Here we will establish criteria for rational belief to be used for the remainder of the course. Unit III takes up the question of human origins. We will study and evaluate the theory of evolution and creationism. Unit IV is devoted to reflection on the meaning of life. This course satisfies the General University Requirement in Philosophy.
Most students find that reading philosophy takes much more time than reading other subjects.
I suggest a quick first reading that allows you to obtain a general feeling for the work, followed by a slow and careful second reading. The reading load has been calculated with this in mind. It will be assumed both in lecture and in discussion that you have read the assigned material. A second essential requirement is participation in small group discussions. Thoughtful discussion is a central part of philosophy so each week we will divide into groups of four or five in order to work through discussion projects.