I am glad you have chosen to take this course, and I promise to do my part to make the semester a meaningful and enjoyable learning experience. Edward, Paul, Editor. To present some key views on human nature and, more generally, to introduce you somewhat to some of the major philosophers and philosophical schools of Western thought To explore the philosophical roots of many contemporary controversies about ethics, sexuality, the family, education. These include analyses and critiques of articles, as well as original philosophical work. Teams are assigned by random selection after the first class meeting.
Links are below containing directions for the debates, etc.
One of the other in-class exams can be missed, or taken to improve your score on a previous exam. The final exam is cumulative. Participation is an ungraded student responsibility. I believe that discussion is a key ingredient of doing philosophy and a key ingredient in your success at this course. That's because more than information gathering, philosophy involves seeing the complexities of ideas, and their implications.