Week 9: Determinism and indeterminism

Week 10: Necessity in the causal connection.

Week 11: Personal identity.

Week 12: Artificial Intelligence.

Week 13: Religious experience.

Week 14: Arguments for the existence of God

Week 15: Deriving Ought from Is.

Week 16: Ethical theories.

from 2023/2024

John Hospers, An Introduction to Philosophical Analysis.

Bertrand Russel, The Problems of Philosophy.

Kazimierz Ajdukiewicz, Problems and theories of philosophy.

Edward Zalta (ed.), Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

to 2022/2023

John Hospers, Introduction to Philosophical Analysis

from 2023/2024

A student:

- knows basic philosophical concepts,

- understands main philosophical problems,

- uses basic philosophical concepts,

- presents main philosophical problems,

- matches the names of the most important philosophers to philosophical positions they represent,

- presents main assumptions of contemporary philosophical trends,

- formulates philosophical questions concerning

- formulates correct argumentation,

- assesses the validity of a reasoning,

- takes part in discussions,

- works in group.

to 2022/2023

A. Knowledge:

1. Student will acquire basic information about leading philosophers in the history of Europe.

2. He/she will develop an opinion about the relationship between philosophy, arts and sciences.

3. He/she will acquire basic philosophical vocabulary.

4. He/she will learn to see individual philosophical issues against the background of leading philosophical opinions.

5. He/she will be able to identify major philosophical topics.

B. Skills:

1. Student will learn how to use the Internet to find answers to philosophical questions.

2. He/she will attempt to participate in philosophical discussion in a rational manner.

3. He/she will be able to detect logical connections between different theoretical claims.

4. He/she will learn the methods of fair criticism.

5. He/she will be able to compare the rationality of different philosophical arguments.

C. Social Competence

1. Student will cherish the chance to use a library.

2. He/she will understand the competing impacts of frankness and of unanimity.

3. Her/she will be able to rely on other fields than philosophy to better interpret philosophical issues.

4. He/she will learn not to be gullible, stubborn, verbally arrogant, repetitive and boring.

5. He/she will acquire the ability to work collectively with his/her peers.

from 2023/2024

The assessment of participants’ learning outcomes will be based on: 1) a written test after the first part of the course, 2) oral argumentations presented during the course, 3) short written works (at least one for each student) on topics chosen by students.

The final grade will correspond to the level of achievement of the learning outcomes.

Acceptable number of missed classes without formal explanation: 2

to 2022/2023

Students will be evaluated for their knowledge of each chapter and for their participation in discussions (50%). They will write a semester paper on a chapter of their choice (50%).

Acceptable number of missed classes without formal explanation: 2